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June 1, 2000; Issue #6; Mail
Address:PMB 309 4038 Factoria
Blvd. SE, Bellevue, WA 98006-1212
Voice Mail: 206-232-5892;
Classroom: Phantom Lake Elementary School, Bellevue
For Detailed Information, Class
Schedules: www.seniornetps.org
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JUST IN
TIME to
recharge our computer information needs, or whatever, is the monthly
SeniorNet absolutely, positively
no-host Kaffee Klatch this coming Tuesday, June 6, at 11 am, at
the fabulous Crossroads Mall Food Circus.
These informal sessions take place the first Tuesday of the month at 11 am, to
about 1 pm, or whenever the coffee runs out, or the waiter comes around with
the check.
HAVE LAPTOP, WILL TRAVEL-Its that time of year again when many SeniorNet members hit the road for new adventures, with many taking their laptop computer with them to stay in touch and sending back traveling newsletters. One of the wandering practioners is Ray Hansen. During his annual trips to Europe with Mary, Ray tries to send back a virtual travelogue. And he does, but sometimes with amusing anecdotes in trying to find a phone link for access. Given the different systems for access, it is important to plan ahead, he says.
GETTING HOOKED UP--And there was the time a few years back when Ray spent an hour or so underneath a bar in Europe while the bartender served his other customers. But Ray was trying and succeeded in working a connection with the bar phone connection box near the floor, with the help of refreshments from the bemused bartender. As Ray points out, having your laptop uses can include emailing for making reservations on road ahead, checking on things at home, sharing experiences; for keeping references and your trip journal; and, for accessing the Internet for everything from weather and maps to directions to your next B&B. There are also detailed practical tips by Ray, which are available. Send a query to the editor (b26flyer@worldspy.net).
OUR IMPRESSIVE VOLUNTEER TEACHERS went through a recent intensive series of Friday morning classes at our classroom to sharpen and update their training skills and techniques. All designed to help our fellow seniors more easily learn computer operations.
RESERVE THE DAY- Thursday, July
13 is the big SeniorNet Computer Learning Center
Registration session 10-12, at the Crossroads Mall, South End, to sign up
for your new or continuing
computer education classes to broaden your hands-on skills. Full details are
scheduled to hit the mail later this month, so check your regular mail around
mid-month. You can also check our Website at Internet address shown above.
Registrar Louise Flora is being
assisted by Marilyn Emerson, with Roger Dalton looking for volunteers.
BE AN
OUTRAGEOUS OLDER WOMAN???- -What kind of talk is this, anyway? And how if you dare
do you identify an older woman? To
her face? How about an older
man? This is but one of the book
titles offered for sale online by, what else, a store specializing in senior
items and listed in a brochure which many SeniorNet members have received. The
website can be reached, via: www.seniorstore.com. There is no listed affiliation
with SeniorNet. This unique business describes itself as Older & Bolder
Senior Store Co., in Louisville, Colorado, and offers such items as: videos titled, Tai Chi for Seniors;
Elderobics Exercise; Pumping Iron After 50. It also lists Computing for Seniors, and books with such
encouraging titles as: Love and Sex after 60, Cycling Over 50, along with offerings of classic style
radios which we recall from so many years ago. And on the practical side it
features easy-grip kitchen and garden utensils.
GETTING
ORGANIZED WORKS, according to Jack Stephenson, who has
taught himself how to organize both his sent and received email, into various
file folders, which speeds up finding specific messages, or deciding which to
delete. Before that he had difficulty in finding specific messages. Now, he
writes, I can go to a folder and find what I want, and urges others to check it
out.
TIP TIME FOR COMPUTER USERS From various sources come a variety of tips for computer users: If you
lose some text, in most Windows programs you can resurrect it by hitting CTRL-Z.
That command reverses the last command. If you can't find document worked on
lately, click Start then click Documents. That'll bring up list of last 15
files you've worked on.
Clicking on the one you (hope) found, will bring it up.
LOOK MA! NO TYPING, JUST TALKING One of our veteran SeniorNet members who operates on the theory: If it ain't broke, fix it!, has started experimenting with voice dictation and commands on his computer. The program transforms dictation into a typed word processing document. The voice command mode opens and closes programs, moves the cursor up, down, back and forth, formats a document etc. Since this person is a good typist, where keyboarding is no problem speed wise, the challenge to verbally command a computer was just too inviting. He installed the program, LIHUE Voice Xpress Advanced, without any problem. Then through several dictating exercises reading from prepared text in the program which matched his pronunciation of specific words to train the programs recognition/hearing abilities, he, in effect, trained the program to better understand his spoken words. Of course you need a microphone headset, which comes with the program.
Initial results have been encouraging, and improving as he continues to train the software via verbal training exercises, but a bit of cleanup typing is needed to make corrections. But it is a kick, he says, to dictate into the small microphone near his lips, and see typed words appear in the document. Or verbally order/command the computer to open and close programs.
ONE OF OUR MEMBERS was shocked the other day when another senior
computer friend walked up to him with a smirk, and told him he knew exactly his
age, to the month. And he told
him. And the listening friend was amazed. Not that he gave a darn who knew his
actual age, he was sort of proud of it, but this guy had it down to the actual
day and month. Its those search engines, of course, and is based on the
questions one fills out when signing on to various programs, mostly free, with
pledges of ultra secrecy and security. Yeah, right. But the inquiring friend
lost track of which exact Internet search engine he had used, whether Alta
Vista, Yahoo or whatever. It is
unusual to find data on actual ages available, although one can easily find
information on most folks anyplace, with full name, address and phone,
providing they have a phone number.
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Pres.> Helen Hesketh; Past Pres.> Clif Wuesthoff; Vice Pres.>Bill Bumpas; Secy>Dave Lewis; Treas.>Bob Swenson; Registrar<Louise Flora; Curriculum. Coordinator> John Wise; Facilities Coordinator> Ken Crandall;
Member-at-Large>Delores
Davis; Volunteers
Coordinator> Delores Davis;
Online News Editor> Phil
Scheier; Publicity>Jo
Hugh; Public Relations>Bill
Flick
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