Lots of cool, fun, and informative stuff every week!
I'm dubbing this week's issue the Mahatma Gandhi Edition. Our Ctrl-Alt-Backspace section includes a special click-link image to transport you to the sites where you'll find more information about this Nobel Prize winning peace activist.

Okay, I knew that eventually someone would ask these questions. Yes, our web server supports server side includes and here's some information to help you to get started...

By definition, Server Side Includes (SSI) are "generate data for the a type of HTML comments that directs the Web server to dynamically load Web page whenever it is requested." I know that doesn't tell you very much but I'll give a couple of links below to direct you to the official definition and some links that will help you to implement Server Side Includes.

The most basic and best use of SSI are when creating a website with many links to many separate pages in the same website. For example, take a look at the website I'm creating at http://www.freemanfritts.com/ and you'll see that it has a bunch of links to other pages inside the website. Click around some of those pages and you'll discover that the links in the contents menu area remain the same. Now imagine that someone wants to add another page with yet another link and soon you'll discover that (without SSI) you'll have to go back to each and every page and add that new link and button.

But not so with Server Side Includes! All you have to do is create the first basic page (index.html) and then split it into two or three separate files. For example, take an index.html and strategically split it into three separate files called head.shtml, index.shtml, and foot.shtml. If you split your HTML code properly, you can have the table and cell information that contains the contents menu handily created in one single file called "head.shtml". Then all you have to edit is just the head.shtml file when you want to add or subtract links to other pages on the website. That's a whole lot easier than having to edit 14 other pages just to add a new link.

While that's not the only use for SSI, it is the most basic and in my opinion, the most useful. Here are some links to get you started down the path of learning about Server Side Includes...

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/Server_Side_Include.h
http://httpd.apache.org/docs/1.3/howto/ssi.html
http://www.apacheweek.com/features/ssi
http://www.smartwebby.com/web_site_design/server_side_includes.asp

Some programs were written in such a way that certain windows lack the usual minimize button found in the upper right corner. eTrust Antivirus version 7.0 happens to be one of those and believe me, it's not the only one. I agree that this is a minor annoyance in that it retains the focus so that any other programs you open are displayed underneath it. However, you can move the eTrust scanning window out of the way simply by using the click and drag method on its title bar. Dragging it toward, and subsequently underneath your taskbar, so that about a quarter of an inch of its title bar remains visible will be enough to let you continue work in your other programs. There, see how easy that was?

Every now and then running processes will get hung up and no matter how many "Ctrl-Alt-Del" keyboard combinations you perform, it simply won't restart. Or you find yourself pressing the power button on the front of the PC and it still won't shut down. That's because today's PCs are designed with power buttons that only react after you depress them for a full five seconds. Try counting five full seconds while you hold the power button until the PC shuts down. There, that wasn't so hard.

WheresJames Startup Manager
"Is your computer running a little slow these days? Take back control! There are several programs running on your computer right now doing nothing useful. Just hogging precious memory and CPU cycles. WheresJames Startup Manager will allow you to view the programs that start with Windows and disable or delete them if you like."

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