WEB 101: Prerequisite Windows and Mac Skills

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You need to be able to start Netscape before you can use Web 101, so there are some prerequisites.

Prerequisite Mac/Windows Skills:

  1. Mousing around. Here are the standard things you should be able to do with the mouse.
    1. Point. Put the extreme point of the arrow on the icon you want to use.
    2. Click. Point to the icon and click the left mouse button (Macs only have one mouse button). Do not jerk the mouse when you click. This means relaxing a little, or maybe even relaxing a lot.. Also, rest your wrist and the edges of your thumb and pinkie on the table to help hold the mouse in place.
      1. Follow a link in your Browser by clicking on it.
        1. Links are also called "hyperlinks." By whatever name, clicking on a link will bring up a new page on your screen.
      2. Move through a document using the up/down scroll bars by
        1. Clicking on the up or down arrow along the right hand side of the screen
        2. Your view of the document moves in the direction of the arrow
    3. Double-click on an object on the screen. This means to point to the object and click the left mouse button twice, rapidly. (You double-click, for example, to start your Web Browser)

      CAUTION: if you double-click when you only need to single-click, that second click can cause mischief. If you are unsure about whether you should single-click or double-click, it is much better to single-click first, and then double-click if nothing happened.

      Clicking guidelines:
      1. Only a single click for menu choices and buttons.
      2. Only a single click for hyperlinks.
      3. Once you are in Netscape you do not have to double-click.
      4. Double-click to open a window.
      5. Double-click to launch a program linked to an icon
    4. If you are having trouble getting started in using the mouse, the guidelines below can help. Once your are off and running with the mouse, you will probably want to abandon the guidelines.

      Guidelines for novice mousers:
      1. Use a mousepad or piece of paper to give the mouse a surface with some friction. Formica or smooth plastic are particularly bad, since the ball on the bottom of the mouse does not grab well on these surfaces. The ball has to role in order for the mouse pointer to move on the screen.
      2. If the mouse moves sometimes and sticks at other times, most likely the ball on the bottom of the mouse is dirty. Clean the ball or get someone else to help you clean it. Also clean the rollers inside the cavity for the ball.
      3. It will help to align the mouse's long axis, your wrist and your forearm in the same straight line. Also align them perpendicular to the surface of your screen, but off to one side, so that your body is in front of the screen.

      4. With the mouse, your wrist, and your forearm aligned as indicated in the figure above, keep in mind that
        1. Moving the mouse towards the screen moves the cursor (mouse pointer) upwards on the screen. Moving the mouse away from the screen moves the mouse pointer downwards on the screen.
        2. Moving the mouse left or right also moves the cursor (mouse pointer) left or right on the screen.
  2. Open a Web site if you know its URL (Web address or Universal Resource Locator), {with FLS at the WSU Oakland Center as an example}:
    1. Double-click on the group icon that contains Netscape {Applications group at WSU Oakland Center}.
    2. Double-click on the Netscape icon.
    3. Click on the "Open" button inside Netscape.
    4. When the dialog box appears, click the mouse on the text line.
    5. Move the mouse cursor out of the way so that you can see what you are typing in the next step.
    6. Type the URL on the text line {http://fls.cll.wayne.edu}.
    7. Click on the "Open" button on the dialog box.

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