Computers and The Internet Page: 5 |
Free Web Sites: I used Tripod.com to set up both of my (free) web sites. I love them! It was extremely easy, and you can customize it however you want, with very little computer skills (it will do any HTML needed for you!). If you go to tripod.com; it will walk you through the process at your own pace. My sites can be found at: Stacey Torres |
Photo Hosting: MSN gives anyone with a "passport" (just sign up for a hotmail email address and you get one) 30MB of space to post pictures etc. There's no charge for any of it. You can start a photo album, a web community...they give you lots of options, and it's easy to use. http://www.msn.com Emily in Toronto |
Reassembling Your Computer: This is associated with miniatures in that, without our computers, we could not follow SmallStuff! When I was new to computers, I labeled all of the connections on mine with colored tape, a bit of one color next to the port and a bit of the same color on whatever plugs into that port. I think you could also do it with little dabs of acrylic paint. Even though I understand where things go now, it saves me time when I need to dismantle the computer. Also, there is no reason you should lose anything just moving your computer from one place to another. Linda in TN |
| Moving Your Computer: Have moved my computer from one home to another several times and the best tip I can give you is to color code what plugs into what. It saves a lot of trial and error if are computer challenged. And when you get it hooked up, everything should be just as your left it and all your emails (and SSDs) should be waiting for you. (If you moved from one telephone area to another you might want to check your access numbers.) Sherry in Uniontown |
Colorcoding Puter cords: Most stationary stores carry packets of assorted little color dots about a quarter of an inch in diameter. Place one dot on the cord and one on the puter connector before disconnecting. Then when you get moved match the colors. I spent nearly twenty years in the home appliance service business and this is a method I used when I need to remove a motor or timer from an appliance. Bill |
Storing information: When I find instructions with a pattern for making something that I want to save I print out the instructions and then save the pattern to a 3.5 disk. I then take a large manila envelope which I've labeled with the projects name, and slip both the instructions as well as the disk inside. Now when I'm ready to do the project I have the written instructions as well as the pattern in one place, and the envelope can hold more than one project. For saving just tips, save them to disk and be sure to label the disk. Marilyn, MI |
Ebay and miniatures: I have made significant miniature purchases from e-bay and would like to offer some observations for potential sellers. 1. Describe each item in great detail. The dimensions, weight, materials used and a color description. (Monitors are all different and the color differences can be tremendous! That "mint green" blanket I see on the monitor may be a putrid lime color in reality.) 2. Provide exact shipping costs the buyer will be required to pay or provide enough information (weight, dimensions and location of seller) so that the buyer can find out what the shipping will be. If you tack on a "handling fee" make sure the buyer is aware of that also. If the handling fee is over a dollar or two, explain why. Good packing materials are expensive and I'm happy to pay to have them used in order to keep my purchase safe. If you are going to slap a label on the box that you picked up at the grocery store, I will probably really resent having to pay you $10.00 in "handling". 3. Provide a short, concise list of payment types you will accept. Don't go into laborious explanations as to why you will not accept certain payments because "too many buyers have not followed through with payment". It makes me feel that you don't trust me up front and makes me uncomfortable about buying from you. Simply state what you will accept and leave it at that. I take no offense with "I accept PayPal and US Postal Money Orders only." 4. Describe your item in as straightforward a manner as possible. If it was made from a kit, say so. If it was made from a kit with embellishments, I would like to know that also. Don't say something is "hand painted" when it is hand stenciled or a decal has been embellished. Be extremely precise in describing what you are offering as many buyers are being extremely precise in what they are purchasing! If the description is vague, I usually just move on to the next item. 5. Give a little "extra" with your item if possible and you will get repeat customers. I have received such things as a cute little tatted doily, a booklet on dollhouses, a photocopy of a simple little project and one nice lady tied a bow around the package and tucked in a little handwritten note telling me she hoped I enjoyed building the project. I keep track of these sellers and check out their auctions on a routine basis simply because they were pleasant about the whole process. 6. e-mail me when the item is shipped and let me know how you shipped it. Make sure you ship it using the method I paid for. I once paid for some magazines to be shipped Priority mail and they were shipped "book rate". It wasn't worth quibbling over but I will never again buy from that seller. I too will now step down from my soapbox! I just thought that some of you that are just getting into e-Bay selling might like to hear from a big e-Bay buyer! Reva |
