Visual Basic 6 and a Gammy Left Hand
I program in Visual Basic 6 and despite the language being probably ten years old now, it still does what it says on the tin with all versions of Windows and Internet Explorer up to 7 and 8 respectively.
But also because it is such a well defined language and so easy to use, I can effectively run it one-handed, with just a little bit of help from my gammy left hand for Shift and Tab. I do all the other typing with my right. But then the sort of things you need to do with the keyboard in most programs, you can do with the mouse.
Despite my two strokes, I can still do everything I need to do! I’ve even remembered most of the code I’ve written over the years, so at least that part of the brain works, even if the hand doesn’t!
The first new program will be a 2011 version of my Daisy Presentation Browser. This program does three main things :-
- Allows you to set the size of the browser to improve your presentations based on web sites.
- Print clean copies of web pages to a pre-defined size or the maximum available on your printer.
- Copy the web page in the browser to the clipboard for pasting into another program.
My heart goes out to the genius who designed Visual Basic 6 in the first place, without whom I would be seriously suicidal!
I’m Programming Again!
I may still have pain in my face, a left hand that doesn’t know its Alt from its Control or Caps Lock, but I have to do something so I’m starting to program again. Or should I say reprogramming again as I’m only updating each of my Daisy Web Tools for 2011!
The first one that I will reprogram is the Presentation Browser. I wrote this a few years ago, to solve the problem of being able to print or capture a clean image of a web page, without the toolbar and all the other things that insist on being printed, when you do this from within Internet Explorer or another browser.
I shall announce the program here when it is ready. All of the Daisy Web Tools, will be available separately and free.
Producing PDF Files
PDF files have lots of uses.
- They are smaller than Word documents and are easier to transfer between computers or to the web because of this.
- Nearly everybody has an Adobe Acrobat Reader to display them and it’s free software available to all types of PC’s.
But what if you want to create PDF files from your Word Documents say? Adobe does have professional software, but it tends to be comprehensive and for that reason it’s not that affordable.
There are cheaper alternatives. I for instance use PDF Complete, but even that costs $49.95, but in my case it may have been bundled with this HP computer.
There are also a host of products found, if you type “creating PDF documents” into Google. Some are even free. One that looks like giving a trial to is CutePDF. But I haven’t tried it, so use it at your own peril, after first seeing if there is a review of the software somewhere. If anybody has used it perhaps they would post their opinion here!
This overview on Gizmo’s web site is worth reading, as it lists and reviews free PDF file creation programs. It’s probably worth searching Gizmo’s site for other free software you need.
Bloody McAffe
I have been trying to get this machine to work properly for months. For instance, I was trying to get Google as the default search engine and no matter what I tried, it never got installed. Eventually I gave up and someone came and diagnosed the problem as a broken McAfee virus protection. I’d thought this might be the problem, but although I tried many times to remove McAfee from my computer, I’d never succeeded. With great difficulty the engineer eventually removed it and now I’ve got a working machine again.
So now I’m going to install ClamWin, which works so well on my laptop.
A New Twist on an Old Con Trick
Be warned about this new scam, that appears on a first read about how a resoureful US doctor got her money back from the Nigerian scammers.
Good day,
I am Dr. Sarah Lindsey, I am a US citizen, 48 years Old. I am one of those that took part in the Compensation in Nigeria many years ago and they refused to pay me, I had paid over $20,000 while in the US, trying to get my payment all to no avail. So I decided to travel over to Nigeria with all my compensation documents, and I was directed to meet Mr. Michael Craig, who is a member of COMPENSATION AWARD COMMITTEE, and I contacted him and he explained everything to me. He said whoever is contacting us through emails are fake. He took me to the paying bank for the claim of my Compensation payment.
Right now I have received my compensation funds of $1,500,000.00 Moreover, Mr. Michael Craig, showed me the full information of those that are yet to receive their payments and I saw your name as one of the beneficiaries, and your email address, that is why I decided to email you to stop dealing with those people, they are not with your fund, they are only making money out of you.
I will advise you to contact Mr. Michael Craig directly through the below information.
ZENITH COMPENSATION HOUSE
Name: Mr. Michael Craig
E-mail:
Phone: +234 702 719 2947
You really have to stop dealing with those people that are contacting you and telling you that your fund is with them, it is not in anyway with them, they are only taking advantage of you and they will dry you up until you have nothing. The only money I paid after I met Mr. Michael Craig was just $420 for the paper works, take note of that.
Thank You and Be Blessed.
Dr. Sarah LindseyTrustee/Treasurer, Grameen Foundation Inc.
25 Beaver Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10004
But look at the Japanese e-mail address, the Nigerian phone number and other clues, like the use of Good Day and Blessed, which show that this is another attempt to part you from your money.
Use the Delete key immediately.
The Scam That Doesn’t Stop
The Nettemps/Juliette Barnes scam, I reported on some time ago, doesn’t seem to show any signs of stopping.
For instance today, I got 105 search hits looking for more information about the spam e-mails and yesterday it was 57.
At least it pushes my blog up the search engines!
A Friend’s Blog
A friend has just started a blog.
Adobe Software Upgrade Scam
I have had several of these e-mails, mostly to e-mail addresses that are only used to register domain names for clients.
ADOBE PDF READER SOFTWARE UPGRADE NOTIFICATION
This is to remind that a new version of Adobe Acrobat Reader with enhanced features for viewing, creating, editing, printing and internet-sharing PDF documents has been released.
To upgrade your application:
+ Go to [link removed]
+ Get your options, download and upgrade.Thanks and best regards,
John WilliamAdobe Acrobat Reader Support
Copy rights Adobe 2010 © All rights reserved
1022 Marrinbird Rd | Merryton | CA | 91523 | USA
Unless Adobe tell me that it is genuine in a secure and verifiable manner, I’ll assume it’s a scam or some form of trojan or virus delivery.
I did find this note in an Adobe forum, confirming my suspicions.
I also found this in the registration details for the domain.
Domain name: ADOBE-ACROBAT-SOFTWARE.COM
Name Server: ns3.nic.ru
Name Server: ns4.nic.ru
Name Server: ns8.nic.ru
Creation Date: 2010.10.16
Expiration Date: 2011.10.16Status: DELEGATED
Registrant ID: ZA5XXWT-RU
Registrant Name: John Terry
Registrant Organization: John Terry
Registrant Street1: 1729 Park Way
Registrant City: London
Registrant Postal Code: H38LA92
Registrant Country: GB
So it’s some form of Russian scam? Certainly, the UK address is not genuine and John Terry is just an infamous footballer, who most people have heard of the name.
The Vaguaries of Internet Shopping
I do a lot of Internet shopping, but today I’ve given up. I need to buy some pH Test strips, because I’d like to test the pH of my mouth. Two web sites wanted all my details in a profile, before they checked me out. There was also no box to check to stop spam. Compare this yesterday, when I bought the book, all the Public Catalogue Foundation wanted was an address, an e-mail address and credit card details. Perhaps this is why I buy my books on Amazon and my clothes at M & S, as they do it without fuss.
Internet shops should be simple and efficient. Many aren’t!
In the end I found what I wanted on valuemed.co.uk.
Messages That I Like
One of the members of the UK-Coeliac Yahoo Group has told me that my typing seems to be getting better.
I like that! Thanks!
The Anonymous Widower 