Safe & Easy Internet Basics – Training Course for Windows
Basics of How to Use The Internet: Safe & Easy Internet Skills – Training Course for Windows PCs
Module 1: How to Use Mozilla Firefox for Safe Web Browsing Part A
| Title |
Length
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Description |
Why You Should Be Using the Free Mozilla Firefox Existing Members Click to Sign In
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8:18
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In this video I explain what Mozilla Firefox is, and why you really should be using it to protect your PC and make your life easier. |
How to Download and Install FirefoxExisting Members Click to Sign In
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6:10
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Now that you understand why you might want to download Firefox,
this video shows you how to go to the Mozilla.com website to download
the free Web browser.
Click here to go to Mozilla.com when you’re ready to download and install Firefox (link will open in new window) |
How to Use Mozilla Firefox for Safer Web Browsing — An OverviewExisting Members Click to Sign In
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7:13
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Now that you’ve downloaded and installed Mozilla Firefox, this lesson gives you an overview of Firefox. It’s really not much different than using Internet Explorer, and can make the transition easy with a built-in process to move over any of your favorites (now called bookmarks), saved passwords, etc. |
Overview of Mozilla Firefox (alternative version)Existing Members Click to Sign In
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11:58
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Gives you a basic overview of Firefox, with comparison to Internet
Explorer, plus a quick overview of the Web in general
Note: This lesson was recorded for Firefox version 2, and has a lot of overlap with the previous lesson, but I decided to continue to include it as repetition of ideas is helpful for learning, plus there is information in both lessons which does not overlap with the other. |
BookmarksExisting Members Click to Sign In
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17:35
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I explain bookmarks, and show you how to bookmark a page. I also explain how to “manage” your bookmarks to keep them organized |
A Look at Firefox’s “Awesome Bar”Existing Members Click to Sign In
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15:12
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This video
introduces you to a feature of the web browser Mozilla Firefox
called, amusingly, the “Awesome Bar”. This is an enhanced
version of the traditional address bar used by all web browsers.
This makes bookmarking and getting back to favorite websites easier than it used to be. You can use this either in addition to, or as a replacement for the bookmarking method I show you in the previous lesson. Some people prefer one method, some people prefer the other. Personally, I’ve almost completely stopped using bookmarks the old way in favor of the “Awesome Bar” method, but there’s no right or wrong answer. |
Module 2: How to Use Mozilla Firefox for Safe Web Browsing Part B
| Title |
Length
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Description |
Intro to the WebExisting Members Click to Sign In
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11:56
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A general introduction to the Web. Explains what a web browser is, explains elements of a web page, how web addresses work, and more. |
Intro to the Search EngineExisting Members Click to Sign In
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20:15
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A general introduction
to using a search engine. I use Google as an example, but what
I cover applies to any search engine (Yahoo, etc.)
Includes: what exactly is a search engine, and when you use it; a common mistake people make when using search engines; example searches; how to search more effectively, and more. |
Setting Your HomepageExisting Members Click to Sign In
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2:53
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We look at how to set your home page, the web page that loads automatically each time you open your web browser – here we look at how to set this in Firefox, the recommended web browser. |
Tabbed BrowsingExisting Members Click to Sign In
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15:06
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I explain what tabbed browsing is, and show you how to use it and how it can make web surfing more easy and convenient. |
Clearing Private InfoExisting Members Click to Sign In
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2:52
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Quick lesson on how to empty your disk cache, which is needed sometimes to fix problems viewing sites, plus how to clear private information like searches you’ve made and the history of pages you’ve been to |
Downloading FilesExisting Members Click to Sign In
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24:12
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Shows you how to download a file, with info on where to find things to download, plus how to set up a special downloads folder to make your computer more organized and safer |
Text ZoomExisting Members Click to Sign In
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1:16
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A quick tip on how to quickly and easily make the words on a web page bigger or smaller |
Module 3: Simple Secrets of Using Google Search
| Title |
Length
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Description |
Understanding Search Engines (Like Google) Better so You Get More Of the Results You WantExisting Members Click to Sign In
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27:46
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Google and
other search engines are used by millions and millions of people
every day, yet many people don’t understand them well, if at
all. As a result, it can be easy to miss the results you’re looking
for.
This lesson will help you understand search engines a little better, and why one website might show up instead of another when you’re searching for different things. I also demonstrate a few different ways to do your searches that might help if you’re not getting the what you’re looking for when you search. |
More Tips for Getting Better Search ResultsExisting Members Click to Sign In
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20:06
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I find a lot
of people do not really understand the way a search engine (like
Google) works, and so they end up using it incorrectly, or not
nearly as effectively as they could. In this lesson I explain
a little of the “nuts and bolts” of how a search engine
works, plus demonstrate a few example searches to give you a better
idea of how to phrase your search.
