MSN Smileys, Emoticons, Emotions and Avatars

The MSN Smiley and Emoticons Age has arrived

Communication is something that play a vital role in our daily lives. True enough, technology has effectively grasped the situation and has been rigorously devising ways on how to enhance these modes. Such innovations introduced today are that of SMS or Text Messaging, Mobile or Cellular devices, Instant Messaging and Video Conferencing. Each has their own way of making the manner of communication more lively and among the notable rave for most people today is that of getting smileys, emoticons and avatars to bring color towards how they would want to express their hidden identities.

While some find this awesome, there are sites that have made such opportunities as a stepping stone towards mischief as well. Some carry Trojans, viruses and hoax, supposedly harmless in a sense, but actually silently break some system files in computers, unknown to the person behind it. If such files or cookies can get past technology armed individuals, then anyone can just imagine how people who are clueless would be aware of such malicious acts unseen by them.
On the positive side, similar to that of blogging or article writing, these have gotten their share of creative minds and putting them into existence, most of which have been praised by people who have become addicted towards these add-ons.

Animation and cartoon enhancements are something that most people would always search for, and if one would look for them in the top search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN, millions of sites would turn out that can provide such emoticons, display pictures, avatars and emotions. Here are some good sights to check out that have such instant messaging enhacements from Idleplay:

Iconburst
Emoticonzone
Avatars and Emoticons
MSN Names and Meanings

Computer Troubleshooting: Formatting a PC as the Last Resort

The worst part about troubleshooting computers is having to format the entire system due to one reason or another such as:
1. Virus Infections
2. Spyware or Malware infections
3. System Corruption
4. Upgrading to higher specifications
5. Operating System conflicts
6. Hardware Failure

Formatting a computer may be easier said than done. Certain things should be done as well prior to anything else, and these include:
1. Back ups of files and important documents and spreadsheets
2. Software for Installation
3. Hardware Software Drivers

In most cases, formatting a computer is the last option a technical person would resort to. It is likened to simply taking out the trash. The bad thing about it is that sometimes, hardware replacements such as the Memory Chips, Motherboards, or even video cards can do the trick. Often, these solutions come at a point where it becomes a maze. Finding the right solution for the entire dilemma may either be fast or slow and in whichever case, even the best technicians will be scratching their heads for solutions.

I found this out trying to format an EPOX motherboard. I recall some years ago when I was still assembling and selling computer packages that this motherboard was indeed troublesome and was not that saleable. It was priced at a very low price, to bring down the price of the entire package for computer desktops. Hang ups and conflicts were said to occur after a certain period and surely, this has been something that I experience now. I only catered then for Jetway and ECS motherboards, two of the cheaper brands, but cost efficient backbone of a computer. To this day, I still use the ECS motherboard and it has been already 5 years without problems. Mostly, it is the software conflicts, but when one talks about hardware, this motherboard has given me less problems compared to this EPOX motherboard.

The lesson to be learned? Well, gather feedback first prior to anything else. Sometimes feedback on computers may be varied, but unless you experience it, well believe me, the experience is something you would want to discount. Besides, taking some time to compile such situations will be worth it, especially if it means lessening the headaches for products such as EPOX who offer cheap prices and cheap quality.

Simplicity of Understanding HTML Programming

How hard is it to understand HTML programming? Honestly, there are various softwares available, starting from the standard Microsoft Frontpage that comes along with usual Micosoft Office programs that are automatically needed by people to process documents and spreadsheets. Incidentally, people don’t give much attention to the Frontpage program, perhaps because they do not really maximize the bundled software package that Microsoft offers to its market base.

However, there are other developed software programs to make web page creation easier. For the other software developers who are exposed to programming, a lot will be surprised on how people can simply use the notepad as its main source for making attractive web pages. So it is really more on the scripting that needs focus for people to be able to understand what webpage authoring is all about. Of course, the creativity part is also another factor, since how can a person be able to produce an output if he has no vision of what to expect once his webpage is available online.

Free ware sites such as yahoo geocities and tripod offer basic tutorial and basic commands to allow people to put up their own webpage in the simplest form possible. After going through the usual commands and basic scripts needed for proper functionality of the webpage, this lights up their interest all the more and brings tem to more advanced techniques such as flash, embedded sounds or videos to enhance their web pages.

Web page can be typified towards making promotional materials as well. Advanced programs such as Macromedia Dreamweaver and Fireworks have provided web programmers a more extensive manner of being able to produce fine web pages with various techniques and enhancements. But a word of caution to aspiring web developers. Some designs and scripts may need time for a web page to load, and waiting is something that most people have little patience of. Hence, web pages should be done in its most simplest form but at the same time effective manner. It is more than just showing of complexity of knowledge and rather should be how a person is able to access a website without having to wait for the entire page to load up.

Waiting time may become a reason for people to browse other web sites that can immediately show their content, something that should be put into consideration prior to actual programming by web developers on the Internet.

Internet Relay Chat: Still The Best Internet Therapy for Stress

Internet Relay Chat may have died for me a long time ago, but somehow, I found myself once again trying to look for old buddies and friends who may possibly be around. Well, it wasn’t surprising, my former channel #lounge was no longer registered to me, and well, using my old handle seemed to be passé in a way so I just decided to be me.

When I chatted, it was an entirely new world for me. There are some familiar handles but most of them I cannot remember anymore. Even when it comes to trying to meet new people, my approach and confidence was unlike before. I was totally groping for form. Whichever the case, well, the people who make up IRC are still the same. Rude, obnoxious and some entertaining and great to converse with.
Of course I do not expect the same warm welcomes I had before, besides, I am a lot older now and most of the people who chat are usually a lot younger than me. Undernet still has the good quality of people compared to other servers. I tried Dalnet but the level of approach for some people still cannot be compared with that of Undernet.

Well, I met two or three girls, two I got to talk on the phone the other holding the same profession I have. Well, it is a nice way to kill time, especially for loners like me. I just hope I don’t run into childish people like before, but for sure, many of them are still lurking around. Oh and of course, there are still the infected handles, which, if anyone would happen to encounter, should not be accepted, otherwise its not only your IRC client that may infected but your whole computer as well, so be cautious!