WebTV
Tips
Topic: Junk Mail Setting
Have you
noticed that you now have the ability to stop spam (aka
junk mail)? Take a look at 'settings' from your WebTV
homepage. You will find a 'Junk Mail' category. There
you will find that you have the option of letting WebTV
limit the amount of unwanted spamming you receive. Not
knowing which servers WebTV would be blocking, you may
want to 'uncheck' the box saying block email; it is in
the blocking mode now. It takes 24 hours for the
change to come into effect if you don't want your email
blocked.
What is spam? It's all that unwanted mail such as
advertising, get-rich-quick schemes, X-rated
solicitation email you get, didn't ask for and don't
want. You now have an option to stop the spam. Check it
out! Topic: Remote Loading vs.
Transloading Know the difference in
remote loading and transloading. What is
remote loading? Remote loading is the practice whereby
files are stored on a site for access from another
server.
What is transloading? Transloading is using an online
tool, called a transloader, to copy a gif, jpg, midi,
wav, etc., file from the web to your own files.
Confusing? Click here to
see examples that may make a difference in your
understanding of the two. It's important!
Topic: Usenet Groups
WebTV users adore displaying their creative talents by dressing up their email signatures; some are crammed full. It's a lot of fun to share your online personality. It's an absolute 'No, No' elsewhere on the internet.
Specifically, Usenet groups. Be familiar with Usenet Netiquette. Go to 'http://home.sol.no/~mortenv/cafe/netiqette.html' where Chuq Von Rospach has a primer to help you. What is WebTV acceptable is in bad taste elsewhere. What you do also reflects on the WebTV community as a whole. Be web aware and web wise!
Topic: Keyboard Shortcuts
Your 'cmd' 'ctrl' and 'alt' keys on your keyboard can provide you with numerous keyboard shortcuts. By pressing the command key (cmd) and the scroll up key at the same time, you will be quickly taken to the top of a page;pressing the cmd and the scroll down key, you go to the bottom of a page. While browsing a page, hit the 'ctrl' and 'cmd' keys and you will see the url of that gif/image/link in the status bar. There are other shortcuts for these keys. Play around with them and find out which ones are most useful to you.
Topic: Storing Scanned Pictures
You should not store scanned pictures in your email; in your saved mail. It can cause problems for your WebTV unit, including, but not limited to, freezing up the unit. Instead, store all scanned pictures at an online photo storage site where the service is free or in your homepage files at one of the free servers.
Topic: Power Outage Check
Did the power go off at your house? When logging on WebTV, were you asked if you are still at the same number? If so, don't forget to check and see if your 'call waiting' is still set as you want it. It will sometimes need to be reset too after a power outage. You won't miss a telephone call if you think to check this setting too.
Topic: Re-Loading Pages
Many times you will find that when you go directly from your email to a page on the internet, then you can't load a page or you see only a blank screen. That site probably uses javascript. This happens because of a WebTV bug or the javascript itself. Simply, hold down your 'cmd' key on your keyboard and hit the 'R' key about five times and the page will reload correctly.
Topic: Quoted Material In Email
Have you ever wondered how others are able to send you quoted material in their email and it looks like quoted material? It is in smaller print than the rest of the email. You can do this too as a WebTV user. Go to the following site, thanks to Paul Erickson, and find out how:
http://www.geocities.com/~by2000/cutcopy paste.html
It's easy to do. Check it out.
Topic: WebTV and Using Infoseek
Having trouble using WebTV's Infoseek to search on the web? Infoseek's search engine is one of the best.
Just remember that you must use +, - and quotes in the regular search. The + (plus) sign before the words means this word must appear on the pages you seek; a - (minus) sign means it doesn't. Put quotes around words that must appear together.
Practice and become an expert at using Infoseek.
Topic: Music and WebTV
Music and WebTV are wonderful as long as the url ends in 'wav' or 'mid.' Files known as 'ram' cause problems. If you put a ram file in your email signature, you could even cause some WebTV units to freeze up when your email is opened. So, if you enjoy music in your email signature, remember this before linking to a 'ram' file. There's also a problem with bandwidth stealing when using ram, so learn about it first before using it.
Topic: Logging On
Have you logged online only to sit and look at the WebTV logo? It appears to be loading but it doesn't! This is when patience is not a virtue. You need to disconnect and try again for a better connection and connection speed. What's happening is that you have logged on at a very low connection speed and if you ever get to your WebTV homepage, then this is the speed you will have to live with everywhere you travel on the internet. Simply disconnect and try to get online with a better connection. Save yourself a lot of frustration!
Topic: Spam
To avoid spam, unwanted email sometimes not even addressed to you, simply never give out your main WebTV username. Set up another, secondary username, to browse the web and to sign up for things while surfing.
You might also consider opening up an email account at a free email service online, such as Hotmail (http://www.hotmail.com/) so that when you are surfing about in that secondary WebTV username, then you can sign up to show your email address at Hotmail only. This will also help to reduce the spam in your secondary WebTV email box. All these precautions will help you to avoid spam.
Topic: Internet Language
The internet is the written word via email, thus people have found that they must be creative in turning the language into signs and symbols to display the emotion that you can't see in the written word. There is an internet language, known as smileys and emoticons, that can be used and understood online.
Go to http://www.netlingo.com/smiley.cfm to view these smileys and emoticons. Use them in your email and now understand what you have already received from others in their email. :) and then give yourself a WTG once you've used it!
Topic: WebTV Privacy
You have some control over your own internet privacy with your WebTV. Go to your primary account username, the first name listed as a user. From the main WebTV homepage, click on 'account' and then click on 'privacy policy.'
Within the next lengthy document, you will find two links that you may wish to uncheck. Once unchecked, WebTV cannot give out any personal information about you or monitor what you are watching on TV. If not unchecked by you, WebTV has your permission to share both with anyone.
Look for a link within the document that says 'Setup Sharing Personal Information' and 'TV data collection opt-out' to have more privacy as a WebTV subscriber.
Topic: Buddy List
Many PC users talk about Buddy Lists. That's an instant messaging system. If you are on someone's Buddy List, then each time you come online, your friend will know it and can send a message to you instantly. Most times these systems are limited to other PC users or to AOL users only and not compatible with WebTV.
WebTV itself does not offer instant messaging; however, you can use such a service to instant message your WebTV and PC friends. It's called HotMessenger.
Hot Messenger is compatible with PC's, MAC's and WebTV. It's the first complete online, web-based instant messaging, buddy list and chat system. You will find it at http://www.hotmessenger.com/.
Do you enjoy games? Interactive games? There are WebTV interactive games at TalkCity. Games for all ages and 24 hours a day. From your WebTV homepage, click on 'Community' and then click on 'Chat.' You will need to then click on 'TalkCity' with the colorful, people logo. Next you will see a 'Search for Chats' field. In that field, type in 'games-webtv' and you will have a list of games available to WebTV users specifically. Two that are great fun include Games-RidicWebTV and Games-FindersWebTV. There are others available. Once you enter the game, you are given instructions or you may wish to watch for awhile.
It's great fun. Check it out and test your gaming skills!
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