Computers and Internet Tips
Read these 42 Computers and Internet Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Kids Online tips and hundreds of other topics.
Private Message Boards
Some message boards will let you make the board private, so that people must have a password to enter the forum. A private forum can be a fun way to stay in touch with your grandparents. You can talk back and forth with them on the board. One place to find a private message board is at www.delphi.com.
Mailing Lists
Creating a mailing list can be fun to do. It makes it easy to send jokes to all your friends at once. Do this by typing each name into the address part of your email. Put a semi-colon (which looks like this ;) between each email address. Don't put anyone on this list without permission. Not everyone likes to get those kinds of emails.
Using Graphics by Others
Graphics are pictures. It's fun to have some graphics on your web page, but be sure you have permission to use them. Check the rules on the page where you find the graphics. Many graphics sites will let you use the graphics on your page if you aren't a business and if you tell people where you got the picture. Using a graphic without permission is stealing.
Computerized Girls
Are you crazy about computers, the Net, and anything that plugs in or takes a battery? There are people who are starting to realize that computers aren't just a guy thing. Try these sites for smart girls who are into technology:
GirlStart Find out how you can earn a living on the computer, play games and more. This site should be explored with a parent.
Girl Tech This is one of the most popular sites for techie girls. You can learn about techie careers, play games, talk about sports and meet successful women.
Web Rings
A web ring is a collection of sites with something in common. The sites might all be for kids, or might all be about horses. Web rings can be a good way to find new sites, but you should always surf the ring with your parents to be sure every site on the ring is okay for you to see. When you visit a page in a web ring, you will see a graphic (picture) that shows you how to get to the next site in the ring. If all the links work, you will go in a circle through the ring.
Writing articles on Your Homepage
It is hard to read a lot of words on a computer screen. When you are writing an article, remember to keep your paragraphs pretty short. Instead of indenting, leave a blank line between each paragraph. Keep your sentences short too. If the article is going to be long, you might want to make it a two-part article and link to the other part. This gives people a little break.
Name Your Homepage
If you want a lot of people to come to your homepage, give it a professional-sounding name. People aren't likely to click on "John's page" because they don't know what the page is about. Instead, call it "Raising the Perfect Horse" or "Read All About It (For Kids). The name should tell your reader what the page is about.
Learn About the Net
One of the best places to learn about the net...is on the net. Try these sites to get learn the weird vocabulary used on the net and to find out how it all works:
Do Spiders Live on the World Wide Web? This is a cute online book. Do you know the the difference between a pet mouse and a computer mouse? Learn the language here.
How Web Servers and the Internet Work Did you ever wonder how a web page gets from where it is made all the way to your computer? This page can tell you.
Watch Your Words!
Talking to someone on a board or in a chat room or through email is very different than talking to someone in person. When you talk in person, the listener can also watch your facial expressions and listen to the tone of your voice. When you communicate over the internet, they only have your words. Be very careful to say what you mean. Sometimes people think someone is angry or mean just because it looked meaner in words than it would have if you had said it in person.
Choosing a Password
When you choose a password, choose something you will remember, but not something other people can guess. Don't use your name or birthday, for example. You could use the name of a favorite book, your favorite animal or the name of your kindergarten teacher.
Graphics
Web pages with lots of graphics might be fun to make and to look at, but they make a web page run very slowly. Many people do not have time to wait for slow pages to load in. Don't put too many graphics on your page and don't make the ones you have be too fancy. Keep your page simple.
Basic HTML codes
Want to try writing your own html? A few basic commands will let you add something to your page without having to run back to your html editor for help. Always put html commands in brackets. Put this one: < at the front. Put this one: > at the end. In the middle, put the html. To make paragraphs with a blank line between them, use this code: br. Don't forget to put the brackets in. This means break and tells the program to go to the next line. Then, next to that, put the letter P in brackets. This tells it to leave a blank space. It can be fun to know what all those symbols mean.
