Link to
 
Inside This Issue

Warning!
Download Patch To Fix New Flaw In Internet Explorer

Webster-Calhoun Announcements
November Bill Insert and Holiday Hours  

Ask The Help Desk
Can You Suggest A Website For Quick Calculations?

Sites Of The Month
Great Sites To Check Out In November!

Short Tutorial
Placing Images Into Message Pane Of Christmas E-mail Letter

  

Hi Webster-Calhoun Internet Subscribers!

The holidays are fast approaching, so this November eNewsletter includes quick tips to help you through the hectic weeks ahead. Learn how to place photos in the message pane of your Christmas e-mail letter. Check out sites with wonderful holiday recipes and entertainment ideas. And because Internet threats never seem to take a holiday, we update you on a flaw in Internet Explorer and explain how to manage browser security. Didn’t receive the gift of natural math ability? No problem. The Help Desk features a site for quick math calculations.

The goal of each of our monthly eNewsletters is to keep our subscribers informed regarding their Internet connection and to improve their Internet experience. To meet this goal, each monthly newsletter will usually contain information related to:

  1. Warnings on a recent virus, e-mail hoax or security issue that may affect you
  2. An update on new services and other local interests
  3. An answer to a frequently asked Internet related question
  4. Some fun, seasonal websites to check out
  5. A short, step-by-step tutorial on an e-mail or browser related task
We think you'll find the information contained in this newsletter to be a valuable tool for enhancing your Internet experience. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, click HERE.

To see what's inside this issue, take a look at the index to the left and thanks for reading!

- The Webster-Calhoun Internet Team

Warning! - Download Patch To Fix New Flaw In Internet Explorer

An alarming flaw was discovered in Internet Explorer's Vector Markup Language (VML) coding which allowed hackers and cyberthieves to plant malicious computer code on thousands of websites. (VML is used for high-quality vector graphics on the Web.) By clicking on a tainted website, control of your computer could turn over to the attacker. E-mail spam is being used to lure victims to these websites; many designed to steal account log-ons and other sensitive data. In some cases, the malicious program can be activated by simply opening the e-mail message or having it appear in the preview window of your Outlook inbox.

Microsoft quickly released a security patch for the VML problem and strongly encourages all Internet Explorer users to download and install this patch if they have not done so already. More information is available at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms06-oct.mspx. This is a good time to remind you that the easiest and most reliable way to help protect your PC from the latest Internet threats is by signing up for Automatic Updates at http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/update/msupdate_keep_current.mspx. When your computer is connected to the Internet, the Automatic Updates service analyzes the Microsoft software installed on your computer and checks for any high-priority updates you need—both current and past. It then downloads the updates for you and installs them at the time you choose.

This recent VML problem is the latest in a surge of attacks focused on the relatively unprotected Web browsers. Browsers are appealing to cyberthieves because everyone has them and they provide a window to the outside world and a potential way to break into computers. While this exploit targets only Internet Explorer, it is vitally important to stay on top of security issues and install updates promptly regardless of the computer or Web browser you use.

Of course, it is also important to use and regularly update your computer's anti-virus software. Always scan file attachments of all incoming e-mail messages—even messages from people you trust. Many viruses and worms are spread over networks, through attachments, and by sharing storage media such as diskettes, Zip disks, and CDs. You have the ultimate responsibility for protecting your computer against these threats.

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Webster-Calhoun Announcements - November Bill Insert and Holiday Hours  

November Bill Insert

Check out the November bill insert for more information about 911 surcharges and our new service bundles. Round up the savings with a residential DSL package that includes local service, 768k DSL, Voicemail, Caller ID, SecureIT Plus and 150 minutes of Webster Calhoun Long Distance service for only $99.28 per month. Other packages are available. Package does not include applicable taxes and surcharges. To see the bill insert on line, visit www.wccta.net, click on products and services, then scroll down to archives.

Take Note Of Our Holiday Hours

Happy Holidays! To give our employees time with their families during this holiday season, the office of Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association will maintain the following special schedule:

In case of a telephone service emergency, please call the after hours repair number at 352-5000. Internet technical support can be reached at 352-7000.

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Ask The Help Desk - Can You Suggest A Website For Quick Calculations?

Question: I need to do some calculations for converting standard measurements to metric. What site do you suggest for this?

Answer: There are many sites that contain measurement converters, but one of the simplest can be found at google.com. Simply go to www.google.com. For example, type in "9890 yards in centimeters" (without the quotes) into the search field. Click your cursor arrow on the "Search" button and your answer (904341.6 centimeters) will appear. This tool works when figuring units of measure, math problems, physical constants, and, of course, conversions. Give it a try.

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Great Sites To Check Out This Month

Pre-Screen Movies Before Heading To The Theater
http://GradingTheMovies.com -  Prevent getting embarrassed or offended when taking your family to a movie by first reading the movie reviews listed at GradingTheMovies.com. The site screens and then grades movies based on their violence, sex, language, and drug and alcohol content. This site provides information about movies that is not provided on the back of the video boxes or during movie previews.

Too Much Turkey?
http://www.recipegoldmine.com/turkeyleftovers/turkey.html -  Once Thanksgiving dinner is done, what do you do with all the turkey that fills up your frig? Sure, you can make turkey sandwiches. But if you're hungry for something a bit more exciting, get inspired at recipegoldmine.com. From Gobble Gobble Casserole to Mexican Turkey Tortilla Soup, there's a recipe here to please any family.

