TechBits

Firefox Add-ons

Firefox add-ons are small pieces of software that let you add new features and change the way your browser works.  You can install these add-ons yourself without the need for a call to the Help Desk. 
There is a very large community of developers that create these add-ons, so the chances of finding one that does what you want is pretty good.

An important security note about add-ons is that you need to be VERY careful about where you get them from because they may harm your computer or violate your privacy.  Unless clearly marked otherwise, add-ons available from Firefox's Add-on gallery have been checked and approved by Mozilla's team of editors and are safe to install. I recommend that you only install the approved add-ons and never install any of the add-ons marked as Experimental because they have not been reviewed.  Never ever install an add-on from an unknown source!

Once they are installed most people just forget about them.  But, as I discovered recently this is not a good idea.  I got a call from a library with an unusual problem with Firefox.  When they right-clicked within their Firefox browser they got a menu that was longer than their screen was tall.  After much research I discovered that this problem was caused by an out-of-date add-on.  Since the add-on was no longer needed is was disabled and then the problem was resolved.

If you're having a problem with Firefox one way to tell if it is being caused by an out-of-date add-on is to start Firefox in Safe Mode.  The easiest way to do this is from within Firefox.  You go to the Help menu and choose "Restart with Add-ons disabled...".  Then a window called "Firefox Safe Mode" with some troubleshooting options appears. Here you would click the "Start in Safe Mode" button.  Never ever click the "Reset Firefox" button as this will reset Firefox to a default state by creating a new profile, migrating only essential data and then moving all of the old Firefox data to a folder on your desktop. Warning! This change cannot be reversed.  Once in Safe Mode see if your problem persists.  If the problem is gone then it's a pretty good bet that it is an out-of-date add-on causing the problem.  So now you know you need to update your add-ons.  When you are done testing and want to get out of Safe Mode, just close Firefox and wait a few seconds before opening Firefox for normal use again.

So now you're asking, how do I keep my add-ons up-to-date?  It's really easy. Just follow these steps:

1. Open Firefox
2. Go to the Add-ons Manager by clicking "Add-ons" in the Firefox (or Tools) menu
3. Click on the Extensions tab on the left
4. You will now see a list of all of the add-ons that you have installed
5. In the upper right corner you will see a gear
6. Click on it and a menu like the one below will appear

7. If the "Update Add-ons Automatically" option is checked you're done
8. If it is not checked click on it to check it then you never have to worry about old add-ons again
9. If you want to update them now just click the "Check for Updates" option
10. Firefox will then update all add-ons that have a newer version
11. Once all the updates are done you may need to restart Firefox

My two favorite add-ons are Print Edit, which gives you print preview with edit capability, and Print pages to PDF, which gives you the ability to print the content of one or more browser tabs into a PDF document.  Please leave a comment and let me know some of your favorite add-ons.

Making Stuff on your Screen Bigger While Keeping the Dots Small.

What's so great about a new monitor that makes everything small and harder to read? Nothing, that's what!  But what's so great about a new monitor that's set to the same resolution and qualtiy as the old one?  Thankfully, I can show you how you can use the full monitor quality AND have the readibility.

(Note: This procedure applies to Windows 7 only.)

First, right-click on the desktop and select "Screen resolution".  We won't be adjusting the resolution itself at all; only to set or confirm that the resolution is as high as it goes.

So, while in the Screen Resolution window, click on the blue text that states "Make text and other items larger or smaller", located here:

This transports you to a window called "Display" that looks like this:

Display has 3 preset sizes: "Smaller", "Medium", and "Larger".  The text sizes of each choice correspond to what the actual text size will be.  Just a heads-up, however, that applying another size will require you to log off and log back in again to take effect.

If none of these presets suit you, there is also the option to set a custom size percentage from the "Set custom text size (DPI)" option in the left margin. This launches a rather straight-forward option window where you can enter a custom percentage and you can see how much of an effect it has on an on-screen ruler and some text.  After hitting OK, it will create a 4th "Custom" option, under "Larger", with the percentage you specified.

That's all there is to it!  It may take a little longer than just selecting a different resolution, but the results are WAY better.

On the topic of privacy

Did you know that May 1 - 7, 2013 is "Choose Privacy Week"?  Choose Privacy Week is an ongoing program of the American Library Association that invites library users into a national conversation about privacy rights in a digital age. Check out the Choose Privacy Week website for more info and programming resources for libraries. Here's a short (1:23) Privacy Week Trailer video from their video gallery that covers some of the privacy-related concerns and issues: http://player.vimeo.com/video/10998821.

In celebration of Choose Privacy Week, I'd like to share a couple links to privacy-related resources I ran across this week...

• iLibrarian's quick guide to Private Browsing covers the Private Browsing and Do Not Track features for most popular browsers and includes "how-tos" and screenshots. I highly recommend this!
• Microsoft's Safety & Security Center covers security settings for popular Microsft products as well as links to information about
  • Protecting your privacy online
  • Protecting yourself from identity theft online
  • Using location services more safely
  • What does your online image say about you?

And finally, here's a fun video to get you thinking about how the information you share online through social media and other sources can reveal more than you might like to the world.

"Dave is an extremely gifted clairvoyant who finds out specific financial information. This video reveals the magic behind the magic, making people aware of the fact that their entire life can be found online. And by doing so urging everybody to be vigilant."

Amazing mind reader reveals his "gift"

Creating simple subtotals in Excel

Most people who work with Excel spreadsheets know you can total a group of numbers by using the Sum function.  But did you know Excel has a subtotal function that will create simple subtotals and a grand total for you? 