USING SEARCH ENGINES: I thought this might be of help to some people--search engines are intimidating sometimes, but I can usually find what I want, so here goes. First, think about what you're looking for. Suppose you want information on 15th century women's clothing. 1. Figure out the most important parts of your search. In this case, "15th Century" and "women's clothing" are basic things you're looking for. 2. Open your web browser and go to the search engine of your choice. I really like Yahoo (it's powered by Google) but other helpful sites are: Google, Northernlight.com, Altavista.com, and Lycos.com. 3. Once you open the search engine, find the box where you can type in your search. Type in the key words you're looking for. ex. 15th Century women's clothing OR "15th Century" "women's clothing" The second example groups the words together in phrases. The first search will return any sites that have "15th" OR "Century" or "Women's" OR "clothing." The second search will only return sites that have "15th Century" (both words together) and "women's clothing" (both words together). This way, you won't get any sites like "15TH place in running: Joe Shmoe" or "man of the CENTURY." 4. Click on the "Search" button. A list of sites should come up. Hopefully, the first few sites will be the most relevant. Skim through the first page or two of sites to see if any of them have the information you want. 5. WHAT IF THERE ARE TOO MANY SITES LISTED? This means your search isn't specific enough. Try grouping words together (as in #3, above) to narrow down the search. For example, a search like: Alice Zinn will generate a list of sites, some of which have to do with Alice Zinn. However, you will also get sites about Alice Walker and/or Howard Zinn. So, to make sure you get the sites you want right away, you can enter: "Alice Zinn" and only sites that have to do with Alice Zinn will pop up. 6. Another way to narrow your search: Add more terms to your search. Suppose you do a search for "15th century women's clothing" and you get 1750 sites. You probably don't want to look through all of them, so you can add more words to make the search more specific. If you're interested in 15th century FRENCH women's clothing, enter the search 15th century french women's clothing and there are only 1450 sites to look at. Still too many? Try 15th century french peasant women's clothing and you're down to 250. 7. The most relevant sites are usually first! But not always. So skim through a page or two of sites, looking at the site descriptions and checking only the sites that sound like they have the info you want. I hope this helps a little! I do hate to think of people waiting days to have an answer to a research question when they would have the information in just a few minutes. (I myself am quite impatient). I hope this doesn't strike anyone as "talking down," I just wanted to make sure the instructions were absolutely clear. Generally it seems that the simpler the instructions, the clearer they are. So please don't think I'm underestimating your intelligence!! :) Celeste in Boston |
Using Search Engines: For those who haven't used a search engine before, I would suggest going to http://www.altavista.com A gold box will appear near the top of the window. In the upper right part of the box will be the word "help". Click on it. It will give you a tutorial on using a search engine. I want to warn anyone new to this, that it may become an obsession with you. Remember, if all else fails, you always have Cntl/Alt/Del or the reset button on your computer. A survey that was done about 2 years ago showed that only 40% of the total web sites appeared on search engines. No one search engine had more than 17% of the sites indexed on it. So, obviously, use as many search engines as you can find. There are hundreds of them. When looking for something, I usually go through the first 100 sites listed. For some reason, the best results are often not in the first few sites. The sites listed first are those that have taken the time and effort to make sure they are listed first (there are various services that will help you modify your pages so they receive a higher listing) which doesn't mean they have necessarily placed their time and effort into providing what you are looking for. Some search engines have also started selling positioning. Tom Berkner |
Inventory Records: Here is how I inventory my collection. I have a file folder for each house, roombox, dome, etc. I created a spreadsheet on the computer with the following columns: Date Acquired - Description -Maker/Manufacturer - Value (as a dealer, it's sometimes wholesale) - Retail Cost. If it's made by a friend, I give it a fair market value. All receipts or notes with this information are kept that units file. Then I have a tally sheet listing the total value of each unit, for a grand total. (The amount scares me sometimes!) Receipts/Notes for the things I've not used yet are kept in a separate file. As I "shop" my cabinets while decorating, I add that note to the proper folder. Ruth, Grass Valley, CA |
