Online Computer Training - Education At Your Fingertips

With the advent of the internet came online gaming, dating, mail (Email), auctioning and many other forms of commerce. One major step was making online computer training available. Today there are many sites dedicated solely to computer training. The US Military has gone so far as to make classroom learning available to it's members through online computer training. There are countless member of the US Armed Forces on a daily basis connecting to the internet and taking online computer courses. The military has gone so far as to take the majority of their military related training and put it online. Members either take online computer training to earn points toward a promotion or their degree. They do this from different points across the globe - even while at sea. In this way a soldier stationed in a foreign country doesn't lose the opportunity to obtain a college education. Also, there are numerous military bases that have set up 'internet cafes' for this purpose. From these locations, those without their own personal computer (PC) are also provided the opportunity to participate in online computer training. Not only are the US Armed Forces taking advantage of this capability. Persons involved in shift-work such as police officers, and firemen take advantage of online computer training. A typical police officer working a 12 hour shift often find it difficult to obtain traditional education due to their schedule. Through online computer training, this problem is alleviated. Often online computer training can be found to be less expensive than classroom training, thereby eliminating an additional financial burden. It has long been established that there are three methods in which a person learns: listening, reading, hands-on, or a combination of any three. Computer training takes advantage of listening, and reading. Hands-on, is simply not an option. Online computer training is especially helpful with taking courses directly related to computers. There is a plethora of different computer training courses available online: learning a foreign language, writing courses, computer courses, degrees, certifications and more. A Google search for online computer training opportunities results in numerous online institutions. Not only institutions, but certification in the various computer programming languages are available as well as computer applications. A typical computer training website offers training courses in office skills, business skills, technical skills, web design and formal Microsoft training. In addition to this discounts are usually available to large groups such as a company per se. Through these sites, a student can learn at his or her own pace, save progress and generate course completion certificates instantly. For those wishing to obtain certificated training only, there are many sites available. The Professional Education Institute is a prime example for this type of computer training. This particular company provides licensing for various subjects. Aside from online computer training, there is also offline computer training available. Often, the student pays for the course in advance. A Compact Disk (CD) containing the course materials is sent to the student. In most instances, there are quizzes and mini-tests leading up to a final exam. Upon completion, the student emails a file to the originator and a completion certificate is returned to the student.

Open Source Software

If you've spent any lengthy amount of time on the Internet, you've probably heard of open source software but might not have fully understood what it is and why it even exists. This article will describe this recent phenomenon and describe some of its benefits for the software using community. In a nutshell, open source software is software made by everyone - for everyone. The hopes behind its development is that through its open access, it will evolve into something that represents the true desires of computer users. Through a wide network of user involvement, the software in question is enhanced and debugged without costs or administrative politics. Traditionally, software is developed behind closed doors. A team of professional coders build it but the community at large isn't part of its conception. It's costly to produce and as you can probably guess, that cost is passed on to the end user: the consumer. Open source software on the other hand is free. Free to download, free to install, free to use, free to modify, and free to share. Started over twenty years ago, it's a phenomenon that is gaining in both popularity and exposure. In its first conception, open source gave birth to the World Wide Web as we know it today. The Internet as a whole is the result of free permission to access the web, use the web, contribute to the web, and share the web with others. But it certainly hasn't stopped there. In the not too distant past, Netscape converted its once commercial version of its Navigator web browser to open source. And today, open source is venturing into the commercial realm as well. At first thought, the idea of open source may sound just plain crazy to those who earn a living from software development. But the facts point to a different prediction. Open source software puts companies in a terrific position to re-brand and re-position themselves in a market that they may have not been able to reach before. In the business world, open source is all about image and when consumers witness corporations contributing (instead of selling) to the buying public, they gain big favor in the eyes of their users (plus tremendous opportunities to sell other items). Inviting the public inside a product's development builds community and trust. It also sets the platform for increased reliability. Fans of open source programs are adamant about reliable software and highly criticize commercialized versions for being buggy and error-prone. Avid fans even proclaim commercialism is the cause of shoddy software. Another benefit that open source brings to light is the speed at which its products are developed, enhanced, supported and distributed. This is because the people who regularly contribute to an open source product do so for unmotivated reasons (other than perhaps to feed the ego.) They're highly talented, they're available, and they care. Bringing money into any project can almost mean instant death. It can kill motivation, desire, and a true willingness to create a good product. In a commercial setting, participants work for a paycheck rather than for the product. And this is what puts open source projects far ahead of its monetized competition. As a software user, this means you can contribute to an open source project as well, and help to develop it into a product that reflects your direct preferences. You aren't "stuck" using open source software the way you would be stuck using an expensive word processor or database. You have the same access to open source software as its programmers have and in essence, you are your own customer! Perhaps at this point you're wondering where you can get in on this wonderful opportunity. There are plenty of open source opportunities sprinkled across the Internet and they can be easily found though any search engine. Google "open source project" and you'll be sure to find more resources than you can shake a stick at!

