================================================================= Maurer Publications Computing Tips - Issue #010624 ================================================================= Publisher: Steve Maurer, Maurer Publications Date: May 24, 20001 ================================================================= In Today's Issue: Note from the editor: 1. Article: Email Hoaxes and Chain Letters 2. Today's Quick Tip: Get Easy Access to Documents With the Work Menu 3. Quote of the Day 4. Web Site News 5. Subscription information: ================================================================= A Note from the Editor: Hi there! I'm trying some new items in this issue of the newsletter. One thing you will notice is that at the bottom of the newsletter you will find the email address you used to subscribe to my newsletter. This was in response to several requests for that information. This is done with the use of WorldMerge software. You'll see more on WorldMerge later in the newsletter. If your email address doesn't appear at the bottom, please drop me a line and let me know. Be sure to check out the site news section. There's been some improvements made! Today's Quick Tip is for all you Microsoft Word users out there. If you have a document that you work on repeatedly you'll love this one! ================================================================= 1. Article: Email Hoaxes and Chain Letters Email Hoaxes - Some Tips If there is one thing I don't like about email, it's got to be all the email hoaxes and chain letters floating around. It also seems that much of the mail I get is concerning them. Go figure! Well, most of the time folks are asking me if I think a certain message is a hoax before they send it out. I will answer them, but I would rather educate them to find out for themselves. Here are some pointers on how to spot a possible hoax: VIRUS HOAXES These insidious letters contain "supposed" information on email viruses. Some of the things they have in common are: 1. "This just reported yesterday by (Microsoft, IBM, AOL, other software and Internet companies)". As rule of thumb these types of companies just don't send virus alerts out. They leave it up to the virus software people. 2. "Send this to everyone in your addressbook!" This is a dead give-away. Don't send it to anyone! 3. "For more information contact (the name of some fictitious person, you can never get hold of them). 4. They make some unbelievable claims on the damage that will be done on your computer. 5. Usually they are forwarded, like, about a million times. Steps you should take include: 1. Check your virus software vendor's site for information (you do have virus software, don't you?) 2. Check out some reputable "Hoax alert" sites. I recommend the Urban Legends site at http://www.snopes.com 3. Do some real research before you send them out! But, Steve, you say. What harm can be done by sending out a hoax? Plenty. If you do send it out to "everyone" in your book, and they send it out to everyone in their book, and they send it out to everyone in their book...well, email systems can get clogged, even whole company systems shut down from overload! CHAIN LETTERS I really don't like chain letters, either. Again, the Snopes.com site is an excellent place to check on these. In a nutshell, no one will get the 3 cents per forwarded email, Bill Gates is not giving away free money, while the Neiman Marcus cookie recipe sounds delicious it did not come from a disgruntled little old lady. Missing children requests are hard not to pass on. BUT, there is a site where you can check their validity. Go to the missing children site at and you will find good solid information. The urban legends site will also have some info. In closing let me give you this little bit of advice from a person who has spent countless hours on the Internet. Check everything before you pass it on. Do some solid research! Don't take the easy way out and just click forward. Article By: Copyright 2001 by Steve Maurer, Maurer Publications and WebDesign Site - http://www.steve.maurer.net Email - steve@maurer.net Phone: (501) 582-0532; (501) 582-5814 All rights reserved. Contact Steve for reprint permission. ================================================================= 2. Today's Quick Tip: Get Easy Access to Documents With the Work Menu Word 97's work menu provides easy access to documents you work on frequently. To add the work menu to your toolbar, select Customize from the Tools menu and click the Commands tab. In the Categories list, select Built-in Menus. In the Commands list, select Work and drag it into position on the menu bar. Click the Close button. Add a file by opening the file and selecting Add To Work Menu in the Work menu. To remove a file from the work menu, press Ctrl-Alt-- (Ctrl-Alt-hyphen), and the mouse pointer will change to a horizontal bar. Then select Work and click the filename to remove it. ================================================================= Stop sending "Dear Customer" Emails. Get WorldMerge, and send personalized email to your targeted contact list in minutes! Download your free copy today: ================================================================= 3. Quote of the Day: Exhilaration is that feeling you get after a great idea hits you, and just before you realize what's wrong with it. - Rex Harrison ================================================================= 4. Web Site News I have made several changes to the website. There is just one page to sign up for our newsletter now, but lots of links to get it. Be sure to send your friends to visit us! I've taken off the link to the old Email Primer eBook. I have several readers who work on Macintosh (Apple) computers and they weren't able to open it. I have replaced it with a PDF document. This will open on any computer with Adobe Acrobat Reader version 4 installed. It is an illustrated document, with screen shots of Outlook Express to help visualize the topics. The current version has be corrected to remove some picture over text problems I had (Picture anchors moved in the Word document it was created in. Hmmm, that may be a good tip topic, I certainly learned some good lessons from that one!). You can tell the corrected version from the first version by looking at the first page. The first version has a black, circular "rubber stamp" in the first page. It is not there in the corrected version. Delete the first version and download the new one that's posted now. When you download the new version, there is a form to fill out to get to the download page. This will allow me to get in touch with you with updates specifically for the Primer. I am working on several new articles to expand its usefulness. Look for more new tutorials on the site sometime next week! ================================================================= 5. Subscription information: This newsletter is sent ONLY to the subscriber who requested it. If you received this newsletter as a forward, we invite you to subscribe! To subscribe, email... To unsubscribe, email... Please pass this to a friend who may be interested! Contact Info: Steve Maurer Maurer Publications and WebDesign Check out our new tips and tutorials section! ================================================================= IT'S HERE!! My new eBook, Email Primer - From @ to Zip Now also available in PDF format with illustrations~ Stop sending "Dear Customer" Emails. Get WorldMerge, and send personalized email to your targeted contact list in minutes! Download your free copy today: