This makes the 3rd time I've talked to this guy today about IE
Scenario: Talking to elderly professor on phone. Determined he needs to set his IE default home page to something other than MSN.com because MSN's web search is sucking right now, but he depends on it to find the URLs he types in.
Me: Are you aware that you can type those URL addresses into the address bar instead of the search box? The address bar is that long white area spanning the top of the screen. It usually has http:// something or other in it, you've seen that right?
Elderly Prof: Yes, and I always forget that it's there so I just type in the search box. It shows up in the middle of the screen and it's very easy to find.
Me: Okay...well, the search box in the middle comes from a Microsoft website, and their website is having problems today as you saw when you did that last search. We can't help out with that. But I can show you how to change it so that it comes up with a Google search box instead. Do you know about Google?
EP: Yes, I usually use Google on other computers but I don't know how to make it come up on this one so I just forgot about it.
Me: OK, well here's how... Click the Tools menu at the top part of the screen, go to Internet Options, there will be a box to type in, labelled Home Page... and you can just type in Google's address there or any address you want, really. It will be the site that comes up every time you go on the web from now on.
EP: See this is the problem. I don't know Google's address. I would have to search for it to get to it normally.
Me: thinking "Oh no, he depends on search engines to find his search engine of choice..." Uh... that would be www.google.com sir.
EP: Whoa! How did you know that?
Me: I have it memorized.
EP: Do you have a lot of those memorized? When I talked to you earlier about the National Institute of Health site that the government runs, you were quoting the address nih.gov back to me right away. That's amazing.
Me: Yes...well, I spend hours a day on the internet, and thus I have a lot of website addresses memorized. It's no different than remembering a phone number that you call a lot.
EP: You never know about phone numbers. Wow. Just...wow. I would never have remembered something like www.google.com. I am going to have to bookmark it right, because I'll forget, right?
Me: No need to bookmark it. Typing it here will make it be your home page, and if you ever get away from your home page you click the little "home" button that looks like a house on the toolbar, and it will take you back to your Google home page.
EP: Oh neat. You know sometimes I even get lost going to the cigar store from work on my way home because of the new bypass highway they built outside of town in 1997, were you here for that?
Me: No sir, I wasn't. Click OK now, then click that house button. There's Google. I wish I could make a "Cigar Store" button for you, but I can't. Good day.
EP: Heh *click*
Not bad, at least he knows he's forgetful....
Me: Are you aware that you can type those URL addresses into the address bar instead of the search box? The address bar is that long white area spanning the top of the screen. It usually has http:// something or other in it, you've seen that right?
Elderly Prof: Yes, and I always forget that it's there so I just type in the search box. It shows up in the middle of the screen and it's very easy to find.
Me: Okay...well, the search box in the middle comes from a Microsoft website, and their website is having problems today as you saw when you did that last search. We can't help out with that. But I can show you how to change it so that it comes up with a Google search box instead. Do you know about Google?
EP: Yes, I usually use Google on other computers but I don't know how to make it come up on this one so I just forgot about it.
Me: OK, well here's how... Click the Tools menu at the top part of the screen, go to Internet Options, there will be a box to type in, labelled Home Page... and you can just type in Google's address there or any address you want, really. It will be the site that comes up every time you go on the web from now on.
EP: See this is the problem. I don't know Google's address. I would have to search for it to get to it normally.
Me: thinking "Oh no, he depends on search engines to find his search engine of choice..." Uh... that would be www.google.com sir.
EP: Whoa! How did you know that?
Me: I have it memorized.
EP: Do you have a lot of those memorized? When I talked to you earlier about the National Institute of Health site that the government runs, you were quoting the address nih.gov back to me right away. That's amazing.
Me: Yes...well, I spend hours a day on the internet, and thus I have a lot of website addresses memorized. It's no different than remembering a phone number that you call a lot.
EP: You never know about phone numbers. Wow. Just...wow. I would never have remembered something like www.google.com. I am going to have to bookmark it right, because I'll forget, right?
Me: No need to bookmark it. Typing it here will make it be your home page, and if you ever get away from your home page you click the little "home" button that looks like a house on the toolbar, and it will take you back to your Google home page.
EP: Oh neat. You know sometimes I even get lost going to the cigar store from work on my way home because of the new bypass highway they built outside of town in 1997, were you here for that?
Me: No sir, I wasn't. Click OK now, then click that house button. There's Google. I wish I could make a "Cigar Store" button for you, but I can't. Good day.
EP: Heh *click*
Not bad, at least he knows he's forgetful....