There is some overlap with the previous lesson, but it serves to reinforce & compliment the previous lesson. |
Using Google Search For More Than Just Finding WebsitesExisting Members Click to Sign In |
9:34
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When most people think of Google search, they think of it as a way to find web pages. While that is its main purpose, it has some useful “hidden features” you might find very useful to know about. This video shows you a few. |
Using Google Search to Find the Current Time in Other TimezonesExisting Members Click to Sign In |
2:04
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As I’ve mentioned in previous lessons, Google Search has a lot of hidden “tricks” which can be used to find more than just web pages. This lesson shows you how you can find out the current time in major cities (and some smaller cities) around the world, which can be very useful if you are planning a long-distance phone call, want to attend an event online, etc. |
Module 4: More Secrets of Google Search & Related Tools
| Title |
Length
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Description |
Using Google Image SearchExisting Members Click to Sign In |
12:54
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If you aren’t
looking for a web page or web site per se, but are more interested
in finding pictures of something, Google Image Search (or GIS)
is a great way to find them.
This lesson shows you the basic way to use the search, as well as how to narrow down the images you find by size and type of image (photograph vs. drawing, etc.) |
Using Google Video SearchExisting Members Click to Sign In |
10:14
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This lesson shows you how to use Google Video Search to find videos hosted on a variety of websites including YouTube and others. I also show you how to narrow down the results by video type and length. |
How to Use Google Maps – OverviewExisting Members Click to Sign In
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20:44
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In this video I show you an overview of how to use the free
Google Maps service, including how to see satellite images, a traditional
map, or a mix of the two. Plus how you can get live traffic and
street level views for a growing number of places.
You can get to Google Maps by going to maps.Google.com, or by clicking here. [link will open in new window so you don't lose your place here] |
How to Use Google Maps To Get Step-by-Step Driving DirectionsExisting Members Click to Sign In
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10:38
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In this lesson I’ll show you the basics of using how to use Google Maps to not just get directions from point A to point B, but to plan the best route for you. |
Using Google TranslationExisting Members Click to Sign In |
9:37
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As you may
know, Google provides other services than just Web searches.
Sometimes you may run into a website or something else written
in language you can’t read, or you may need to translate something
into a foreign tongue.
If so, you can use Google Translation. It’s not perfect (I have yet to see a computer translate from one language to another perfectly) but it can help you out in a pinch. This video shows you how to use it when you need it. |
Module 5: Secrets To Making the Web Safer
| Title |
Length
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Description |
What is the ‘Status Bar’ & How it Can Help Protect YouExisting Members Click to Sign In
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8:13
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In every Web browser (the program you use to browse the Web,
such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari) and most
email programs, there is something called a status bar at the
bottom of the window that gives you info about the web page you’re
visiting (or the email you’re reading), as well as tells you
where links will take you if you click on them.
In this video lesson I show you how to turn the status bar on if you don’t see it, and how to use it to verify that links in emails take you to the place you expect them to, which can help protect you by avoiding scams such as “phishing scams”. |
Tips for Spotting Dangerous Email “Phishing” ScamsExisting Members Click to Sign In
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23:09
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This lesson
dovetails with the previous lesson and shows you examples of
three different scam emails of a type known as a “phishing” scam.
A phishing scam involves tricking an unsuspecting computer
user into providing personal information such as account passwords,
bank account numbers, credit card numbers, social security
numbers, etc. for the purpose of identity theft.
Arming yourself with the knowledge to protect yourself is your first line of defense. |
Critically Important Lesson to Protect Yourself From Online Scam Sites That Are Out To Infect Your ComputerExisting Members Click to Sign In
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23:09
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A recent
study revealed that 63% of people in the study were not able
to tell the difference between a real and a fake popup warning
message, and so were falling for a common online scam which
is designed to infect your computer. Since the people in the
study were warned ahead of time that they would be getting
a mix of legit and fake messages, the fact that 63% of them
still couldn’t tell the difference between the two tells me
that the number is probably much worse in the real world.
This video lesson is designed to help protect you by showing you several things to look for that should help tip you off when you encounter a fake (scam) error message while browsing the web. |
Module 6: Understanding the Internet Online Audio
| Track | Length | Description |
| 1 | 1:33 | Introduction to Understanding the Internet
Existing Members Click to Sign In |
| 2 | 8:18 | Basic Computer Terms Internet, Web & Email – How Many
People Get These Terms Wrong
Existing Members Click to Sign In |
| 3 | 9:54 | Understanding Different Types of Internet
Connections & How to Choose the Right One
Existing Members Click to Sign In |
| 4 | 10:47 | How to Make it Easier When You Switch Internet Service Providers
Existing Members Click to Sign In |
| 5 | 7:16 | Pros and Cons of VOIP or Voice Over IP Internet Telephone
Service
Existing Members Click to Sign In |
| 6 | 9:07 | Understanding How to Protect Your Computer From a Common Problem
& Tips to Keep Your Internet on Even When the Power is Off Existing Members Click to Sign In |