Baby Boomers Guide to the 21st Century

SEO?

2010-11-24T11:07:00.000-08:00

You might have noticed the initials "SEO" in your wanderings around the Internet. SEO may refer to anything from a Korean family name (also spelled 'Suh') to a Site Enhancement Oil used by bodybuilders to make their muscles look bigger. Assuming you're not a Korean obsessed with your biceps, SEO is short for Search Engine Optimization--fancy for improving the rank of your web site in search engine results.

Now, your next question might be..."who cares about the rank of my web site?" and what are "seach engine result?" More on that soon.

I don't remember body builders like Sylvia back in the 60's...do you?
Look carefully. Do you see any Site Enhancement Oil? Feel free to download and enlarge this pic for a thorough inspection.

Are You Squinting When Reading on the Internet?

2010-07-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

How to make the print larger when you're on the web.

Rather than grab for your reading glasses (I buy them by the dozen at the 99 Cent Store) you can increase the size of the print on your screen. There are 4 keys that will help you:

The crt or Control key is usually on the bottom left-hand side of your keyboard. The other three are usually together towards the right-hand top.

To make things look bigger
To make the image or print larger, hold down the Control (ctrl) key and tap the Plus Equal key. Each time you hit the Plus Equal key, the image on your screen will increase. Keep tapping until it's the size you want.

To make things look smaller
If you want to make the image or print smaller, hold down the Control (ctrl) key and tap the Underline Dash key. With each tap, the image will get smaller.

To go back to the way it was when you started
To restore your screen the way it was (default) then hold down the Control (ctrl) key and tap the Right Parenthesis 0 (zero) key.

Ta! Da!
(If this doesn't work for you, please let me know.)

This is what I'm talking about!

2010-07-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

Three out of three people had trouble becoming a fan of this blog. That illustrates the problem right there. I will do some research and get back to you. We can't even join a blog about how hard it is to join a blog. I feel justified in starting this now!

Words You May Want to Know

2010-07-02T12:24:00.000-07:00

APP (noun)

What it isn't: A form you fill out to get a job or into a school.

What it is: APP is short for Application which is short for Application Program which is long for Program. An application is a program that lets you do things you want to do such as write letters, make address lists or search the Internet for information you need. On the new phone I just got, I can play games too.

Mathematical Assistance: App = Application = Program therefore App = Program.

BOOT (verb)

What it isn't: Low-heeled, calf-high footwear made out of white plastic that many of us girls wore in the 60's, and served as inspiration for Nancy Sinatra's 1966 number-one hit, "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" and that's just what she did. For more info on how to boot, go to Nancy's web site.
What it is: A fancy way of saying, "Hey, turn on your computer!" If you are told to "re-boot" then turn your computer off, wait a few minutes, and then turn it back on again.

MOTHERBOARD
What it isn't: What the Beach Boys affectionately called their surf boards.

What it is: Also called a main board, system board or logic board (because if one new term is good, four terms for the same thing are even better), the motherboard is an actual board that has a lot of wires and things attached to it for the electricity to run through so your computer works. It looks a lot like the transistor radio my dad and I built when I was a kid...only a lot bigger.

OPERATING SYSTEM (noun)
What it isn't: A way to perform hip replacement surgery, something more and more of us seem to need.
What it is: An Operating System (OS) is the main program on your computer or phone that makes all of your other programs work. For a computer or phone to work, it must have an operating system, so make sure you have one installed by someone 30 years of age or younger before you leave the store. It is sometimes called the Boot Program (and other times called a Pain in the Neck.)

Why I am creating this blog

2010-07-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

Today was the last straw. No more will I tolerate someone half my age (ahem) roll their eyes at me when I ask questions like "What's an app?" or "What's a widget?" It has come as a great shock to learn that a boot is not something to wear while line-dancing. A pop-up isn't a horrid breakfast pastry you put in the toaster. A post is not something that my high school chemistry teacher was as dumb as.

Okay. So come join me, all ye who were born between WWII and Nixon's resignation! Let's help each other understand what's going on around us so as not to embarass ourselves (or our children, or our children's children...)

We'll have a glossary - using only words that were in use before we all turned 30. No more defining a strange word with another strange word. Got it?

To be honest, I've never blogged before and I don't really know how this site works. But I'm starting