Wrong Podcast Address

The problem you’re having is that the address for this podcast is wrong. By doing a little Internet search, I found another way into this podcast on History.org. Click on this link and then scroll down to the bottom of the page. At the very bottom, you’ll see the podcast for August 18^th, 2008 which is titled “Charlton’s Coffeehouse” and the caption starts off with “A long-absent address returns to Duke of Gloucester Street. . .” I clicked on the “Listen Now” button and it came right up. If you have Quicktime 7 on your computer, you can view the enhanced podcast.

Ways to Find Internet Information

The longer the Internet address, the more likely that something is going to be transcribed incorrectly. A way around this is to click on links directly, like the one we have embedded into this article. Another way is to highlight an address that you find printed on the web, right click it to Copy and position your cursor on the address bar of your Internet homepage. Right click again, choose Paste and the address will appear just as it was in the original document.

Google Search

If you know what you want, but you don’t know where it is located, just do an Internet search on Google and chances are, you’ll find what you need. I found this podcast by typing in “Charleton’s Coffeehouse, podcast” (without the quotes). The history.org site was the third one on the list in the search results. If you know the website you want, you can expand your search criteria as in “Charleton’s Coffeehouse, history.org” and it will narrow it down even further.

As a history buff, I found this website really interesting. I’m going to go and listen to a few of these podcasts and learn a little bit about Colonial Williamsburg. I hope this helps you and that you are soon doing the same.

PalTalk is an Internet chat service that allows for text, voice, and video chats as well as instant messaging between various instant messenger applications such as AIM, Yahoo, and ICQ while maintaining a single buddy list. PalTalk is also free though users must view advertisements as part of the deal.

Troubleshooting PalTalk

Unfortunately, problems can and do occur. First, PalTalk is only compatible with Windows 2000 and above. If you have an incompatible operating system, you will run into problems.

Once you’ve confirmed that your computer can run PalTalk, you’ll need to download and install their software and create a user name and password before you can begin using the service. If the installation went well but you cannot connect, then the most likely problem is with your firewall blocking communications.

Firewall Settings

Setting up your firewall for use with PalTalk will vary depending on which Firewall you are using. Most firewalls allow you to specify applications that can communicate through the firewall. For example, to allow applications through McAfee Firewall, launch the Firewall software, click on Applications, view the list of applications, and place a checkmark next to PalTalk. Another example would be Trend Micro Internet Security. In this application, you’d first click Personal Network and Firewall Controls followed by Settings. From there, you would select the firewall profile that you are using, select Edit, click on Program Control, click on Add, and then Browse to the software that you would like to allow. As you can see, the process varies depending on which firewall you are using.

Video Drivers and Formats  

Another common PalTalk issue involves choosing the appropriate video drivers for use with web cams. Generally, updating your video device and its drivers is recommended. If the drivers do not appear in the PalTalk window, try the Microsoft WDM Image Capture option.

The video format needs to be set to the proper capture size which is 160×120. In addition, the RCB color format is preferred, especially if your camera causes errors with PalTalk. Apparently IBM cameras are particularly troublesome with PalTalk unless the video is set to RGB color format.

Slow Performance when Video is Running

Another common issue involves slow performance when video capture is running. What happens is that video is taking up more than its fair share of your computer’s CPU. Fortunately, you can override this by going into PalTalk’s video window and choosing Options. Next, select Video Setup. Select both Slow Video Preview and Slower Frame Rate.

Getting Help

PalTalk has a support section on their main webpage with several options for help including a Contact Us form, FAQs, and Password Reset help.

Removing Groups in AIM

The standard method for removing groups from your Buddy list in AIM is:

1. Click Setup in the Buddy List window.
2. Select the Buddy or Group name. If you are removing a group, it will remove all screen names that are associated with that group.
3. Click the Remove Buddy button.
4. Click Yes to confirm.

