In every field of interest, work, and education, there are always questions to be answered. Whether it’s a common question asked over and over by someone new to the area, an opinion question that could have lots of answers, or an in-depth, technical question only a very experienced person would be able to answer, there is usually someone willing to answer it. But how do you find these people? Or where can you go to share your knowledge on a particular subject with others? A forum is a perfect place to discover these things.

There are usually two types of forums. Some forums are just one page of a game, company, organization or project’s website. This type of forum is to ask questions about the website and what the website offers or represents. The questions that are asked on this forum are often directed to owners or developers of the website and are sometimes answered by frequent users or members of the website. Someone could use this forum to ask a question about a feature on another page that they don’t understand or that isn’t working properly. The website programmers or technicians can respond or be made aware of the technical issues on the site. On the other hand, forums of this type can also be used by the site owners to make announcements or ask questions of the user base. Check out Copper.net's forum here.

The other type of forum is not supplemental to the website, but the reason for the website. Some websites are created solely (or at least largely) for the purpose of hosting several forums on a subject of interest, like baseball, or a type of marketing. On these sites, there are usually a variety of forums on subtopics, making it easier to find questions asked on a certain element of the subject of interest. This is a great place to do some research. If you are new to a subject, you are likely to find frequently asked questions from the past to which you could benefit from reading the answers. If you don’t find a question that’s already been asked, you can add a new one of your own. This type of site is also a good place to brainstorm or share ideas with others who are experienced and interested in something you are. You can spend hours asking and answering questions on forums.

Although forums vary somewhat, they all contain some similar formatting. When you first enter a forum, you will see a list of questions you can click on to read and answer. At the top of this list, you will often find the stickies. These are the questions that people tend to ask over and over. They have already been answered and resolved, but they have been “stuck” to the top of the list so everyone will see them. This is to minimize the amount of people asking the exact same question that has already been discussed and answered in the past. You should read the stickies if you are new to a forum or the subject to keep from asking something that has already been asked dozens of times before.

The rest of the questions listed are open questions, usually listed newest to oldest in the time that they were posted. When you click on an open question, you will see the original question, and (if any) the responses from others to the question. As you scroll down the replies, you will probably notice these elements:
1. Replies: There will be both replies to the original question, and replies to other replies (if someone was to disagree or wished to expand on the response).
2. Quoted text: Usually in italics, this is a way for someone to respond to or expound on something that was already said.
3. User identification: Each individual reply has a screen name, photo, signature, possibly some links to other websites. This is a way for a user to represent themselves.
4. User rating. In order to know how experienced or reputable an answer is to your question, every user has some sort of rating that shows how long this member has been asking or answering questions. You may also see a rating of the person’s reputation that others have given them because they answered the question so well.

Forums are a great place to connect with others from all over the world about a common interest to gain insight, learn about new topics and techniques, or share your knowledge with others.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net. Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

Social networking is an online network of friends, family, coworkers, and acquaintances that allows individuals to share information, different types of media, and stay connected in an informal non-intrusive way.  Here are the top most popular social networking sites, what they do, and how you can join!

1. Facebook. Not only is this the most popular social networking site, it’s also the second most popular website globally. Originally, Facebook was created for college students to network with classmates within their school. Eventually, the popularity and demand to join allow new networks in, like high schools and businesses. Today, Facebook is open to anyone who wants to join. Much like other social networking sites, Facebook allows you to post blog-like entries, write messages on other people’s profile pages, play games chat with others who are online, etc.

Facebook is a great outlet for the sharing of information.  Whether it’s a note, photo album, a group or page you become a part of, you can let people know what’s going on in your life, share memorable moments, or spread awareness of a cause or idea.

Facebook has become extremely popular just in the last few years. There are currently 350 million active users on Facebook, according to statistics reported by the site. All you need to do to join Facebook is set up a free account using your email address. You can also use your email address to find friends who have a Facebook account already, and invite people who haven’t yet joined. Find out more at www.facebook.com.

2. MySpace. Although MySpace has been around the longest of the three sites listed here, it is currently the second most popular social networking site, and is losing momentum. MySpace is much more popular in the US than it is globally, ranking number 6 most popular in the US, and 14 globally, according to Alexa.com.

