Tips of the Trade ;-) by Jerry Davis Š 1997 Volume 1, Issue10 08/05/97
Last Update: 12/17/03
*For better
viewing, select the full screen button (looks like a coffee cup in the upper right
of this screen). Win95 and Microsoft Internet Explorer.
***************************************************************************************************
The Cookie Monster
****************************************
Note of concern from a
customer:
"I have been getting a screen that says I have received a 'cookie' and it
asks me if I want to accept it. It started yesterday after we got my computer hooked
back up. My friend said that she didn't know what it was. Is it a
virus? It comes up every other screen when I was on the Big Yellow , for instance,
when I was trying to find a listing under "Find People". Do you know what
it is? Thanks for any help you can give me."
Here is the book definition of "cookie" . A file that a Web server stores on your computer. The most
common use for cookies is to customize the way a Web page appears when you view it.
For example, customizable Web pages such as www.msn.com use cookies to store your
viewing preferences so that the next time you visit that Web page, only the elements that
you requested are displayed.
Cookie
The most common meaning of Cookie on the Internet refers to a piece of information sent by
a Web Server to a Web Browser that the Browser software is expected to save and to send
back to the Server whenever the browser makes additional requests from the Server.
Depending on the type of Cookie used, and the Browseršs settings, the Browser may accept
or not accept the Cookie, and may save the Cookie for either a short time or a long time.
Cookies may contain information such as
login or registration information, online shopping cart information, user
preferences, etc.
When a Server receives a request from a Browser that includes a Cookie, the Server is able
to use the information stored in the Cookie. For example, the Server might customize what
is sent back to the user, or keep a log of particular useršs requests.
Cookies are
usually set to expire after a
predetermined amount of time and are usually saved in memory until the Browser software is
closed down, at which time they may be saved to disk if their expire time has not been
reached.
Cookies do not read your hard drive and send your life story to the CIA, but they can be
used to gather more information about a user than would not be possible without them.
Viruses aren't placed in cookies, since
cookies aren't executable files. Whew! Breathe easier dude!
************************************************************
Help I have too many
cookies
************************************************************
If you think you might have too many
cookies and would like to clean up a little then let's do something about it. Click
start, programs, windows explorer, scroll down to windows, double click on cookie folder,
view contents of folder, highlight a cookie, double click on cookie to view contents, be
unimpressed with what you find, then if this is a site you seldom use, while it is
highlighted, click file, click delete. Take out all the cookies you don't want,
click x to close. A very low key, uneventfull experience but now we know some of
what the cookie contains.
*********************************************************
So, what is the bottom
line about cookies?
*******************************************************
So accept the cookie and don't worry about it. The cookie will give you a little
faster access time for a particular site. If you don't want it on your
drive then erase it after you complete your browse of the site that sent it to you.
********************************************************
What is a Server?
*********************************************************
A computer, or a software package, that
provides a specific kind of service to client software running on other computers. The
term can refer to a particular piece of software, such as a WWW server, or to the machine
on which the software is running, e.g.Our mail server is down today, thatšs why e-mail
isnšt getting out. A single server machine could have several different server software
packages running on it, thus providing many different servers to clients on the network.
*********************************************************
You just had
to ask about the security of paying by credit card didn't you?
***********************************************************
SSL
(Secure Sockets Layer) -- A protocol
designed by Netscape Communications to enable encrypted, authenticated communications
across the Internet.
SSL used mostly (but not exclusively) in communications between web browsers and web
servers. URLšs that begin with https indicate that an SSL connection will be used.
SSL provides 3 important things: Privacy, Authentication, and Message Integrity.
In an SSL connection each side of the connection must have a Security Certificate, which
each sidešs software sends to the other. Each side then encrypts what it sends using
information from both its own and the other sidešs Certificate, ensuring that only the
intended recipient can de-crypt it, and that the other side can be sure the data came from
the place it claims to have come from, and that the message has not been tampered with.
***********************
What is a Security
Certificate?
*************************************************
A chunk of information (often stored as a text file) that is used by the SSL protocol to
establish a secure connection.
Security Certificates contain information about who it belongs to, who it was issued by, a
unique serial number or other unique identification, valid dates, and an encrypted
fingerprint that can be used to verify the contents of the certificate.
In order for an SSL connection to be created both sides must have a valid Security
Certificate.
**************************************************
Where are you mostly likely to
get Viruses?
************************************************
Your most likely place to get viruses
is from disks that people loan you or that a child uses at school or on someone else's
computer and then brings home to use in your computer. Even data disks can carry
viruses from one computer to another. You don't have to worry about them just get a
current virus checker and learn to use it. The virus checker software needs to
be updated about every 3 to 4 months to take care of any new viruses. How often you
run a virus checker is a matter of personal judgment. Some computer users keep a
virus checker actively running at all times on their computer.
I would recommend downloading a virus
checker from our Eastland Internet
software page (just click on the following address after you finish reading this letter
http://www.eastland.net/software.htm ) and use the antiviral software on a regular
basis. You need to print Tips of
the Trade and make a notebook of the tips to study and refer to.
Register for our free tutoring classes (e-mail to bryrus@eastland.net
) and we will try to cover questions you have at that time.
UNIX is a multi-user computer operating system that has TCP/IP built in to it. This
software is the most common operating system for servers on the Internet. This
software runs underneath other kinds of software such as word processors and spreadsheets.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator) -- The standard way to give the address of any resource on
the Internet that is part of the World Wide Web (WWW). A URL looks like this:
http://www.matisse.net/seminars.html
or telnet://well.sf.ca.us
or news:new.newusers.questions
etc.
The most common way to use a URL is to enter into a WWW browser program, such as Microsoft
Internet Explorer, Netscape, or Lynx.
******************************************************
Are you tired of hearing the term
Browser?
********************************************************
Browser is just a term for a type of software that is used to look at different kinds of
Internet sites and resources.
******************************************************
Is your email box broken?
*******************************************************
Yes, your mail box can get broken.
No, I don't know how it gets broken or how to prevent the phenomena. At least
two customers have had their email outboxes get mail "hung up" in them and when
that happens you are not going to send any more mail until you fix the problem. So
take notes right now so you will know what to do if you outbox crashes later.
***********************************************************************
Steps to repair broken email
outbox:
************************************************
1. Close email completely before you do any of the following
2. Click on START
3. Click on PROGRAMS
4. Click on Windows Explorer
5. Click on +Windows
6. Click on + Internet Mail and News
7. Click on + (your name folder)
8. Click on mail folder
9. Under contents of mail highlight outbox.idx and outbox.mbx
10. (To highlight both boxes at the same time, highlight the outbox.idx, then hold the
shift key down as you click on outbox.mbx)
11. With the two boxes highlighted, right click and select delete
12. Outbox.idx and outbox.mbx should now be removed
13. Click on (x) to close Windows Explorer
14. Return to your Mail icon and open mail and read mail
15. You should now have a new outbox in you list of boxes
16. Test the box by sending mail
Topic for next time is Archiving email boxes.
Home Page
Jerry Davis
Eastland Internet's Central and Southwestern Sales Representative