Please note change in GJ Computer Users Group time

At last month’s meeting, I discussed that I was asked to change our time and/or day of meeting to make room for a realtor group that needed the room at our time. Pat Teck worked it out so that we are able to keep our same day…second Wednesday of every month.  However, our new start time is 10:30am, and we will end at 12:30pm. Please pass this information on to other GJ Computer User Group members, and I hope to...

The Castellini Approach to Internet Security

This past week I saw way too many people who are not taking advantage of the free information we give out on the show and the web site. Their computers were suffocating from a preventable disease…viruses and spyware. Yes, preventable, almost 100%. And fighting the war on our home computer security front does not have to be costly or time consuming. We talk about this subject quite a bit on the program and the web site...

Computer Boot Camp – June 2009

The most common piece of feedback I receive about my monthly computer users group goes something like this; “I love coming to the meetings, but I don’t understand most of what you say.” Or, “Almost all of the information is over my head.” I dedicate today’s meeting to all you folks who want to learn (and rightfully so) the bare bone basics about computers. This article will give you links...

Social Networking Basics – User Group Presen...

Adam Cochran covered for me today at the GJ Computer Users Group and talked about social networking. Following are the notes for his presentation plus a slide show presentation with additional information about social networking: Social Networks are website that help people with common interests of backgrounds keep in touch. The big 3 social networks are Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. MySpace is designed to help people with...

Gmail guide for beginners – 3 Videos –...

This week’s video tip is a HelpMeRick.com first…it involves 3 videos to cover the topic of Gmail. Directly above each video below, I give a short synopsis of the videos contents. The more I use it, the more impressed I am with Gmail. If you currently use Gmail, don’t be afraid to watch these videos as you might pick up a tip or two yourself. Google offers a good Help section covering their email system, and...

Digital Photography Basics – February 2009

Adam Cochran ran our Digital Photography Special Interest Group (DPSIG) for almost six years and all that great information he shared during that time is archived here at HelpMeRick.com. Make sure to use that information. In today’s class we covered the basics about digital photography divided into three quick, hard hitting segments: Using the camera Transferring the images Organizing and using the images (including...

Netbooks – What are they really designed to ...

Today, I demo’d the original EeePC from Asus and the new Dell Mini 9. These Netbooks and all the others on the market from nearly a dozen companies have the following characteristics in common: 9″ or less screen size (there are some 10″ screens, but I start to put those in the category of ultra portable notebooks instead of netbooks) All cost less than $400 and some less than $300 Weigh less than 3.5...

Participating and/or Moderating Email Discussion G...

Last month, John, a GJ User Group regular, suggested I lead a discussion about email discussion groups, sometimes known as mailing lists. I thought it was such a good idea, that I made it this month’s User Group topic. Email discussion groups allow emailers with a particular passion for a hobby, political leaning, medical infliction, educational purpose or any other common thread to share ideas, debate, and dialogue via...

Google Earth – The Dime Tour – Video T...

If you have high speed Internet and haven’t tried Google Earth, give it a try. Even if you aren’t a geography buff, you will find Google Earth to be a fascinating resource to try out. Google Earth is another free product from Google that combines their excellent searching skills with a fully interactive globe. You can search for street addresses, points of interest, historical locations and then layer on other...

Word Processing and Spreadsheet Basics – Nov...

After getting off the “grid” this year with our meetings and covering some very different territories, I decided to go with a mainstream topic today. In today’s meetings, we discussed some word processing and spreadsheet basics. Our site has a plethora of word processing tips (mostly Microsoft Word), and you can find them all by clicking here. For spreadsheets, you can just search for spreadsheets in our...

Blogs and Blogging – October 2007

Definition The word blog derived from web + log. Blogs became well known during the 2004 election process, but have been around since at least 1999. They started out as simple online diaries comprised of primarily text entries sorted by date…newest to oldest. Gradually, they morphed into full fledge web sites containing images and video along with the written information. What is the purpose of a...

Introduction to Ubuntu Linux – September 200...

I have written much about Ubuntu over the past six months, but today was my first public presentation of this fantastic operating system. Because it is different, many computer users tend to look upon it with eyes of confusion, but after discussing the possibilities and the opportunities with Ubuntu, those confused eyes turn to eyes of intrigue. Getting people to think about an alternative to Windows and computing as we...

All Q&A Session – July 2007

I don’t do it too often, but this month I decided to hold an all Q&A (2 hours) user group meeting. It truly is amazing how many questions 30 or 40 ravenous computer users can generate. Sometimes one question leads to another, and an entire “topic” can take up a half hour. You have to be at one of the meetings to truly experience the type of knowledge and information that gets shared and explored. Some of...

Backup – What, Where, When, and How – ...

It doesn?t take long to back up your files, but it does take discipline.  Just like getting the oil changed in our cars regularly to maintain its health, it is imperative that a good backup program be put in place for you computer creations. Follow these simple rules for backing up your files and you will be able to face any computer calamity: Save your files in a common folder or directory like My Document or Work Make...

Understanding FIle Management – April 2007

Click here to get the PowerPoint handout for today's meeting.