Since its launch in 2002, MySpace was the introduction to social networking for many of its members and is most likely responsible the momentum for the popularity of social networking for many Internet surfers, especially in the US.

The site is much like Facebook as far as the ability to network with friends, share photos, and communicate in different ways. The most obvious difference between the two is the visual/audio playground MySpace users enjoy. Each profile page can be designed and formatted to the colors, backgrounds, fonts, and layout of the user’s choice. A music playlist of favorites can also be added to play when a person visits the user’s profile page. To create your own MySpace account, check out www.myspace.com.

3. Twitter. This site puts a whole new spin to social networking. Although some of the typical activities can be shared on Twitter, the focus is keep the communication short and simple. Basically, a twitter account consists of a series of entries that are no more than 140 characters long. It just a thought, a note, a link, a sentence—to let people know what you are up to. Also, instead of requesting someone to add you as friend to connect, you simply “follow” whomever you wish—and anyone can follow you.

This is becoming very popular for people who like to keep in touch on the go. Even celebrities have time to keep up with a Twitter account—which is what helped make Twitter so popular. Another perk of the simple layout is that it’s easy to “tweet” from your mobile phone. To set up your own Twitter account, g to www.twitter.com.

Whether you like to share your stuff, be creative, or keep it simple, social networking has a niche for you!

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net. Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

Social networking is currently one of the most popular Internet activities—and quickly it’s gaining popularity. It often combines many of the activities that people already use the Internet for: blogging, chatting, instant messaging, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, joining groups or clubs, advertising and marketing, learning about local events, and organizing events with clubs and groups of people. As you can see, not being a popular of the ever-popular social networking could definitely keep you out of the loop.

You may actually have engaged in or read about some form of social networking without even realizing it. If you don’t know the first thing about social networking, here’s a place to start.

Social networking is basically a website where people (and sometimes groups, businesses, and organizations) build and update a profile page with their photo and information (could be personal or professional). Depending on which social networking site you are a member of, the range and organization of the information is different. Profiles can constantly be changed, updated, and designed to the person’s current taste, mood, holiday, etc. Here are a few things you’ll usually find on a social networking profile page.

*Contact information: Addresses, phone numbers, location, work or home info
*Personal data: Interests, hobbies, relationship status, occupation, etc.
*Status: Could be anything from a quote or link to a simple statement like “going shopping today!” or “I wonder…”
*Uploads to share: Music, photos, documents, etc.

Some sites will let you post other little extras, like web applications on your profile page. Others allow you to change the background colors, layout, and music on your page. Many people change their profile pages in some way several times a week or day.

Once each member creates a profile, they can link to the profile pages of others. This is the main purpose of social networking, and the reason for the name. Each linking to other profiles is called “adding friends,” which allows you to have full view and access to their profile and vice versa. You can be friends with anyone as long as they agree to accept your request to add them. You can accept or deny any requests by other members to add you as a friend. Usually your friends consist of family, friends, coworkers, classmates, and acquaintances—pretty much anyone you know can be your friend when it comes to social networking. You can even find profiles of people you don’t know and request to add them as a friend. Here are some of the things you can do once you add friends to your network.

* You can easily communicate with your friends in a variety of ways: write a post (both long, blog-like entries, or simple short status updates) for anyone to read, chat with anyone who’s online, send a friend a public note that others can see, or a private message to one or a group of friends (just like emails).
* You can stay up to date on what’s going on in your friends lives, look at photos or videos they’ve posted, read what they’re up to or how they’re feeling, and read public messages that their friends have posted on your friends’ profiles.
* You can play or share games, photos, videos, and other web interactive applications the site features.
* You can quickly and easily spread awareness about a cause, event, or news story, etc.

Many people, and recently more and more businesses have seen the value of social networking, both as an entertainment and communication tool. As you become more involved with social networking, you better understand how it works and learn what ways it best benefits you.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net. Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

Have you debated whether or not you want to buy used or new products? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Here is a brief summary of the pros and cons of purchasing used or new products online.