Understanding Compression - What It Is and What's Involved

Downloading files from the Internet has always been one of the most popular activities on the Internet - third to sending email and browsing the web. We download files from software libraries, ftp directories, YouTube and Google Video, MP3 sites, and we download files sent to us as email attachments. Being so popular an activity, it's imperative that you compress the files destined for another computer. File compression combines a number of different files into one file, and it can also significantly reduce a very large file to a smaller one. As a result, the transmission of a compressed file across the Internet is faster and smoother. This article looks at compressed files a little closer and it describes how to compress and decompress them using two of the most popular archiving programs. Identifying Compressed Files Most files are compressed in .zip format (if you're using Windows) or .sit format (if you're using a Mac). The two most popular software programs used to compress and decompress files are Winzip and StuffIt respectively. There are other programs that do the same thing and there are even programs that can compress and decompress files for both the Windows and the Mac system. However since Winzip and StuffIt are the most popular, we will assume you will use either one to compress and decompress your own files. If you download a compressed file from a website or file library that ends in an .exe extension, take note that although the file is compressed, it's typically a file that will install a program onto a computer. .Zip or .Sit files don't install software - they merely archive a collection of them into one, or they significantly reduce the size of a larger one. Decompressing Files Assuming that you have Winzip or StuffIt installed on your computer, you can access the files archived inside a .zip or .sit file by simply double-clicking the archive (a file ending in a .zip or .sit extension). Double-clicking one of these kinds of files will open up a window that displays the contents of the archive. In most cases, you can double click a file inside this window to use it, or you can select it and drag the file to a folder to view later. Depending on how you elected to install Winzip or StuffIt, you may be able to right-click a .zip or .sit file and have the program extract its contents into a new folder for you. Compressing Files When you want to upload a file or email a collection of files to a friend, it's best to archive it as a .zip or .sit file first. This will decrease the time it takes for your computer to send it elsewhere, and it will also decrease the time it takes for someone else to download it. To create your own .zip or .sit file, you can select a single file or a group of files from within Explorer, and right-click the selection. Again, depending on how you installed Winzip or StuffIt, you can click the "Add to Zip" or "Add to Sit" option and have these programs automatically archive the file(s) into one. Some files compress better than others and in some instances, you may not notice that much of a difference. The files that compress the best are images, documents, and multimedia files. Executable files (files that end in an .exe extension) don't compress that well, however when they're archived with a sizable number of other files, they compress rather well. Go figure!