Viruses in AIM

If this doesn’t work, then you probably have a virus or Trojan on your machine. Is “Underground” a group you added, or did it just appear? If it just appeared and you can’t delete it, that is the sign of a virus problem. Although I didn’t find any instances of this particular problem in the AOL forums, there have been widespread AOL viruses that add messages to your mailbox or send emails with links included. They also set up things in AIM that you can’t remove. You may be getting an error message that reads something like: SSIE Exception - Error removing group from list.

Fixing the Virus or Trojan

The first thing you should do is to make sure you’ve downloaded the latest Microsoft updates. You can do that here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/Search.aspx?displaylang=en .

Once you have done that, AOL has a security article that can give you step by step directions for removing a Trojan or virus from the system. This article includes very specific steps for fixing your system, so I’m linking to it here rather than transcribing the steps: http://www.aim.com/help_faq/security/trojan.adp

Downloadable Fixes

Several programmers have come up with downloads that should identify and clean viruses from your system. They will delete problem files and remove registry keys. One to try is AIM Fix: http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2007/03/02/fix-aol-instant-messenger-related-viruses-with-aimfix/

You can also try standard downloads that identify and remove viruses from your system. Try Trend Micro Housecall: http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ , and Paretologic Antivirus: http://filetonic.com/tools/company/paretologic-products/antivirus-plus/ .

Hopefully, finding and clearing out any viruses will let you delete this group permanently. In the future, to avoid viruses, make sure that you:

1. Run good virus software often.
2. Install any Windows updates as they come out.
3. Use a good firewall.
4. Run an adware and spyware program for protection.
5. Be careful clicking on links that you aren’t sure are safe. Many viruses appear to come from people on your Buddy list. You will get an email that says “Check this out!” or something similar. By clicking on this email, you will be directed to a website that will download a Trojan or virus onto your machine. From there, it can easily infect everyone on your Buddy list.

Google Chrome is a brand new web browser recently released in “Beta” mode. This means that Chrome has been tested in controlled environments and is “almost” ready. Unfortunately, it also means that Chrome Beta users can expect their fair share of errors and bugs. It’s impossible for software developers to dream up every possible scenario that their product will encounter including conflicts with operating systems, hardware, installed applications, and the countless configurations of computer systems. Currently, Chrome works with Windows XP SP 2 (or above) and Windows Vista.

Current Known Issues

As of this writing, over 30 known issues with Chrome are posted on the Google Chrome Help pages. None of the known issues describe your error downloading/rndll error though.

Uninstall and Reinstall

The first thing you can try is to uninstall Google Chrome and then reinstall the latest version. It’s possible that a glitch occurred during the first installation attempt. Of course, if Chrome never installed correctly in the first place, this may or may not be an option at this point.

Checking Your Installation

You can check to see if your installation has installed despite the error message by clicking Control+ALT+Delete and opening Task Manager. Click on the Processes tab and see if GoogleUpdate.exe is listed. If so, then the installer is on your computer and you can then manually complete the installation.

Now, go to the Start button, click on Run, and type in:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Update\Download

Is there a file called “chrome_installer.exe” and a second file that begins with the word “gears” and a file extension of “MSI”? If so, their file sizes should be 7.34 MB and 993 KB respectively. If so, they were successfully downloaded.

Now what?

Google’s installation troubleshooter at this point tells you to try the download again while watching the Processes tab in Task Manager. If Chrome_Installer.exe appears in the processes list, then it is being run successfully - but something is interfering. Google wants users to then create a log file so that they can investigate further. This is a complex process. If you’d like to try the Installation Troubleshooter yourself, go to Google Chrome Issues: Troubleshooting. Another good resource is the Google Chrome Help Discussion Group.

Reporting Errors

While you may have to live with your Google Chrome issue for the time being, you should report the error to Google so that they can fix it. Known issues don’t become known issues until users report them. You can report your error at the Google Chrome Help Web site’s Support Options page.

