Headline News

YAHOO! has introduced us to a whole new series of tools, many of them integrated. The intent of these tools is to combine all of your online and browsing capabilites, plus provide useful tools for planning, organizing, and file storage.

In this issue we will cover some of the tools, how to use them, where to get them, how to configure them for your own personal use. We think you will appreciate the convenience these tools have to offer and how user-friendly the set-up and use can be. Who can resist putting all of their online interests at their fingertips, and having everything they need only a mouse click away?

 NEW TOOL    YAHOO!Briefcase offers just that, an additional 10 megs of storage space. It's more than just storage, you can select to keep your storage space private, allow everyone access to it, or allow a select group of friends to access your briefcase. The briefaces can handle most file formats (including MP3). It's default is two folders, one for images the other files, but you can create and rename folders. Each folder can be edited for accessibility so you can save sensitive files while still sharing family photos or other files with friends.

To get your own YAHOO!Briefcase Click Here and simply sign in using your Y!GC membername. This automatically sets up your briefcase and it's ready for use. To add files simply click the "Add File" icon, to edit a file click the pencil icon, to delete a file use the garbage can icon. In the upper right corner are the icons for adding a new file or album.

To set up your files for public, private, or invitational only viewing click on the "Edit" tool while in the "Folders List" area and select how you wish to use this folder or album. Only Yahoo! Members can access this area if you wish to create a friends only area, you must provide their Yahoo! membername, separated by commas, in a list to provide them this filtered access.

Good Luck & Happy Storage!

 NEW TOOL    YAHOO!Companion is the perfect companion if you are involved in Y!GC. Companion simply adds a tool bar to your IE4x browser to enable you to integrate your Yahoo! tools. Companion allows you to check your mail or receive mail alerts and compose with a single mouse click on the browser toolbar... no matter what page you are currently viewing in your browser. Companion keeps your Clubs organized, brings you news and entertainment and more.

Companion has it's preset option, but allows you to custom configure your tool bar set up with the features and order you prefer. It even has it's own Bookmarks area and built in Search tool. Anytime you wish to edit the tool bar simply click the edit button on the bar and it will send you back to the configuration page.

To get your own Yahoo!Companion Click Here, read the TOS and if you agree by those terms select "I Accept, Activate Now" and this will activate the setup. It will first open a new window, then prompt you to select how you want to set up your Companion Browser tool - Sampler, Living, Entertainment, Business, Communities, or Make My Own - make your selection then click the "Finished" button. The next step offers you the categories and subjects you wish to add to the Companion. If you wish to change the order in which they appear on the toolbar select "Change Layout", make your personal modifications by simply moving your selected subject up and down the list. When complete click "Finished" and it will install the bar on your browser.

Included in the options are the "Sign Out" tool. If you have more than one Y!GC account I would recommend adding this tool and configuring your Companion for each ID you have, on Sign In it will configure the browser bar for that membername preference. The Companion makes moving between My Yahoo and Mail, then off to Clubs easy to manage. It puts these links at your fingertips and removes the need to store several locations in your Favorites file, freeing it up for other interests. Just remember, you can define bookmarks for each membername account by using the Y!Bookmarks tool in the Companion.

In the week that this tool has been put to the test, it appears stable and has not interfered with the other browser functions. I give it "two thumb up" for being useful and beneficial.

Communications are vital to any society, and community bulletin boards have always been a mainstay for territorial information. On the Internet, despite the availability of high-tech communications tools, their importance has not diminished.

The new Ya!GeoCities Message Boards provide the same vital function to residents within the Ya!GeoCities neighborhoods. They provide a place where Homesteaders have the opportunity to pose and answer questions, share knowledge and learn.

Easily accessed from a central location, each neighborhood has its own board governed by the guidelines set forth by Ya!GeoCities - ultimately, the rules of good taste. Registration, a password, and acceptance of these Ya!GeoCities guidelines are required to post a message, but anyone can read the messages left there.

Since Yahoo! and GeoCities merged, the neighborhood message boards have experienced a sharp decline in the number of users. This could be contributed to the new URL (address) of the master list of community boards, which is not linked from the old and familiar GeoCities master listing. People are possibly confusing the neighborhood boards with the Yahoo! message boards which were left intact. GeoMarkk, producer of the neighborhood boards, indicated that there was no official statement concerning this matter, but did say, “We are peddling as fast as we can.”

A guestbook will allow you to track guests, view their comments on your page, and provides you with their URL's so you can visit their pages also. The Guestbook Set-Up is where you will find all the information you require to get started. They provide the option of styles and colors, provide you with the source coding and preset pages. Not unlike the former guestbook, but now with easier to manipulate options.

If you use MSN's Hotmail you may have had your privacy violated, and your mail might have been made public. While it has been reported that Hackers had broken into the mail servers and could read any mailbox they desired, this is not entirely true. This didn't take any experienced hacker to achieve, the error was on the part of Hotmail.

Hotmail has been plagued with security issues from the beginning, this is just another incident. If you value the security of your e-mail correspondence you should read the ZDNet Report and decide whether you are willing to risk such a security breach again!