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SENIOR COMPUTER USERS GROUP

Issue 209, March 2010                                               Sponsored by Fox Valley Technical College

Email Address: srnet@srnet-foxvalley.org

Local SIG Meetings

General Meeting

Friday, March 19, 1:30-3:30PM, FVTC--Appleton, Room F108  (Entrance 6 is best)

 

Scanner/Photo SIG

Monday March 15, 2:00-3:00PM, Bordini Center, Room 180

Genealogy SIG

Monday, March 15, 3:30-4:30PMBordinin Center, Room 180

Resource Sharing SIG

Monday, March 22, 2:00-3:00PM, Bordini Center, Room 180

Internet SIG

Monday, March 22, 3:30-4:30PM, Bordini Center, Room 180

 

Regional SIG Meetings

Waushara SIG

General Meeting, Thursday, March 25, 1:30-3:30 PM at the FVTC-Wautoma

 

Genealogy SIG

 Thursday, March 25,  3:30 - 5:00PM, at FVTC-Wautoma

 

 

 

Remember there are no fees.  Just come to any meeting of interest to you.

 

General Meeting: March 19

Sara Kopesky is employed full time at the Appleton Public Library as their Electronic Services Librarian.  In addition to working at the Reference Desk, Sara maintains the library’s website and also teaches the adult Computer Classes.  (A list of classes can be found at www.apl.org/programs/internetclass.html ).

The Library Speaker will speak on the computer use at the library.

 

Local Computer User Interest groups

Appleton General Meeting by Gladys Schwantes

The meeting was held at FVTC in Room F108 and presided over by Tom Wiegand, President.  There were 37 persons in attendance; 32 members, 4 new attendees and 1 person who did not register.

 

A reminder was made to access the website www.seniornet-foxvalley.org  to view or print a copy of the monthly newsletter.  Archived issues are also available on line.

 

Presenters Troy Zickert and Matt Brunner of Cartridge World on Calumet Street in Appleton provided insight into the advantages of refilling print ink and toner cartridges.  In addition to cost savings we can “go green” by following the three R’s principals of Reduce-Reuse-Recycle.  All replacements are quality guaranteed and only branded products are used.  It is estimated that spent cartridges sent to landfills do not disintegrate for approximately 450 years!  When they are no longer usable for refills, Cartridge World sends them to be ground into particles that can be used for purposes other than original usage.

 

Resource Sharing by Linda Young

We discussed Microsoft Download. This is a program that will look at your computer system. It will tell you all of the things that are good and all
that are bad specifically on your computer for installing Windows 7.

We had some fun looking into a website called Jog My Memory. This is found at http://obsolete skills.com. This looked at some of the skills we used to need to work with items we no longer use. Remember the floppy disk and Beta tapes?

Jerry Sobiesczyk started a program instructing us in how to use Excel. This program has many uses and you can easily set it up to be adaptable to your own specific needs; your checkbook being only one example.

Excel is included in the student and general suite of Microsoft and also in Open Office. We will working with Excel for several months.

March 22 – We will continue the opportunity to learn uses of Microsoft Excel spreadsheet functions such as setting up home budgets, cataloguing home photos, and balancing checkbooks.

 

Internet: by John Klemm
The 2010 Census and the American Community Survey forms were reviewed at the www.census.gov website before continuing with Google search options.   The next meeting is March 22.   We will continue studying the options which can be used to expand or reduced a Google search.   As always questions and comments regarding the internet are welcomed.

 

Scanner/Photo Users Group:  by Linda Young

During this meeting we finished our Photo Shop Elements project that we have been working on for the last several months. If you would like to get in on the beginning of one of these interesting and informative sessions be sure to come to the March meeting. We will be starting a new project which will involve working with and learning to use as many of the Photo Shop Tools as possible so we can become experts in editing our own photos on our computers at home.

March 15 – We will begin a project with Photo Shop Elements that will “put a man in a tree…”

 

Genealogy Users Group by Mary Klein

Our February session took us north to Canada.   Handouts included Canadian blog sites as well as a list of 20 Canadian Libraries.   We also learned the “7 Secrets of a Successful Genealogist”.

On March 15th, we plan to look at how to use World War I draft registration cards in genealogy. The country of interest this month will be the Netherlands.

Remember we are at the Bordini Center, across from FVTC.   No steps, easy access.

Here are some additional items of interest:

The Fox Valley Genealogical Society (FVGS) is sponsoring a bus trip to the State Historical Society Library in Madison on Saturday March 27.   The newly renovated reading room will be open.   For additional information contact Connie Bikowski at  bikowski@new.rr.com

The Wisconsin State Genealogical Society  (WSGS) Gene A Rama will be held in Manitowoc April 16-17 at the Holiday Inn.  For registration information and program details go to their website at
www.wsgs.org

Registration forms for both activities will be available at our March SIG meeting.

Two new television series involving genealogy are:

Faces of America with Henry Louis Gates.
On Wednesday nights on WI Public TV this program traces the family histories of 12 renowned Americans using genealogical and genetic tools.

“Who Do You Think You Are?”
Starting Friday March 5 on NBC at 7 pm this series traces the family histories of Sarah Jessica Parker, Emmett Smith, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Broderick, Boooke Shields, Susan Sarandon, & Spike Lee.  The program also shares ideas and research strategies.

Regional meetings

Waushara User Group:    No report

Users’ News

Your steering committee is continuing to work with the College to:

-        Develop our website

-        Look at classes and instructors for seniors

-        Find ways to better inform the public about our group

-        Design interesting programs for the Computer Users Group

We are also continuing to update our membership list.  If you have not already filled out the form for doing this, please do so at the next General meeting on March 19.  We would especially like to learn your email address, so that we might keep you fully informed about our group.

Tip of the Month

from Dr. Delaney Kirk

Just found a great computer tip -- If you type in the name of the website you want, for example, type:  delaneykirk

and then hit the Control key and the Enter key, your computer will input the www. and the .com for you! 

“Ask-Dr.-Kirk” is the name of her webpage at http://www.delaneykirk.com/ for many other ideas.

 

If you have not yet read the Kim Komando website information, here is the link: http://www.komando.com/

Kim Komando is on the radio every Saturday around noon on WTAQ as well as at other times.  She offers much practical advice on all things related to computers.  You may sign up for several newsletters which may interest you.  There is much advertizing to work around on her site, but you may find something there to help you.

 

Volunteers Needed:

Want to do a little extra?  Ask one of the officers for ideas. You can be of help to us!

 

 

Quote for the Month

Resolve says, "I WILL."

One person says, "I WILL climb this mountain.  They told me it is too high, too far, too steep, too rocky and too difficult.  But it's my mountain.  I WILL climb it.  You will soon see me waving from the top

or dead on the side from trying."

 

Invite others to access the internet: http://www.srnet-foxvalley.org  to read about our group.