Dialup Customers

There should be few folks left who are still using manually specified DNS settings in their dialup configuration, and even fewer who are still using the old DNS settings from years ago.

The DNS servers to use for dialup connections are 199.175.106.252 and 199.175.106.221

If you are still using 199.175.106.253 and/or 199.175.107.253 (the difference is the 106 vs 107) then you may find that you can no longer resolve host names. In this case, please change your dialup settings to either use PPP properly (where it will learn the right DNS servers to use automatically), or enter the proper DNS values directly.

High Speed Customers

Before reading anything further, as long as your Internet connection is working, you do not need to change your connection settings. So, the following information is provided in case you have problems in the future or are currently having problems (not likely if you're reading this now).

If you are a high speed customer, there is no need for you to use Islandnet.com DNS servers. In fact, if you have your Internet connection set to use the Islandnet DNS servers, chances are your connection won't work as expected. You may be able to access the Islandnet.com website but nothing else.

Customers without a Hardware Firewall

High Speed Customers will need to set their Internet connections to "Obtain an IP address automatically" and "Obtain DNS server address automatically."

Customers with a Hardware Firewall

With the default settings for most hardware firewalls, setting your Internet connections to "Obtain an IP address automatically" and "Obtain DNS server address automatically" should work fine. However, there may be some instances where you will need to specify an IP address for your computer and set your computer to obtain DNS server information from the firewall itself. In turn, the hardware firewall will need to be set to obtain DNS server information automatically.

Since there are many hardware firewalls available, specific settings and troubleshooting should be done through any help mechanisms your firewall manufacturer has in place.

Shaw Customers (with an Islandnet account)

The same advice that applies to Islandnet.com high speed customers also applies to Shaw customers who also have an Islandnet.com account. You do not need to reference our DNS settings.

DNS Related to Websites

DNS related to websites is different from DNS related to your Internet connections. DNS settings related to your website are controlled through your domain registrar. If you are thinking of getting a domain name, you will need to "point" your domain name at our servers. If you register your domain name with us, this happens automatically. If you register with someone else, here is the information you will need:

Nameserver One:

ns1.islandnet.com

Namserver One IP Address:

199.175.106.253

Nameserver Two:

ns2.islandnet.com

Namserver Two IP Address:

199.175.107.253

As always, if you need assistance with DNS settings you can call or e-mail our tech support people.

Javascript

Javascript has been around for a very long time (in terms of the Internet). Javascript is a programming language web developers and programmers can use to enhance the things that can be done with a web page. The key difference between javascript and other Internet programming languages is that javascript is embedded in HTML documents and is interpreted by browsers "natively." In other words, browsers know how to talk javascript without any kind of add-on, plug-in, do-dad, or thing-a-ma-jig to help out. There is nothing extra to download, except the web page (containing the javascript).

The icing on the cake is the fact that javascript is a pretty sophisticated language and it can accomplish quite a lot. In fact, javascript is experiencing a kind of resurgence with the emergence of something called AJAX.

Another characteristic of javascript is that it is a text-based language. You can write a javascript program for a web page in much the same way you can write a web page containing a javascript. In fact, a javascript program cannot run without a web page and a browser.

A "gotcha" of using javascript in pages is the fact that some users have javascript disabled. As a result, they cannot take advantage of any javascript functionality unless they re-enable javascript support in their browser. Why would someone disable javascript?

Like everything on the Internet, there are nefarious people out there looking for ways of turning something useful into something malicious. Javascript is no different. Consequently, there are javascript "exploits" that can cause security problems for browsers, though Internet Explorer, alone, is by far the most popular target.

JAVA

Java is also a programming language but it is not embedded into web pages the way javascript is. On the contrary, a java "applet" (as java programs are usually called), is downloaded separately from web pages, although the web page may appear to have the applet embedded in it. In fact, a java applet can run without a web page or a browser.

Another characteristic of java is that it is a "compiled" language. In order to create a java program, the programmer writes the program in much the same way someone might write a javascript program. However, before the java program is put on a web server, it is compiled into a "machine" format that is smaller and can be understood by a browser's java interpreter.

Java is also a more sophisticated language than javascript. As sophisticated as javascript may be, programmers can do far more with java. In fact, at one point there was an effort to create an operating system using java. Although the java operating system effort didn't produce a commercially viable product, it does point to the sophistication of java.