Play Jeopardy! Online
http://www.jeopardy.com -  If you can't get enough of Alex Trebek and this hugely popular game show, try your hand at the online version. It's fast-paced fun that covers the same kinds of categories you see on TV. Or test your music knowledge with the new online Rock & Roll Jeopardy! You can also find out how to become a contestant, take a 360° set tour, check out the message board, and even buy a Jeopardy! ringtone. Without question, this could be the answer to a dull afternoon.

All Lit Up
http://www.deckthehallsmovie.com/ -  Here's a holiday movie that takes a humorous look at the competitive "sport" of Christmas decorating in the suburbs. When new neighbor Danny (Danny DeVito) sets out to create the biggest holiday light display in the world, it turns the neighborhood into a nightmare. Steve (Matthew Broderick), a suburban dad and Christmas enthusiast, finds his previously well-planned life suddenly turned upside down. In theaters in November, this electrically charged family film has the power to light up the season.

Peculiar Patents
http://www.delphion.com/gallery -  Convinced you have a great idea for a new invention? Apparently, so do a lot of other people. This site features dozens of strange and intriguing patents including an anti-eating face mask, a body squeegee glove, an inflatable rug that becomes a mattress, and a bird diaper. What will they think of next? There's also a link to the Gallery of Historic Patents such as the 1955 one for Velcro.

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Short Tutorial - Placing Images Into Message Pane Of Christmas E-mail Letter

More people are choosing to send their Christmas cards via e-mail rather than through traditional mailing methods. Many recipients, however, are hesitant about opening e-mail attachments even from friends because of the viruses and worms floating around the Web. What to do? Why not create your own e-mail Christmas card by pasting images (family vacation photos, for instance) into the message pane of your e-mail message? It's easy to do. It's a good idea to only use pictures with a small file size as using large picture files will result in slow download times for dial-up connections.

To add pictures to your e-mail messages, follow these steps:

Using Windows XP SP2 Home Edition and Outlook Express 6

  1. Open Outlook Express.
  2. Create a new message and prepare it for sending by addressing, giving it a title (subject), and composing a message.
  3. Click your cursor arrow at the location where you'd like to place the photo within your message and then click on "Insert" located on the Message Menu Bar. Select "Picture" from the resulting drop-down menu.
  4. When the Picture Dialog Box appears, click the "Browse" button to locate the picture you want to send.
  5. Click on the picture's location to select it. Click "Open" to return to the Picture Dialog Box.
  6. Select from various options to alter the attributes of your photo, i.e. layout, alignment, border thickness, etc. You do not need to select any of them.
  7. If you want to describe the picture for "text only" e-mail programs, click in the "Alternate Text" field, type a description of the picture, and then click "OK."
  8. Click "OK" once you've completed your settings.
  9. Complete your message and click "Send."
Using Netscape 7.2 on Windows XP SP2 and Mac OS X 10.4.9
  1. Open Netscape Navigator Mail 7.2.
  2. Create a new message and prepare it for sending by addressing, giving it a title (subject), and composing a message.
  3. Click your cursor arrow at the location where you'd like to place the photo within your message. Click on "Insert" located on the Message Menu Bar. Select "Image" from the resulting drop-down menu.
  4. When the "Image Properties" dialog box appears, click the "Location" tab. Click on the "Choose File" button. The "Select Image File" dialog box will appear.
  5. Browse to your picture. When you've found the picture you want to send, click on the picture's icon to select it. Click "Open" to return to the "Image Properties" dialog box.
  6. If you want to describe the picture for "text only" e-mail programs, click on the "Alternate Text" radio button and type a description of the picture in the field provided and click "OK."
  7. Select from various options to alter the attributes of your photo. Options include text alignment and wrapping, spacing around the picture, etc. You do not need to select any of them.
  8. Click "OK" once you've completed your settings.
  9. Complete your message and click "Send."
Using Thunderbird 1.5.0.7 for the Macintosh OS X 10.4.9 and Windows XP
  1. Open Thunderbird.
  2. Create a new message and prepare it for sending by addressing, giving it a title (subject), and composing a message.
  3. Click your cursor arrow at the location where you'd like to place the photo within your message. Click on "Insert" located on the Message Menu Bar. Select "Image" from the resulting drop-down menu.
  4. When the dialog box appears, click the "Location" tab. Click on the "Choose File" button. The "Select Image File" dialog box will appear.
  5. Browse to your picture. When you've found the picture you want to send, click on the picture's icon to select it. Click "Open" to return to the "Image Properties" dialog box.
  6. If you want to describe the picture for "text only" e-mail programs, click on the "Alternate text" radio button and type your description of the picture in the field provided and click "OK."
  7. Select from various options to alter the attributes of your photo. Options include text alignment and wrapping, spacing around the picture, etc. You do not need to select any of them.
  8. Click "OK" once you've completed your settings.
  9. Complete your message and click "Send."
Using Mail.app 2.1.1 for Macintosh OS X 10.4.9
  1. Open Mail.app.
  2. Create a new message and prepare it for sending by addressing, giving it a title (subject), and composing a message.
  3. Click your cursor arrow at the location where you'd like to place the photo within your message.
  4. Drag a photo from your desktop or some other location on your hard drive and drop it into the Body of your message.
  5. Complete your message and click the "Send" button.

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We hope you found this newsletter to be informative. It's our way of keeping you posted on the happenings here. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, click HERE.

Thanks for your business!

Best regards,

WCCTA.net
A product of Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association




Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association
1106 Beek Street, PO Box 475
Gowrie, IA  50543-0475

Phone: 515-352-3151



(We have used our best efforts in collecting and preparing the information published herein. However, we do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any and all liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions resulted from negligence, accident, or other causes.)

©2006 Cornerstone Publishing Group Inc.

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