Creating a Web Site Catalog

You have two basic options when it comes to designing your web site: simple and basic or intricate and complicated. If you are a novice at web site design, you might want to consider using a hosting service that will help you to set up your site with little technical input from you.

If you want to save money, you can use a website builder that allows you to create everything on your own. Website builders work simply with text and image input. This is the best option for a novice web site designer. For those who are either more ambitious or skilled with some web site design background, website design software will allow for the creation of more sophisticated web sites. Adobe Dreamweaver or ColdFusion are two of these more sophisticated programs that can be used to design a web site.

In particular, web site design software for eCommerce sites will be your best bet to assist you with creating the catalog. Before you purchase any software, make a list of all of the features that you want for your web site and look for software that offers all of this.

Creating a Shopping Cart

Designing a shopping cart for a web site is necessary when you aren’t using a hosting plan that features shopping cart program. Several software packages are available for purchase to help you with this task. Additionally, several tutorials are available at the following link that will show you how to build your cart: Shopping Cart Tutorials.

Creating a Shopping Cart with PayPal

If you do not want to go about setting up a merchant account, you can use PayPal’s shopping cart software. With a merchant account, you need to set up a business license so that you can accept credit cards. PayPal’s service processes the customer’s credit card for billing and deposits the money into your PayPal account. A small percentage of each order is charged by PayPal. The checkout for your web site will be set up on PayPal’s servers and you won’t need to install any software. Set up is minimal and involves a small amount of HTML.

Drawing Traffic to a Web Site through the Web Site

Increasing traffic to your web site can be accomplished in several ways. Incorporate strong Meta Tags for your website using keywords that have relevance to your web site. Meta Tags are used by search engines as well as people who are browsing the Internet.

Use SEO practices specific to the content of your web site. Important keywords can be used in your labels and descriptions of your products. Use a descriptive Title. Avoid overuse of keywords since this will go against you.

Register your web site with the major search engines: Google, AltaVista, Lycos, and Yahoo. The instructions to do so can be found on each search engine’s website.

Create links with other websites. This can be accomplished by trading ads, banners, and more.

Drawing Traffic to a Web Site outside the Web Site

Compose a newsletter to send to customers who sign up so that you can develop an ongoing interest in your products.

Advertise your website wherever you can, but in a legitimate way. Visit forums to see if anyone is looking to purchase any of the products that you sell. If they are, then you can point them in the direction of your web site.

Create a customized signature for your email and include the name and web address of your web site. Post business cards on public bulletin boards.

1. Switch computers or change your web browser. If you can access MySpace and Facebook from another system, it will confirm that the problem is with something you are running. Several users have reported an error called Transport Error #400 when using Firefox that disappears when they switch to Internet Explorer.
2. Delete your history and your cookies for both websites. To clear your history, log onto the Internet. From the toolbar, select Tools, then Clear Private Data. Make sure Cache is the only thing that is checked and then click on the Clear Private Data button. To clear your cookies for both MySpace and Facebook, log onto the Internet and click on Tools. Click on Options, then Privacy and then Show Cookies. Remove the cookies for Facebook and MySpace - don’t click on Remove All Cookies, because there is no way to undo it once they are removed.
3. Check your security software. This could be the result of java script being blocked by your security software, particularly Norton Internet Security. You can test for this by temporarily disabling your security software and see if you can access the websites without problems. Make sure that you only disable this temporarily because if you leave it off, you are vulnerable to many problems that will make your situation worse. You can set most systems to drop for a limited amount of time - an hour is probably the longest you want to go without protection. If this works, we can research ways to work around NIS permanently so that you don’t leave yourself vulnerable.
4. Check Parental Controls. You parental controls may have been set to block aspects of Facebook and MySpace - either on accident or on purpose by someone who is parental. IF you have access and can change the parental controls settings (such as if you are the parent), here is how to do it on Windows Vista. If you can’t change your parental controls, it’s time to go and talk to your parents about responsibility. Go to the Start button on your computer. Click on Control Panel, then User Accounts and then Family Safety. Click on Parental Controls. In the User Account Control Window, click Continue. Click on Parental Controls. Your Current Settings and Restrictions will appear on the right side of the screen. See if any of these include MySpace or Facebook. To check Parental Controls in Windows, go to My Computer then Control Panel and then Internet Options. Click on Content. Under the Content Advisor tab, click on Enable. Here you can adjust for acceptable exposure. It will prompt you to enter a password to save the controls.