So why is an "available" domain not "available"-available?

Well, if you search for a ".ca" domain and find it's available, what you may not know is that someone has already registered a provincial subdomain such as ".bc.ca", ".ab.ca", ".sk.ca", or ".on.ca". People who have registered such provincial subdomains have "dibs" on the ".ca" domain.

So technically, at least, the domain is available because the person with the provincial subdomain has not decided to use it. However, no one else is free to use the ".ca" only domain name because the top level domain (i.e. the ".ca" at the end) is implicit in in the provincial subdomain version.

Can you get such domains? Only if you ask the subdomain owner and they consent.

Islandnet Picks

F-Secure Internet Security	Grisoft - Publisher of AVG Anti-virus	Science Blog	Corel
Want your computer to be secure? Of course you do! When you think of securing your computer, you usually think of Symantec. They're the 900 pound gorilla of internet security. At least that's how it appears when you look at computer store shelves or read computer reviews. F-Secure is another company that offers a product to keep your computer safe from "viruses, worms, and rootkits. Check out their site if you want to investigate another Internet security option.	While we're on the topic of Internet security, we should bring up this site, grisoft.com. They publish an anti-virus program that is as effective as any on the market right now. If that weren't reason enough to visit their site, they offer a version for home users that's--get ready for our favourite word--FREE! The FREE version can be kinda hard to find. So, click here to go directly to the FREE version.	The geek within got the better of us again. We're featuring Science Blog. Here's a blog that features articles and links to all the latest scientific news--from super nova anomalies to re-growing neurons and nerve tissue for spinal and brain injury patients. There's lots of cool stuff here but don't take our word for it--have a peek.	Corel has been around for ages and, despite its longevity, many people don't realize what a powerhouse graphics program Corel's flagship product, Corel DRAW, is. Aside from the fact it comes with 10,000 clipart images, hundreds of stock photo images, an extremely capable photo editing program, and well over 1,000 fonts, it's hands-down the best vector-based graphics program on the planet. In fact, we'd say when compared to Corel DRAW, Adobe Illustrator is akin to an etch-a-sketch--with one knob broken off. Of course, we're using hyperbole here to make a point but the point reflects--in our opinion--the fact Corel DRAW is superior to everything else out there.

Islandnet.com Hosted Sites

Bedford Brewing	Lombard Farm Miniature Horses	Kid Power Vancouver	The University of British Columbia Sustainability Office
Many wonderful words & phrases begin with the letter "b"--breakfast, butterscotch, banana cream pie, beach, and many others. One word is likely to get many "mmmmm-ing" like Homer Simpson--BEER. Is it a co-incidence the word beer shares three of its four letters in another of our favourite words--FREE? We don't think so. Well, while you won't get any FREE BEER from this Islandnet customer, you will get GOOD BEER, which you can brew yourself. They use all the freshest and highest quality ingredients, which you get to transform into your own GOOD BEER.	You'll find this site really aw-w-w-w-inspiring, as in "aw-w-w-w isn't that cute. It's cute enough to see foals gamboling 'round a field, kicking up it's hoofs in high-spirited fun. Wait till you see the miniature foals they have on Lombard Farm! These horsies are so darn cute we're happy to say they're stabled (virtually of course) at Islandnet.com.	Here's an excerpt from the Kid Power website mission statement: To develop and offer locally a wide range of upbeat effective community violence prevention and self esteem building services. To create an international community of leaders who are dedicated to making high quality self-protection and confidence building programs widely accessible. To establish a long-lasting organization to continue this work. What better way to build our world than to start with our children. Islandnet.com is proud to host this website.	Wow, The University of British Columbia has an entire office dedicated to sustainability. You may ask, "just what does sustainability mean? " Go to the UBC Sustainability Office website and you'll see right off the bat. The homepage features a "realtime" tally of how much water and energy and how many sheets of paper are used by the UBC campus. On the flip side, they also tally (in "realtime") how much water and energy and how many sheets of paper they save by putting sustainable measures into place. Cool! We're happy to say the UBC Sustainability Office website is hosted with Islandnet.com.

We Love Websites!

Websites are our business--hosting them and building them. If you need a website--blog, retail, business-to-business, personal, database-driven, or something else--Islandnet has plenty of website development and programming experience. Call or e-mail us if you'd like anything from graphics to nit-picky programming.