Organizing Part 1: by Connie Sauve Inventory Records: As far as organizing my own miniatures (I'm known for my organizing skills, more ideas to come later) I have a 3-ring binder with tabbed dividers for each project I'm collecting for. I designed a form (I'm also a Graphic Designer) to keep track of all my miniatures I make or purchase. I have a separate form for each project, including (as an example for my dollhouse) I have a page for each room in my dollhouse, and also one for building supplies and one for the landscaping for the house. Most of my single roomboxes just have a single form to cover the whole project. The form includes: 1. "Title" put the name of the project at the top (or a blank for writing it in). 2. "Date" for when the item was purchased or made. 3. "H/P" which stands for Handmade or Purchased, just write H or P for the appropriate option. 4. "Description" for a detailed description of the item. 5. "Cat #" to put the item # or kit item # in, in case you would like to get another one. 6. "Artist" used to put the artist's name who made the item (or company name like Chrysnbon), or your name if it was handmade. 7. "Purchased" is for where you purchased the item from, usually a business name. 8. "Price" lastly a column for the price (I advise not adding a project up! It can be scary). It's a great way to keep track of all your miniatures in one spot. I have at least 30 projects I'm collecting for (sound familiar?). I write everything in pencil only, because when I purchase an item for a particular project, that doesn't mean that's where it ends up. Then you can just erase the information and move it to another project. If anyone is interested in obtaining a copy of my Miniature Inventory form, I'll make one up in Microsoft Word and I can e-mail a generic document to you. Just send me an e-mail with "Miniature Inventory Form" in the subject line and I'll send you a copy. I would like to put it on my website, but I'm not sure how to do it so people can access it an print it off themselves. I keep all receipts I get and add to them if information is missing such as dates, detailed description, business names and artists name. I keep these separate as they tend to pile up. I also have a rule for myself that I'm not allowed to put away my new minis until they get written in my binder, which keeps me caught up. I also have been leaving the price tags on things (if they are small and can be hidden), then if anything ever happens to me, someone doesn't sell it for .25 at a garage sale (my family is well trained and knows better). My hubby doesn't care (to a point) what I pay for my minis, so I can leave the prices on (my Mom is a different story, she doesn't understand). I have a tendency to collect lots of items from the same artist's, Wright Guide Miniatures as an example. I think I have just about everything they make and can't seem to get past their booth without spending lots of money, those $2 and $3 dollar items sure add up fast! I have a separate list going for a few select artists that I can write down all the items I get from that person. Then I can pull out those pages and bring them with me to a show that I know they will be at, so I don't duplicate buying the same things over and over. Connie Sauve |
No Camera or Scanner?? We to would like to see your work and you don't need a scanner or digital camera to show them to us! Use any camera, even a disposable one, to take pictures of your miniatures. When you bring the film in for developing check the box on the envelope that requests that prints be developed to disk. Once you have done this you will be able to load them to a photo site and we will all be able to view them. Ask us again when you have gotten your disks and are ready to load them and I'm sure we will be able to assist you.Marilyn, MI |
Microsoft Front Page: I have used Microsoft Front Page extensively and it is, in my opinion, THE best web editing tool on the market. I have also used Corel, Page Maker's version, and Quast and none even come close to FP. There are always a few HTML things that can be tweaked with any editing package, but all in all, FP makes a great product...easy to learn, easy to use, and very user friendly. Sloan |
photo/web site: For the person trying to link pictures to eBay: Some sites just do not allow remote hosting to other sites. Photopoint (pay site now) does, but the mirror free Epson site does not. I don't believe picture trail will accept remote hosting either. I considered Picturetrail when I was thinking of switching photo sites, but I have decided I like other sites better. Frankly, the music option really bothers me. At least you can turn it off, on web sites where there is music and you can't turn it off immediately, I LEAVE. I find sites with all these extras to be annoying and they take too long to load. I have been posting all three of my photosites on my signature to see which ones get viewed the most. So far, people still look at the photopoint site more than any of the others. I am fairly happy with Webshots, but have had several complaints about how Zing works - I may abandon that one. As far as Photopoint goes, Rose said she has trouble getting in and needs to use the owners email address. Has anyone ever had problems viewing my albums on photopoint? I wonder if I should be doing something different with my link to make it work for some of you? Let me know if you have had this problem with my link and I will try to fix it. Bonnie Gibson - Tucson, Arizona |