*Buying New-Pros*
If you look for a satisfaction guarantee, return policy, and/or warranty when you buy products, you are much more likely to find them when you buy new. You are more likely to be buying from the original company, so if something goes wrong, you can often go to the source—and get a fast resolution.

Of course, buying new also means you’re going to get a good quality! It’s going to be the latest and greatest. It will also last longer. In a world technology and fashion is always improving and changing, you won’t be left  behind when the next upgrade comes along. New products, especially when it comes to technology, are much more likely to be compatible with new enhancements and features. For example, newer computers have more space and built in gadgets like a 3G connection—something that would have been unheard of a few years ago. If you want quality guaranteed, buy new!

*Buying New-Cons*
Just like buying something in a physical store, you can guarantee the newest stuff online is also the most expensive. The minute someone buys something, it’s no longer new, it’s used—like new, but still used. The monetary value diminishes significantly, yet the actual quality and usability of the product has barely changed. Therefore, sometimes buying new, as opposed to buying lightly used is almost foolish considering the difference in price.

Another problem with getting new things is that you’ll hardly ever find something unique! New items only come in the style and format that is most popular and fashionable at the time. If you tend to be a tad eccentric, or just want your life to have a unique flair, you’ll have trouble finding it new—unless you want to spend a fortune!

*Buy Used-Pros*
Some things can last a very long time in a used condition. Say someone recommends a book to you and you decide to get it, just for yourself. Since you’re getting it as a gift, it doesn’t need to be new! You can often find hundreds of used items for sale for a few dollars, even if the original price is more than 20 dollars! If you just want to read the book, why not spend a fraction of the original cost, and deal with the slightly bent cover or the few highlighter markings?

Many people have very valuable, usable items that just happen to not be brand new. Not only are you helping out a fellow individual make a few bucks on something valuable they no longer need, you are in a sense recycling items and save a lot of money!

*Buying Used-Cons*
When you buy used items, you always run the chance of being tricked into buying a piece of junk. Some sellers are unaware their product doesn’t work, but regardless, the hassle of getting a refund is almost not worth the effort. Since buying used usually means you’re not buying from the original company, the chances of getting them to replace your item is slim, and the seller may require you to pay to ship the item back before refunding you, which means you end up spending more for nothing. Although many websites like EBay and Amazon provide assistance if you are scammed by a seller, there are unfortunately some cases where the issue cannot be mended in the way you find satisfactory.

This situation is not common, but it’s a risk you might be willing to take to save money and help out another individual. If you learn what signs to look for and only buy from sellers with good ratings, you shouldn’t have too much trouble.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net. Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

Software usually comes in three forms: 1, pre-installed on your computer, 2, on a CD—either a performance program (like Microsoft Word) or the driver software that came with new hardware (like a modem), or 3, as a download from the Internet. Let's explore these individually:

Preinstalled Software

When you buy a computer, there is an operating system (usually Microsoft Windows) and several programs already installed. Typically, these would include a word processor and other tools and applications, like Word pad, Solitaire, etc., and an Internet browser like Internet Explorer. All the software that makes you're computer function and runs hardware is system software. All the programs on the All Programs list is application software.

Some programs come preinstalled, usually as a marketing tactic, and use system resources by starting up every time you turn on your computer, like Windows Messenger and sometimes a free trial of Norton Antivirus, or some other security software. Of course, just because these programs are installed doesn't mean you have to use them. You should probably uninstall anything you won't use to avoid using your system resources.

CD Software

Since software is basically just a complicated string of digital codes, the only way to physically buy it in a store is to buy a CD with the code stored on it. You then put the CD in your computer and install the program to use it. The majority of software programs (including the ones in the other categories) can be bought on a CD. Office tools, games, music players, security packages, and photo-editing programs are all typical software applications that are often purchased in stores. This is probably the most expensive route, but if it didn’t come preinstalled on your computer, it is usually worth it.

The best reason to buy software on a CD is because you can always reinstall it from the CD. Software can become corrupted, lost, or damaged after it was installed. Or worse, your computer could crash and you would have to reinstall everything back onto it. Having the CD means you can always reinstall the programs, or install it on a different computer in a matter of a few minutes.

