Even if you're new to the Internet, you probably know those computer commands to "cut" and "paste" and "copy" and "print." There are the cute little icons at the top of the computer screen, plus, often under Edit, written commands telling the computer to do the same things.

     But what do you do when you're on the Internet trying to print something, and icons and written instructions are nowhere to be seen? You use the commands of the Internet savvy, that's what. Most of them involve holding down the Control key, CTRL, and, while still holding it down, hitting another command key. They're so easy and quick you'll use them all the time. (I use them about fifty times a day.) If you're a knowledgeable user of the Internet, you know most of them already. But do give this material a quick skim -- you might find something useful.

     And here are the commands:

CTRL-Z -- My favorite. It undoes the last key you hit. So if you're working away and something dreadful happens, immediately do CTRL-Z. If you hit even the space bar before you hit it, it won't work. But it's undone many a mistake for me.

CTRL-N -- Gives a new screen. If you've got one website on your screen and you want to look at another but NOT put it in the place of the first one, hit CTRL-N, get your new screen, and you can have both websites up. Or three or four. Just click on the addresses at the bottom of your screen to move from one website to another. If you do CTRL-N while you're word processing in Microsoft Word or WordPerfect, you'll get a new word processing screen. (I'm going to assume from here on that you word process with Microsoft Word, as that's the most popular one.)

CTRL-P -- Tells your printer to print. It's so handy when you've just purchased something online and want to print out the sales information. You just highlight the information you want and hit CTRL-P. (And if you're new to the Internet and need basic information on how to highlight, go to the last section of this article.)

CTRL-C -- Means "copy." You highlight the words you want copied and hit CTRL-C. These can be words in an Internet website, an e-mail, or a word processing file. You can then paste them onto a page in your Word program.

CTRL-X -- Means "cut." You cut the highlighted material out of a word processing text, then, using CTRL-V, paste it in an e-mail or elsewhere in your word processing text. Warning: If you don't paste it right away, and you copy or cut something else, the first command will be overlaid by the second, and you'll lose the material you first cut.

CTRL-V -- Means "paste."

CTRL-I -- Means "italics." The section you've highlighted will be italicized.

CTRL-B -- Means "bold." You highlight a section, hit CTRL-B, and it will be in bold type.

CTRL-U -- Means "underscore." Same deal.

CTRL-S -- Means "save." Used in word processing for material you want to save to your hard drive.

CTRL-D -- Means "bookmark this page." Used for Internet pages to which you want to return.

CARTING INFORMATION AROUND

     You've got an e-mail or a web page with information you want to keep. You highlight the text you want copied, hit "CTRL-C" for "copy." Then click on the Microsoft Word program title at the bottom of your screen and paste it on a Word page. A great way to save important Internet information!

     But what if your word processing program isn't turned on?

     That's when you MINIMIZE. In the upper right corner of your screen are a "minus" and a box and an "x." You already know that the x means "exit" from that page. The box means "maximize," and the minus means "minimize."

     The minus, minimize, will make the Internet page you're on disappear -- but it's not really gone. You can see its name at the bottom of your screen. Minimize each Internet page you're on, until you get down to your icon page. Click on the icon for Microsoft Word, and use CTRL-V to paste your Internet information onto a Word page. Go back to the Internet by clicking on a title at the bottom of your screen. (And when you've been working on a Word document and need to dial to get on the Internet, use the same minimizing technique to get to your icon page from Word.)

     You can now jump back and forth from web pages to word processing program, clicking on the names at the bottom of your screen. It's a great way to transfer web information you want to keep.

     The box meaning "MAXIMIZE" in the top righthand corner of your screen comes in handy too. When an Internet page shows you a miniature page with information up in one corner, maximize will make that page take up the whole screen. If you go from the Internet to a Word page, and find that the page is greyed, maximize will bring it up to normal.

HIGHLIGHTING FOR BEGINNERS

     In Microsoft Word or WordPerfect it's easy: Put the cursor at the beginning of the words you want to highlight and hold down the shift key while also holding down the arrow that points right on the lower part of your keyboard. As you strike the arrow key, the words you want highlighted will turn dark. Take away the highlight by hitting one of the keyboard arrows.

     You can also highlight Word text by holding down the shift key while also holding down the left side of your mouse. Move the mouse around to highlight. Take away the highlight by hitting one of the keyboard arrows.

     You can also highlight Word text or Internet e-mail or website text by holding down the left side of your mouse and dragging it over the text you want highlighted. On the Internet, the highlights wobble and shift -- but keep trying until it looks right, because that's the only way you can highlight online.

© Copyright 2005 Janette G. Blackwell. All rights reserved. You may copy and use portions of this newsletter for noncommercial, personal use only. You may forward a copy to someone else as long as the copyright notice is included. Any other use of the materials in this newsletter without prior written permission is prohibited.