Cheap and Fast Software An Introduction to Shareware

Visit any computer store today and you'll find what seems like miles and miles of software on sale. Certainly enticing buys, there are a few problems with buying software off the shelves. On the shelf, software - otherwise known as "commercial software" - can be expensive, and incompatible, and outdated when compared to what's available online. Fortunately, there's an alternative to commercial software and although it isn't new, it's one of the most under-exploited opportunities in the computer industry. We're talking about shareware - software that you can try before buying. Shareware has a long history and was rather popular in the days where BBS (bulletin board systems) reigned the online industry. It hasn't gone anywhere, but its competition with commercial software is fierce - so fierce that it tends to fall on the back burner among new computer users. This is unfortunate because shareware has so many advantages over commercial software. One of those advantages is its cost. On the whole, shareware is generally cheaper than commercial software. But don't misinterpret the cost. With shareware, cheap does not equal low-quality and there are plenty of examples that prove shareware often outperforms the quality of commercial software time and time again. How much savings are we talking about? You could purchase a quality word processor, spreadsheet, database program, or system utility anywhere from a mere $15 to under a hundred. This is almost unheard of in stores like Best Buy, Circuit City, or Egghead, yet the shareware programs offered within this price range rival even Microsoft's Office suite. Another advantage that shareware has over commercial software is its compatibility. We're not saying that shareware is compatible with all operating systems. What we're saying is that since we can try shareware before paying for it, we can determine if the software is completely compatible with our systems first. In other words, we can discover whether the software performs the way we want them to and should anyone try to do the same with commercial software, they'll be in for a big disappointment. Commercial software policy doesn't even allow for returns, let alone "borrowing" them to try them. The last advantage that shareware has over commercial software (but certainly not the least) is its applicability. Plain and simple, shareware is the best bet when you want to keep on top of the latest release of a particular program. Sure, computer stores do their best to keep their inventory up to date, but when you can download version 5.6042 of a shareware program as opposed to buying a commercial 3.0 version from the local computer shop, there's just no comparison. Which brings up our next point. Just where does one get shareware? Shareware is all over the Internet and it's really hard not to bump into it. The most popular places to find shareware is within thousands of download libraries, however the companies (and even independent programmers behind shareware) are increasingly offering shareware from their own websites. A simple Google or Yahoo search for a particular type of program will yield all sorts of results that point you toward items that you can try before you buy. Be aware however, that because shareware is not commercial software, you may not experience a full program the way you would if you bought the software out of a box. Shareware may or may not be limited - meaning that some functions may not be available to you until the program is paid for. These limitations are often small and don't interfere with the way its full version operations. They're really just implemented as a way to prompt payment. Remember that shareware is not freeware. You shouldn't try to use shareware as commercial software without paying for it. About the only thing that's similar between shareware and commercial software is the way in which they may be bought. With a credit card, you can be the new owner of your own software within minutes.

Sharpening Your Skills Through Online Computer Training

Information Technology (IT) professionals require training to stay proficient in their occupational field. More often than not, not only training is required, but constant refreshing with up-to-date materials is essential. With the ever-expanding world of computers this can not be over-stated or over-emphasized. Just as other professionals in other fields run into a dilemma with time constraints, so do IT professionals. More and more there IT pro's look online for their computer training; whether it be for an upgraded skill or a new one. The manner of obtaining this new or upgraded skill online is a relatively simple process. A Google search for online computer training in the desired field will return numerous results. Computer training institutions have long recognized the need for online training. At first online computer training was a niche market filled by few institutions, but as the demand grew so did the number of these service providers. Before registering for an online computer training course, due diligence on the part of the prospective student should be accomplished. A quick check of the credentials of one of these institutions is relatively easy. A Google search for accredited online computer training schools will provide a good and viable starting point. While this may seem to be a common sense move, there are those who have failed to diligently research this area. These persons have been duped, or even completely scammed out of their education dollars by less than reputable 'learning' institutions. Fortunately, nowadays there are checks and balances in place for reducing the possibilities of fraud. In some cases, financial institutions and government lenders require proof of accreditation before releasing funds to any learning institution. Even more firm requirements are placed on online 'learning' institution Some of these online computer training schools purport to teach in two weeks what normally requires a month to accomplish. They promise twenty-four hour support through 800 numbers an email. In this manner they provide computer training mentorship with a trained IT professional. As in many other endeavors, the worth of this has a direct correlation to what you put into it. Whether you are looking to for a new certification or to upgrade, it is a relatively simple task to accomplish through online computer training. These online courses are often structured to provide the student the opportunity for self-paced instruction. The self-paced portion of instruction has more than helped in the growth in popularity of such online computer training pursuits. Generally, through self-paced instruction require a minimal time for completion as opposed to a maximum. What this means is that to obtain 14 hours training in a requisite skill, the student is prevented from completing it in anything less than 14 hours, thereby maintaining the integrity of the certification. Another aspect of this type of training is in progress tracking. The student's progress is saved along with other pertinent data. In that manner, the student may stop at any given point and pick-up where they left off from later on. All tolled, whether sharpening a skill or obtaining a new skill through online computer training is a viable and relatively simple process.

