Computer Q & A

It’s Question and Answer Time

It’s Question and Answer time again and I have received many questions regarding the use and mis-use of the Internet. So, let’s begin with the most asked questions first.

Q          What the heck is the Internet and how does it affect my life?

A          The Internet, or Net, is a system of interconnected computers that have the ability to communicate with each other and with other computers that are temporarily connected to the system through telephone connections.

How this might affect your life depends on how you choose to use, mis-use or ignore the existence of the Net. Assume for a moment that you have an urgent need for information concerning the use of proper nouns in the spoken language of the Ginatsu tribe of southwestern Australia. Also assume that it's three o’clock in the morning local time.

Continuing with our assumptions, assume that your need for this information is because you have a meeting with one of the elders of the Ginatsu tribe at eight AM this same day. One more assumption, failure to observe proper courtesy during your first meeting with the tribal honcho will result in severe repercussions, both financial and physical.

Where can you find any information on the Ginatsu language? The Internet, of course. Log on the Internet, call up your search program, search for Ginatsu language and your worries are over. Maybe an extreme example but the vast amount of information available, virtually at your fingertips, on the Internet is fast making the Net the first choice of serious students and researchers in many fields.

How does this affect your life? The answer to that relies on how much you may need or want access to information that might not be available or as easy to retrieve as through the use of the Internet. You be the judge.

Q          What do I need to join the Internet crowd

A          A computer with phone access through a modem, a contract with an Internet service provider and the necessary programs to communicate with the Internet. Also listed among the requirements is a vast amount of patience, the ability to concentrate for hours and an unlimited amount of time.

Q          How about this thing called E-mail? What is it and how much does it cost to send a letter?

A          E-mail, or electronic mail, is a method of using the Internet as a virtual post office using your computer screen instead of paper and pen. When you sign up to use the Internet through a service provider you are given an address that is unique to you. This is the address anyone wishing to send mail to you through the Internet must use. The first part of the address is generally selected by you and consists of your name or part of your name. The next part of the address is the @ sign, called ‘at’, followed by the name of the service provider. A typical address might look ike “[e-mail]”. The letters following the . (or dot) indicate the type of provider you are using. COM is for commercial enterprises, GOV is for governmental organisations, etc.

Retrieving your e-mail is simply signing on to the Internet through your service provider and opening your mail box.

As to the cost of e-mail, most service providers provide this function in the price of their service. Therefore there is no additional cost to send an e-mail letter to John Smith anywhere in the world, or to receive mail from Joanne Smith anywhere in the world.

The down side of e-mail is the lack of privacy. Your message is open to anyone with the necessary program to intercept and read the text.

The last Internet question for today involves the possibility of exposure to computer viruses using the Internet.

Q          How can I protect my computer from viruses while I am on the Internet?

A          While there is no guarantee of a virus free session on the Internet there are some precautions you can take. Currently there is no way to contact a virus by simply accessing the Internet, displaying Web Pages or sending and receiving e-mail.

The problem arises when you down load files or programs. Viruses, by their nature, tend to attach themselves to executable programs, i.e. bat, exe and com files. When downloading any of these files it is always a good plan to isolate them in a separate directory, run a current version of any common virus checking program against them and, of course, backing up your hard drive before using any of these new programs.

Remember that all viruses do not show themselves immediately. It is possible for a virus to lay hidden in your computer until such time as it has been programmed to make an appearance. This could be days, months and even years after you contacted it. Remember if you suspect a virus in your system that virus checkers are not infallible. A good clean backup of your hard drive is your only sure cure.

On another subject, the question came up regarding the safe storage environment for a personal computer.

Q          Can I leave my computer in an unheated building over the winter?

A          Researching for the correct answer required a little time and imagination. There are books full of specifications and each computer manufacturer has its own recommendations. Distilling all the various specs and recommendations into a single answer involves common sense, intuition, experience, black magic and small amount of guess work. In short you have to make your own decision.

Start with the manufacturers' specifications. These specs generally look like something from a Star Wars movie. The important part is the non-operating temperature range. Look for something like -200 to 600 C (-40 to 1400 F) or some other figures. This is the temperature range that the manufacturer says the computer can be safely stored at.

Taking the manufacturers' specs with a grain of salt, use your intuition and common sense. You just invested X number of dollars on this electronic marvel and when you retrieve it from storage you probably would like it to continue doing whatever it is that you bought it to do. Remember that your computer is composed of many electric, electronic and mechanical components. Each of these parts has its own likes and dislikes and hopes and dreams for the future. Subjecting them to prolonged periods of extremes of temperature and humidity may not cause immediate failure on power up but certainly will damage their psyche.

A safe rule of thumb regarding computers, and any electronic equipment, is to use and store them in an environment in which you would feel comfortable. Neither too hot nor too cold, not too dry nor too damp.

One last thought on safe storage, don't forget to unplug the computer and printer if you plan to leave them unattended for any length of time. This includes the phone to modem connection if you have one. Electrical storms have a tendency to seek out fragile equipment to remind humans of the power of a stroke of lightning.