Making a Signature
It's fun to have a signature in your email that will always appear when you send your mail. Each email system is a little different, but usually you will find a link on the site that tells you to make a signature. Follow the directions on the site. You can put your name and the URL to your web page in it. You could also choose to put in a cute picture or a funny saying. Be creative, but be polite.
Don't Forget Your Password
Use the same password and username whenever you register with a website. That way you won't forget what the words are.
Bolding Text in HTML
When writing articles for your web page, you might want to make a few words stand out. You can use some html to do this. Remember to put brackets at the start and at the end. < goes before the code. > goes after. To make a word bold, put a letter b in brackets. After the word you want bolded, put /b in brackets. The slash tells the program to turn off the bold. If you forget this part, everything you write afterwards will be in bold.
search engines
Most search engines are not family friendly. You might type in something like "fun sites for girls" and get things you aren't allowed to see. Instead, look for search sites meant just for kids. Check with your parents before choosing one. If you need a regular search engine, ask your parents to search for you. When you are searching, choose your words carefully. If you want to learn how to train your dog, don't just type in dog. You will get thousands of sites, and most won't be about dog training. Try using several words, such as dog and train and kids. This might get you a site for kids about training dogs.
Flaming
Flaming someone can be part of a flame war. Flaming is online fighting. It means sending mean emails, sending thousands of junk emails to fill a person's mailbox or posting mean things about someone on a message board. Don't flame anyone. Good manners are as important on the net as they are in real life. Remember, insults hurt.
Faces With Glasses
When showing a happy or sad face, give your little friend some glasses by using the number 8:
8)
8(
8-)
8->
Don't Shout!
When you type on your web page, message boards, email or chat, never use type all in capital letters. This is considered shouting, and is also very hard to read. You will just annoy your readers.
What is HTML?
HTML means hypertext markup language. It is like a secret code that your web site provider can understand. You put certain tags-the codes-into the instructions on the page and they tell the program how you want your page to look. You do not have to know html to make a web page. You can use an html editor. With these, you just make your page the way you want it to look, and the editor writes the html for you. It is nice to know a little html yourself though, just in case.
Make an Award for Your Page
One way to get people into your web page is to get other sites to link to you. Make an award for your page. When you put a link to another site on your site, send that site an award. Tell them to link the award back to you. Everytime someone clicks on the award, they will go to your site.
Make a Plan!
There is so much to do on the Internet that it can get very distracting. You might go online to do some research for a report, but never get your work done at all. First, you will check your email. Then you will start answering it. Then you might look up a great new site your friend told you about, start chatting on an instant messenger program, or check to see if your friends are in your chat room. Pretty soon your study time is over and you haven't even started your report. Go online with a plan and don't check your mail or turn on messengering services until you are finished working.
Choosing a Design
The best way to figure out what makes a great web page is to visit lots of them. Take notes as you visit. What colors are easy and fun? What bugs you about a page? Is it hard to get around? When you figure out what you like and don't like about other web pages, you will be able to figure out what to put on your own.
.com? .edu? What do They Mean?
After web page addresses, you will see an extension. These are three letters after a period. These can help you find a page or to tell what kind of page you are looking at. Here are some of the most common:
.com is for businesses
.org is for non-profit organizations (groups that help people like the American Red Cross.)
.edu is a school
Watch Where You Download
Do not download anything from a personal site. These downloads may have viruses or may be stolen from somewhere else. Stick to popular professional sites.
Successful Web Pages
Homepages get more visitors when they are about something people want to know. Choose a topic you know a lot about and are interested in. For example, if you raise guide dogs, do your page on that. Include lots of useful information so that people will learn from your page. Include articles and pictures. Come in and put up new information regularly and let people know that you add new information every Tuesday or on the first day of every month. That way they will know when to come back. Also, submit your page to search engines, sign other guest books with the address to your page and think about sending out a newsletter. Most importantly, though, have a really good page. That is the best way to get visitors.
Beware of Attachments
If you get an email that has an attachment (usually there is a paperclip symbol next to the name) don't open it! Check with your parents first. Attachments can have viruses which will hurt your computer. If you don't know the person, delete the email right away. If you do know the person, use a virus scan program first to be sure it is safe.