Drivers are another type of CD software. All hardware is useless until it has the correct software that will make it be recognized by your computer's system software. When you buy a new printer, modem, or other attachable hardware, you are always prompted to install something from a CD. This is the driver. Most manufacturers will also list free links to download drivers in case you lose the CD, or the CD becomes damaged or outdated.

Downloadable Software

The Internet is one of the best and easiest ways to obtain software. You can download almost anything from the Internet, and much of it is free. There are antivirus and other anti-malware programs, browsers, games, photo/video editors, word processors and other office tools, etc. Download.com is one of the best places to find free downloads. Most people download programs because it is easier and cheaper than finding and buying it from a store. Sometimes tools and programs can be downloaded to troubleshoot hardware issues (like a corrupted driver), find and remove malicious software, and perform maintenance tasks, like scanning your computer or cleaning up unnecessary files.

You must be careful with Internet downloads, as some of them are disguised malicious software. Research a program before you download it if you're not sure that it's legitimate. You should be able to find reviews of the download fairly easily by doing a Google search for that program name.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net. Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

Window’s got its name from the then-new layout of operating systems, where a mouse was used to open a separate frame, or window, for each process or application. The changes from one version to the next were everything from suttle, but faster or smoother, or dramatically different and new. Here is a brief history of the development of the Windows operating system:

*Windows 1.0-The first Windows OS, released in 1985, to implement “windows” instead of the linear DOS format. At this point, multitasking was basically nonexistent and graphics were quite primitive.

*Windows 2.0-Released in 1987. At this time in computer development, the processing speed and storage capacity was incredibly slow compared to today’s computers. As technology improved, new operating systems like this one were made to take advantage of gradual improvements.

*Windows 3.0-Released in 1990, this is the OS that began to be more widely used in everyday businesses. Computers were being used by businesses more widely by now. This was before Internet service was invented.

*Windows NT’s (1993 to 1996)—NT stood for new technology. This was a significant step in computer programming where the whole concept of operating systems was built from scratch. The result was designed somewhat like they look today—desktops had icons, and windows could be opened and layered. There were four similar versions of Windows, serving various purposes or implementing new technology, like networking for businesses: Windows NT 3.1, Windows for Workgroups 3.11, Windows NT Workstation 3.5 and 4.0. At this time computers were basically only used in businesses and still quite primitive in comparison to today’s computers.

*Windows 95-Released in, you guessed it, 1995. This is probably the oldest OS still in operation today, even though it is no longer supported by Microsoft. This was the first computer to include TCP/IP, the protocol that enabled dial-up Internet. Internet access was first introduced to the public at this time, which highly increased the adoption and usage of computers by businesses outside of the technological world.

*Windows 98-Released in 1998, this was the first OS to be created for consumers, and the popularity of a “personal computer” gained momentum. As the Internet and using computers by laypeople, the need for creating computers that anyone could use grew significantly. From this point, significant changes in layout and features took place to improve usability by consumers. This is reflected in the Windows 98 Second Edition that was released the following year.
*Windows Millennium Edition-Released in 2000, again improved the usability of previous versions. At this point, there were basically two versions of OS’s: the NT Workstation 4.0 for businesses, and the 98 for consumers. This was the last of the 98 consumer models.

*Windows 2000 Professional-Also released in 2000, was an upgrade to the NT Workstation 4.0 “business” OS.

*Window XP-Released in 2001, this version marked a significant change—and success—for Microsoft. This version was a sort of clean slate for Windows OS. XP (stands for “experience”) was a new approach that replaced the all the previous versions of Windows and eliminated the business/consumer distinction. XP transformed usability and functionality of Microsoft OS’s, and still holds over half of the current market share of all operating systems (from any company) combined—nearly 10 years later! It was also the primary OS of Microsoft until 2007, which makes it the longest lasting OS since the company began.

Since then, two new versions of OS’s have been released and brought significant changes that would be unfathomable to the first computer programmers and technicians. To learn more about Microsoft Windows’ history and features of new OS’s, check out www.microsoft.com.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!