Basic GUI Terminology

Knowing What You're Working With Helps Technicians Getting help with your computer software can be easier when you know the correct terms to use. One of the biggest problems that new computer users have with technical support is not knowing how to correctly describe the problem that they're having. And it isn't fair to expect a tech support person to automatically know what a "thing-a-ma-jingy," or "whatcha-ma-call-it" is. The following describes the correct names for common components of software so that when you experience a problem, you can effectively describe an issue that you're having and a technician can readily resolve it. User interface - this is the visual design of a program. It may contain squares, boxes, words, icons, and buttons. If you're experiencing insufficient memory for example, you might see black rectangles across the user interface of your software programs. Title bar - this is the top-most part of a program that displays its own name or it may describe the contents displayed in another part of the interface. If a program is incorrectly coded, you may see a wrong description in this part of its interface. Menu bar - this part of a program displays menu items and menu options. Some of the most common parts of a menu bar grants access to File commands, Open commands, Save commands, and Print commands. An example of an error in this part of an interface would be if an option was missing or grayed out (lighter in color). Tool bar - this part of a program displays small icons across the top which represent tools. Clicking an icon will open a tool or process a command that might also exist on a program's menu bar. Problems in this part of an interface are uncommon, however if you find yourself repeatedly clicking an icon with no results, you can correctly describe the problem by referring to the toolbar. Minimize, Restore, and Exit buttons - these three buttons are usually located on the right-most upper part of a program's interface and each allow you to minimize a program's screen, restore it to its original size, or shut down the program completely. Scroll bar - this convenient tool allows users to move data up and down the computer screen. Status bar - this part of a program is located at the bottom-most part of its interface, and it usually displays small messages that indicate the progress of a command or task. If programmed incorrectly, an application might display the wrong information in this area. Context menu - like the menu bar, a context menu displays when a user right-clicks on something. It displays commands just like what you see on a File menu or a Help menu. Input box - input boxes are usually small rectangles that allow you to type data into a simple interfaces like a webpage or browser window. If you find that you can't type information into one of these, you can effectively resolve the issue with a technician by calling it an input box, rather than a "white rectangle," or "place to put in text." Button - buttons perform a command after a user clicks them with a mouse. Problems occur when the text of a button is grayed out or if it doesn't appear to sink into the screen when clicked. Check box - a check box is a small box that allows a user to indicate several choices among many. When clicked, a small "x" displays inside a box. Similar to the check box, a radio button allows a user to indicate a single choice among many. Problems with radio buttons and check boxes occur when a user makes one choice, but the interface reacts as if the user made many choices (or none at all). When describing a problem to a technician, be sure to indicate whether the problem occurs with a check box or a radio box. Computer novices mistakenly interchange the names of both of these controls.

Online Computer Training

You've decided that it's time to join the 21st century, or perhaps you're simply looking to brush up on your skills. Either way, it is time to get some computer training, and you are looking at all of your options. One of the most popular options available today for getting training of any kind (computer training included) is the Internet. Online computer training is one of the easiest and most convenient methods of training available, provided you have a good Internet connection. In fact, it is probably a good idea to have a high speed Internet connection such as DSL or cable service in order to get the most out of this method of training. While a few training sites will work with the standard dial-up service speed, most will not. Add that to the fact that many people who are on dial-up do not achieve the maximum FCC allowed speed of 56 kbps, but average something much slower. That being said, if you've got a good, high-speed service, you are ready to sign up for some online computer training! Online computer training usually consists of several features that appeal to the person wanting to learn from home. One such feature is that you are on your own schedule. Usually there is not a specific time of the day or day of the week that you are required to do your learning or testing. However, there is usually a time limit for completing the course, especially if it is training that you have paid for. The resources and any reference materials from the course are only available while you are training and /or testing, and cannot usually be accessed after the expiration date of your training or subscription. Materials are presented in many different ways as well. Some online computer training sites have quite a bit of information available for study as e-books in the almost universal PDF format. This format from Adobe has been popularized mainly because of its wide adaptability to different operating systems and computing platforms. It will work with the PC running almost any version of Windows, as well as the Macintosh from Apple. In addition to e-books, a lot of training sites take advantage of the broadband revolution by presenting material in various video formats. This is one of the principle reasons why it is recommended that you have broadband Internet access if you are going to take advantage of online computer training. Another way to take advantage of online training is to locate training that may be available for free. There are many forums and websites that will present information that will provide great online computer training. This information is free, but it is up to you to dig in and learn. This type of 'training' is best utilized by those who are self-starters, motivated to teach themselves as much as they can by reading and researching the vast array of material available online. There have been many cases of people who are self-taught using this method to learn everything from HTML and CSS to how to build a computer.