I think that one of these solutions will work for your problem. If not, feel free to come back to us with specific errors, or contact tech support at: www.filetonic.com/support .

If you need communications you deleted, try contacting Myspace’s technical support team. The message or chat log may or may not be recovered depending on if it even still exists on the server and the reasoning behind the request. For legal proceedings, you should have appropriate documentation from an authority or court. Don’t count on cooperation without a court order for civil proceedings, like a divorce, especially if a profile is private.

One way to keep a “back-up” of your chats and messages is to use a key logging type program to “record” your keystrokes and other information sent across your Internet connection. However, the value of these files is questionable. The files are great if you just need a reference, but they may or may not be admissible in any formal proceedings. Also, the storage of these files on your computer open you up to others stealing any personal information you typed.

Parents can use monitoring programs to see what children are transferring across the family’s Internet connection. For problems related to Myspace accounts of those under the age of 18, Myspace now has a special section for parents. Any parent can request a removal of their teen’s account, and work with Myspace staff to block any future attempts at registering with the site. While Myspace is able to give parents access to a teen’s account by resetting the password to one of the parent’s choosing, the site may not be able to recover any messages or chat logs the teen deleted.

Overall, unless the data or messages are yours and needed for non-legal reasons, like say an old friend gave you their new cell phone number in a chat and you didn’t get to write it down, don’t expect Myspace to cooperate. For one, it is not easy to recover anything from a server, and especially not for a site as large and global as Myspace. In fact, there is nothing in Myspace’s FAQ or Technical Help section that gives any indication data recovery is possible. So the chief reason Myspace may not recover your message or chat log is simply an inability to do so.

Assuming Myspace could recover the lost communication, even with a court subpoena, Myspace will probably try to fight the order since it jeopardizes their business. Myspace is free to users, but the site still makes a great deal of income from advertisers and endorsements. If users think their personal communications, and chat and email are generally thought of as private, are overly monitored or turned over to be used against them, they won’t participate. Without users to participate, Myspace loses advertising revenue. This is the chief reason why social networking sites, and even search engines, have fought recent court orders with crack legal teams, not as a protection of privacy, but as a protection of profit.

Perhaps, the most well known method for increasing traffic to your website is to utilize SEO practices. SEO stands for search engine optimization. It involves the use of specific keywords that people would use to search for the content that you offer on your website. The idea is to use words that people would use while searching online for specific content. It is important not to use too many key words, which is referred to as overstuffing, as this will lower the ranking for the website.

Adding Meta Tags that incorporate your key words is another technique that can be used to drive more traffic to your website. Meta tags are not visible to the people who are browsing the Internet, but they are seen by search engines. Meta tags are actually software codes that should incorporate my key words into them.

I should also register with search engines. This can be done free of charge and usually involves providing basic information per the instructions. Quite a bit of your web traffic will result from search engine referrals, so this is extremely important.

Keep your content fresh. If I want to boost my website traffic, I need to continually post new content that is original and of high quality status.

One very important technique involves getting linked with other websites. It’s important to link to legitimate websites with content that is related to the content on my website. I need to avoid linking to low quality websites as this will bring my websites ranking down. In addition to linking with other websites, I can also trade a variety of ads including classified ads, banner ads, and more.

Perhaps one of the most useful methods to increase traffic to my website is to advertise it. This can be done in a variety of simple ways. I can submit articles from my website to websites, ezines, and writing sites that allow the practice and include my web address at the bottom of my article. I can also compose an ezine and generate each issue with reminders to visit my website.