Favorites or Bookmarks
When you find a page you really like, save it in a favorites folder. Start one just for you so you can find everything you like. On Internet Explorer, this is called favorites. In Netscape, this is called Bookmarks. You will find them in your browser bar at the top of the screen.
Adding Links to Web Pages
Most web pages suggest other good web pages to visit. When listing these pages on your web site, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, try to make sure they fit the theme of the page you are doing. If you have a page about horses, try to find other pages that are also about horses. Make sure the pages are good and that most of the pages work. Don't just list the name of the page. Tell a little bit about it. What is on the page? What makes this page special? If some of the material on the page isn't good for younger children to see, tell about that.
Netiquette
Netiquette is the internet form of etiquette-good manners. Whenever you are on the net, mind your manners. Some rules are the same as in the real world: don't hurt the feelings of others, play fair, don't offend others. The net also has other special rules, so pay attention when you surf.
Happy Faces
There are several ways to make happy faces when you are typing on the internet. Here are some easy happy faces:
:)
:-)
;)
=)
:~ (elephant smiling)
=>D
Promoting Your Site
Use good manners when talking about your home page on someone else's board or guest book. Don't just post something like, “My page is way better than yours. Come visit mine.” Instead, say something nice about the page you are visiting and just list your page URL after your name. Think about how you want others to behave when they visit your page.
I've Been Flamed!
Flaming is being mean to someone online. If someone flames you by posting mean things or sending you cruel or rude emails, ignore them. It's only by mail so they can't get to you. Answering the post or email just gives the person another reason to keep attacking. If no one responds to a flame, the flamer gets bored and goes on to bother someone else. Ignore flamers as you would any other bully. However, you should show the flames to your parents so they can decide what to do.
More Faces to Type
Show people what you are feeling when you type by adding a little face. Here are some more examples:
:0 (This shows surprise.)
:/ Hmmm....
:I Thinking about it.
:}
:[
Your Address Book
Your email program probably has an address book in it. Look for the link at the top or side of the page. You can enter the email addresses of people you email often. When you write an email, there is usually a button that will let you search the list for the correct address.
How Do Computers Work?
Computers can't really think. They only know what people teach them. Before you can use your computer to help you as much as possible, you should know a little about them. Try these sites to help you learn:
Computer Lessons for Kids and Small Adults
How Do Computers Work?
Instant Messenger Systems
If you and your friends want to talk on a messenger system, you must all use the same system. Someday, all the systems will work together, but now they don't. They are usually free, however, so check with your parents if you need a different system to talk to someone.
Get the Internet!
You might have discovered the Internet at school and now you'd like to have it at home. How do you talk your parents into it? First there are some things you need to think about.
1. The Internet usually costs money. You have to pay for most services.
2. The Internet needs a telephone line. If you hook it into your regular line, no one can call you. If you get a special line just for the Internet, it will cost a lot of extra money to pay to put in the line and to have it every month. You may have to tell your parents how you can help them afford this. Are you willing to give up cable television? Are there other ways you can save money at your house?
3. The internet can be dangerous if you are not responsible. Be prepared to show your parents how you will stay safe on the Internet.
4. Parents like things that are good for you. Show them how the Internet can help you.
5. Parents don't want more things to fight with you about. Be ready to make and keep the rules for using the Internet.
Chat Shortcuts
People who use chat and email like to use shortcuts that let them type faster. BRB means Be right back. Then, when you return, you type Back. LOL means Laugh out loud. ROFL means rolling on the floor laughing. Adults often call their children DS (darling son) or DD (darling daughter.) When they are saying something with a smile, they type a little smiley face like this: ;) or :).
Opening a New Window
Sometimes when you are on the Internet, you need to have two web pages running at the same time. To open a second window, put your mouse over a link and click the right-hand side button on your mouse. A list of things you can do will appear. Click Open in a New Window. The link will open in a new screen. You can use that window the same way you use the other one and be two places at once!
| Guru Spotlight |
| Jerry Mayo |