The form processor is dead! Long live the form processor!

Maybe you use our "MailIt" gadget. It's been a solid standby for years. Say "hello" to InMail our new form processor gadget.

Here's a list of some of InMail's features:

• PHP-based, meaning you can customize results based on input
• support for mandatory fields
• field format checking
• MySQL injection
• captcha codes
• support for filtering (i.e. you can "ban" offensive language)
• support for limiting who can and can't post to the processor
• support for limiting the number of times any one person may submit to the processor in a given period
• support for saving responses to a file
• psoriasis ray aimed at anyone trying to use the form for junk e-mails

Of course, we're kidding about that last feature. It's fun to dream though, isn't it?

On the other hand you may trust sites like Google, eBay, and Yahoo. They have reputations to protect. Right?

Well, that's right. However, you may want to avoid the Yahoo toolbar for the next while if you're using Internet Explorer. A bug in the current Yahoo toolbar causes Internet Explorer to crash.

Customers have been reporting in the last few days issues where they cannot open any websites without Internet explorer shutting down.

The cause is "Yahoo Toolbar", you may not even see the toolbar as its possible to hide the toolbar in IE.

To resolve the issue un-install Yahoo toolbar by the following steps:

1. Click the Start button
2. Click on Control Panel option (May be under settings and then control panel)
3. Click the add/remove programs option
4. In the list of software that appears find Yahoo Toolbar and click it.
5. Click on Remove and follow the un-installation prompts.

If you un-install Yahoo you should be able to reinstall after they have resolved the problem in the next release. See the Forums and feedback at http://toolbar.yahoo.com/

General Comments

The list of browsers covered in this article is by no means exhaustive. There are many web browsers, some specialized for specific tasks, others published by a person or organization for specific personal or organizational reasons.

If you're interested in all kinds of browsers, visit the browser archive at the following URL:

http://browsers.evolt.org/

Or, visit the following browser emulation site (featured in an earlier newsletter in our "Websites - Useful & Interesting" section) to see what it is like or was like to browse the Internet with a particular browser:

http://www.dejavu.org/emulator.htm

Click here for a fairly extensive list of current web browsers.

For the PC

Firefox

Published by the Mozilla Foundation, Firefox is the "hot" browser currently. Firefox has captured a significant portion of the web browser market because it is a more secure option to Internet Explorer and has many features missing from Microsoft's offering. Firefox is also recieving much attention from developers and, as a result, the browser is arguably the most innovative on the Internet.

One of the nice features of Firefox is extensions. Extensions are third-party add-ons that can enhance the browser's capabilities. For example, if you are a web developer, you can install an excellent (and free) extension that allows you to manipulate online content in Firefox.

Firefox installs as a standalone program but an e-mail program is available separately from the Mozilla website.

Firefox is free.

Opera

Opera has been around for a very long time (in terms of the Internet) and it offers some unique features. It is also a stable and easy-to-use program.

Previously the company offered their free version with advertisements. Their policy has changed and the free version no longer displays advertisements.

Maxthon

We featured this browser in our "Websites - Useful & Interesting" section of an earlier newsletter. Although you don't hear much about this Internet Explorer-based browser, it enjoys a large following. It is published by one person, who is responsible for most of it's features, such as tabbed browsing.

Maxthon is free but you are encouraged to make a donation to assist with the continued development of this browser.

Netscape

Originally based on "Mosaic," this web browser began life as the first "popular" Internet browser. This browser is now in it's "8^th" version (currently 8.1). Although it was the dominant browser for the first few years after it's introduction, Microsoft pushed past Netscape by leveraging Microsoft's Windows virtual operating system monopoly.

Netscape is now owned by AOL but is not a mainstream Comericial product. AOL uses the program as the base for it's branded web browser.

Netscape installs as a browser but also installs companion software, such as an e-mail program and an instant messaging program.

The Netscape browser is free.

For the Mac

Internet Explorer has never been much of a force on Macs. It stands to reason since Microsoft has no direct control over the Mac platform. With that said, here is a brief list of browsers. Again, this list is not exhaustive but it covers the most popular ones. If you'd like a more exhaustive list, click here.

Camino

Camino is a version of the Mozilla or Netscape browser for the Mac. Currently, this is one of the "hottest" browsers for the Mac and there is significant development behind it.

Camino is free.