Plus, I can also make use of small business cards that I can post on bulletin boards or exchange with other professionals.

Answering posts in public forums is another way to get my website noticed. If I do take this route, however, I need to make sure that my posts are relevant to the topic or question to which I am replying.

Including my website address with my email signature might not be the most proactive method, but it certainly cannot hurt. I can also advertise in local newspapers, brochures, and mailings for businesses to local consumers, as well as other types of publications.

In addition to text communication, Facebook offers the opportunity to share links and videos among its users. Plus, each user can upload an unlimited number of photos onto the site.

Individuals who decide to use Facebook can decide to join one or more participating network. No membership fees are charged no matter how many networks a person joins.

Facebook began in 2004 and has continued to grow in popularity, becoming the sixth most trafficked website in the United States. The only requirement to join Facebook is a valid email address. Of course, you will also need to provide your full name and birth date. When you sign up, you will be asked to create a password and you should make sure to create a strong one.

When you sign up, you will be given instructions on how to join a supported network such as the school that you attend or your place of employment. It might even be useful to use the email address affiliated with your school or workplace. For example, individuals wishing to join a school network should use their school email. If you aren’t interested in an established network for one of those, you can also sign up to become a member of a regional network.

Connecting with people in your area is simplified with an active use of the website. In fact, Facebook features a handy search tool to locate individuals that you are associated with outside of the site. You can search by college, Aim buddy list, company, and more. It’s easy and allows you to locate active members more easily.

Facebook’s platform provides a number of applications that can be used by its members to enhance their time on the website. Among these, members will find the ability to chat, poke, write on members’ walls, join groups, view videos and photos, access social ads, access new feeds, and more.

Facebook’s help center is informative and easy to read, providing members with all they need to now in order to browse and use all of the site’s features. Plus, an informative and user friendly tutorial on how to get started is supplied as well.

Privacy is one of the advantages of this particular website. Facebook has incorporated privacy settings that are accessible to any member who wishes to edit them. Members have complete control over the manner in which their information is shared. Members can decide who can access their information by confirming friends. Once confirmed, these friends can then access the member’s profile. Members within a specific network can also access the profiles of other network members.

While various laws or even an absence of laws dictate privacy policies, most contain similar information. Privacy policies generally tell you whether the Web site uses cookies or other data mining items, what personal information is collected, how they will use the information, who will receive the information, and how they will protect the information.

Most privacy policies are readily available through a link on the home page, often at the bottom of the page. For example, the Filetonic Web site provides a link to our privacy policy in the “footer” area located at the bottom of all pages. This privacy policy, like many privacy policies on the Internet, is based on US Safe Harbor principles.

US Safe Harbor for Privacy is a framework of data protection principles covering: notice, choice, onward transfer, security, data integrity, access, and enforcement. The safe harbor addresses the stricter privacy requirements of the EU and provides a means of providing privacy protection that meets these requirements. You can read more about Safe Harbor here.

It’s important to ready privacy policies so that you completely understand how your personal information is being used and protected. For example, if you purchase a product, you must reveal your credit card number as well as other personal information. Does the Web site have security measures in place to prevent someone accessing their servers and stealing their data?

Even if you aren’t going to purchase products from the Web site, you may be giving up personal information simply by landing on their home page. It’s not uncommon for IP addresses to be collected and recorded. While not necessarily personally identifiable, some users object to this.

If you can’t find a privacy policy posted on a web site, try Googling the Web site’s name followed by “privacy policy.” For example, typing in “Amazon privacy policy” immediately displays a link to Amazon’s privacy notice. Of course, had you scrolled to the bottom of the Amazon home page, you would have found a privacy notice link right next to the copyright notice.

Your assignment as you browse the Internet over the next few days is to start reading privacy policies. These are good measures of a Web site’s credibility. As you learn more about privacy issues, come back to Filetonic.com for advice covering protecting your privacy.