Reduction with scanner: What I would do to reduce a text is first I would scan it at regular size and keep it as a file. I would then import that file to any of my photo management programs. These programs permit one to increase (+) or decrease(-) the size of an image. In my Adobe Photodelux software when I elect to increase or decrease an image it gives me the percentage of increase or decrease from the original file. DrBob |
Reducing using scanner: It depends on your scanner or drawing program software. If the software allows you to scan in at a custom percentage, I'd use 8% (1 divided by 12 works out to 8.33 percent, but my scanner doesn't get that precise). It's probably under some kind of "advanced" or "custom" button or tab. The other thing you can do is acquire the scan through your graphics program, and then reduce the object to either 8.33%, or make the height be what you want (say, 1 inch for a 12 inch high letter) and be sure the reduction is proportional--that way the graphics program has to figure out the width. Trish in Sunnyvale, CA |
Shrinking a letter: I believe Lisa Volrath's miniature site on About.com had a tutorial on reducing and enlarging. Just click on the link below. Elizabeth |
AOL Hometown Webpages: AOL Hometown can be viewed by anyone (even those not on AOL), and as far as I know, anyone can use AOL Hometown even if they are not an AOL member! There are two programs to create a page - 1-2-3-Publish - does not use any HTML, and Easy Designer which does have Advanced HTML options. AOL Press is not supported any longer - they encourage people to move to Netscape Composer.... Hometown is not designed to create multi page sites, but it is still very do-able. Have fun! Noella |
A lesson in online searching: I was a professional searcher for a number of years and also had the responsibility for training professional and non-professional searchers. Although my experience was in the hard sciences, many of the principles are the same when searching the web for dollhouse miniatures. The reason why I'm posting this is because I have a search engine on my website and I review the terms that people use for searches and people are making common mistakes. In addition, I have a program where I can determine how people got to my site, e.g. links from other sites or searches on search engines such as Google, Lycos etc and I see mistakes in searching on these search engines. I hope my brief lesson will help you find the particular items you are looking for on my site as well as the web in general. 1. Spelling counts Carol |
Organizing Part 2: by Connie Sauve 1. Fabrics I put into pleated sandwich zip bags from the grocery store. 2. Silk ribbon spools I put in 3 x 5 zip bags. 3. Laces and trims I wrap around a 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" matboard (cut from scraps from the framing dept.) and put into 3 x 4 zip bags. 4. Thread and small wire spools I put into a 2 x 3 zip bag. Hint: you never have to open the zip bag if you leave a tail of the thread/wire out of the top of the bag, just snap it closed around the tail and pull out what is needed. Another hint: Put the "catch" on the spool for the thread/wire on the bottom of the bag or else the thread will get caught on it at every revolution. 5. Beads, tiny brasses, buttons, etc. I use a 2 x 2 zip bag. I organize everything in clear plastic shoe boxes. I have a lot of fabric, so it gets broke down into a lot of categories - Silk dark solids, silk light solids, silk stripes, silk florals, taffeta. I do the same for my cottons, velvets and wools. Each category gets their own box, labeled on the end. The plastic bags are important because when you are searching through the boxes the fabrics/thread/laces stay perfectly clean. I also have a small binder which I put small (1" x 1") swatches of all my fabrics in, again broken down into fabric categories, and where I bought the fabric from. Then when I go fabric shopping I take my binder with and I won't duplicate buying the same fabrics. The silk ribbon I have in 4 boxes: 7mm, 2mm, and two boxes for 4mm dividing the numbers (there are a lot of colors for 4mm). Again labeled on the end. The threads, laces (a white laces box and an ecru laces box) and trims are all separate. I have plastic boxes for my zip bags, feathers, Bunka/cording, straw, etc. Beads and tiny items are in a small flat plastic box with dividers, available at craft stores in the cross-stitch dept. Quick tip: Tape a plastic measuring tape (fabric stores) to the front of your desk using double-sided tape. Then you never have to search for a ruler to measure again. Connie Sauve |
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