Safari

Safari is Apple's browser which comes with it's operating system.

Safari is free, in that it is included with the Mac operating system.

Firefox

Firefox is published for the Mac, as well as the PC. When viewing the download section of the site, look for the Mac version.

Note that there are G4 and G5 optimized versions available.

Firefox is free.

Netscape

The venerable browser is available for the Mac.

Downloads are free.

Opera

As with the PC platform, a free version containing advertisements is available. A paid version is also available which does not contain any advertisements.

Another reason you might care is the fact it allows you to share stuff over the Internet, things like personal & corporate or organizational calendars (at least that's one use).

WebDAV stands for " Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning". It is a set of "open" extensions to the HTTP protocol which allows users to collaboratively edit and manage files on remote web servers. "Open" means WebDAV extensions are not proprietary and are open for people to use and change to suit their needs.

A popular use of the protocol is to share calendars with others over the Internet. If you create a calendar file in a WebDAV-compliant program where your personal or organizational events are marked, you can publish the file to the Internet. Anyone using the same calendar program can then access that file online. Any time you make a change to the calendar file, anyone linking to the calendar will see the updated information.

Cool!

You can even publish a calendar file that multiple people can change; however, such uses require full-blown programs to track versions and prevent the calendar from becoming out-of-synch.

Oogle my Google

It seems like Google is the latest Internet juggernaut, tossing aside competitors like matchsticks as it carves a huge wake through the tech market. If you're not already using Google's Internet muscle to do your online searches, you might want to give it a try.

If you're like most people, though, you already use Google for your searches. Are you using it to your best advantage? Here are some tips in case you're in the habit of simply typing phrases and words into Google's search field.

Google's Advanced Search

The quickest way to avail yourself of more sophisticated Google search features is to use Google's "Advanced Search." Clicking on "Advanced Search" on the Google main page will take you to another page where you have many more options for your searches.

The Advanced Search page is separated into three sections. The top section contains fields where you can specify your advanced search parameters.

The second section allows you to search for pages similar to ones you've already found.

The third section allows you to search a limited number of topics such as "Google Books," operating systems, and government organizations among others.

Pay Attention to the Search Field on the Main Search Page

We all like shortcuts. Liking shortcuts, you should pay attention to the address bar of your browser when you use Google's Advanced Search.

Once you've clicked on the "Google Search" button, you're taken to the main search page, where you'll see your results. If you look at the search field, you'll also notice the search terms have been entered into the search field following a certain syntax.

So, the next time you do a similar search, you can simply type in the search using the same syntax as when you used the Advanced Search.

Use Quotation Marks

When searching from the default search page, use quotation marks when typing in your words & phrases. By default, if you do not use quotation marks to define certain word combinations, Google will search for your terms in any order. Moreover, the words may be separated by unrelated words. For example, if you search for "snake in a can" without enclosing the terms with quotation marks, you'll get far more results but many of the results will likely not be as closely related to what you're looking for.

If you enclose "snake in a can" with quotation marks, Google will look for that exact word combination, without any results where the words are combined differently or separated by other words.

Give Your Web Pages a Title!

Have a look at the "window" that contains this page and your browser. Notice it says "August 2006 Islandnet.com Newsletter." The place where that text is displayed is called the "title bar."

Have you ever visited a website where one or more of the pages were "Untitled" or "Page 4" or something else vague or obviously wrong? Maybe you've wondered why that text appeared instead of a meaningful title.

Chances are, someone built the page in a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) program like Dreamweaver, Frontpage, or Adobe Go Live. These types of programs automatically insert a placeholder of some sort so that at least the HTML is in good form. Unfortunately, the web developer forgot to change the page title or they were unaware they could make the change. As a result, their page or pages got published with something blatantly wrong.

If you're editing a page "by hand," you can look for the following tag in the "head" section of the web page:

<html>
<head>
<title>The Title Goes Here</title>
</head>
<body>
<p>Content here</p>
</body>
</html>

So, don't forget your web page title.

Legal Stuff

The information displayed in this newsletter and any previous or subsequent newsletters is for information purposes only. Islandnet.com, AMT Solutions Group, Inc. and related companies are not responsible for any losses or damages resulting from the use of information in the newsletter. While the information contained in this newsletter is believed accurate, readers must verify information for themselves. Sites we link to do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of AMT Solutions Group, Inc.