The Internet

The Internet is like a Global City. It has Government Institutions (gov), various kind of non-profit Organisations (org), Commercial Complexes and shopping malls (com), Educational Institutions (edu), etc. So, to go to a proper place, you need an address. For the Internet, we called this the Web Address or the World Wide Web (www). It is also called the URL (Uniform Resource Locator). The URL has three parts - (1) the unique (domain) name, (2) the type of business and (3) the country the domain is registered.

What is Email?

Email is about communication.
Through emails, the two persons can be at different places. Messages is received immediately. Reply can also be immediate. Like in letters, you can attach photographs (in digitized format) or any digitized document.

To send and/or receive emails, you need to have a valid email address. If you do not have one, you need to get one and properly registered. Example of an email address: <user name>@<provider name>.com.<country code>.

To send or to receive emails, you require:

1) A computer set to connect to the Internet.
2)A connection to a service provider.
3) A email programme.
4) A valid email address of sender & receiver.

Catching up with IT

Many of us in our fifties and older may not
have the opportunity to use computers or
any IT gagets, like the digital camera, the
way our younger generations have.

The acronyms the younger generations
use, like CPU, RAM, CD-Rom, VGA, USB,
DVD, LAN, LCD, iPhone, Blackberry, etc. may all be greek to us, seniors.

Nowadays, the computer is a way of life
in work and in play. So we seniors who
do not have the opportunity to pick up
this skill in our younger days will miss the
fun computers can bring to our lives.

It is not difficult to pick up some basic
computer skills. The only difficulty is to form a common group willing to meet at a fixed venue.

Topics of interests can be discussed and finalised to meet the needs of the group in question. These topics may include but not be limited to the following:

1) Learn how to take control of your Computer. Acquire some basic knowledge.
2) Send & receive emails.
3) Internet Surfing.
4) Use a digital camera to take pictures,
download to the computer and finally
compile the images to a slide show.
5) Microsoft Words, PowerPoint, Excel.
6) Learn how to "burn" a slide show,
playable on the computer and the standard DVD player.
7) Blogging.
8) Web design/publishing.
9) Photo Editing.
10) Create a Karaoke Chinese or English song using Microsoft PowerPoint.
11) Online transactions, shopping - worldwide.
12) There is no end to learning. I am still learnig ...

Email me if you have the interest. The computer is just a smart tool, understanding it can make our lives more meaningful and interesting. Also if we believe in knowledge, like learning space of a child, has no boundary - then we are just beginning to understand the power of the computer!

I share with you two "Reflections on Life" I received from a friend who cares ...

1) Reflection on Life - Point of View
(Movie play in RealPlayer)

2) The dashes in our lives