Open the spreadsheet and select the data you would like to subtotal.  Then go to the Data tab and look on the right hand side for the Subtotal option.  Click on the Subtotal icon and a pop-up window will appear asking how you want to subtotal the information. 

The “At each change in:” option, lets you define the groups of entries you wish to subtotal.  For example, if you have a report that is for all libraries, you can choose to have it subtotaled by library by choosing Library for the “At each change in:” option.  To know what’s available for options, click the down arrow on the right side of the in the “At each change in:” box, and choose from a list of possible selections. 

The “Use function” section allows you to choose what kind of subtotal you wish to see.  For example, you can go with a straight up sum of the numbers or you could choose to show the average of the numbers instead.  Again, to know what’s available, click on the down arrow at the end of the “Use function:” box.

With the “Add subtotal to:” selections, you decide which column is getting subtotaled.  Most of the time you’re going to want to choose a numeric column since subtotals of most non-numeric data don’t make much sense. 

There are also three checkboxes for subtotal options.  First is “Replace current subtotals”.  If you are wanting to do multiple subtotals, for example one for the sum and one for the average, deselect this option for the successive subtotals to keep them from replacing the original subtotals.  Next is “Page break between groups”.  This will cause each subtotaled group to print on a separate page when you print the spreadsheet.  The last option is “Summary below data”.  With this, you control whether the grand total and the subtotals are at the top of what they’re totaling or if the subtotals come after the list of entries being totaled. 

When you're done with your selection, click on OK.  You've now got a quick, simple subtotal of your data.

Viral Infection!

We've had a few very nasty PC infections lately and I thought it would be good to go over some important information about how to prevent an infection on your PC. 

SCLS' Antivirus software vs fake AV programs

The first thing to discuss is the antivirus software that SCLS uses on your staff and patron PCs.  It is called Sophos and on staff PCs this software is updated multiple times a day.  On patron PCs this software is updated during the nightly updates.  If you ever see anything on the screen that says that your PC is infected and it is not coming from Sophos then you have a rogue security software program.  It tries to make you think that your computer is infected by a virus and usually prompts you to download or buy a product that removes the virus. The names of these products frequently contain words like Antivirus, Shield, Security, Protection, or Fixer. This makes them sound legitimate. They frequently run right after you download them, or the next time that your computer starts. Rogue security software can prevent applications, such as Sophos or Task Manager, from opening or even running. Rogue security software might also display legitimate and important Windows files as infections. Typical error messages or pop-up messages might contain phrases like "Warning! Your computer is infected!" or "This computer is infected by spyware and adware."  We previously wrote about this kind of popup in the article entitled "Poisonous Popups Redux" .  The very best thing to do when you see this "Fake Antivirus Popup" is to not touch the PC and immediately call the Help Desk.

How do you get these viral nasties?

Now on to how you get these viral nasties.  One way is by surfing the Internet and accidentally going to a site that has been hacked and has viruses hidden in the advertisements on the webpage.  It is also possible to hide malware in pictures that people download.  I've had quite a few people call me and say I was just looking for some pictures when I got a message that my PC was infected.  So please exercise caution when going to sites and downloading anything. Ensure that the source is a legitimate and reputable one.  Another way to get a viral nasty is via an email that says please "click this link to get" and then something that sounds really important or "please see attachment."  One of the most common emails that gets everybody is the one that is called the Package Delivery Virus.  This is where some delivery service, e.g. UPS, FedEx or DHL, say that a package could not be delivered so open an attachment or click a link to get a receipt. 

How to prevent virus infections

•If the English in an email doesn't have complete sentences or is broken English then do not open any attached files or click on any links found in the email.

•Do not open any attached files or click on any links found in an email from an unknown, suspicious or untrustworthy source.

•If an email appears to come from a friend, someone you know or a business that you use, confirm that your contact really sent the email.  Some viruses can replicate themselves and spread through email.

•Do not open any files attached to an email if the subject line is questionable or unexpected.

•When in doubt, always err on the side of caution and do not open, download, or execute any files or email attachments. Not executing is the most important.

In summary: It is always better to be safe than to spread a virus to everyone that you know, bring down the network for the entirety of SCLS, or permanently lose your data.

More on Pinterest & libraries

Before Pinterest offered business accounts, many libraries signed up with personal accounts. If you did, you can convert your personal library account to a business account.

1. Log in to your existing personal account
2. Go to http://business.pinterest.com/
3. Click on "Convert your existing account"
4. Follow the steps and complete the process

Warning: Once you convert your personal account to a business account, you will not be able to switch it back to a personal account.

If you're thinking about using Pinterest Web analytics, make sure your account is converted to a business account before you do the verification. Otherwise, you may end up doing the verification twice!

Why convert your library's account to a business account?

• To comply with Pinterest's Terms of Service
• You can use your library's whole name as it should be (no more needing to split it between the "first" and "last" name fields)
• Within its business site, Pinterest is adding educational materials specifically for businesses to learn how to market themselves.
• Pinterest is working on a whole new set of features exclusively for businesses to help them expand their reach and understand their Pinterest audience

Source: Social Media Examiner - "Pinterest Business Accounts: The Definitive Guide to Getting Started"

Interested in more information about using Pinterest for your library? Check out the February "Know More" webinar with special guest Joy Schwarz talking about "Pinterest and Libraries"  (30-min archived program). It was a great overview of Pinterest and had lots of ideas about how you can use Pinterest for your library. For example, did you know there's a Pinterest widget builder for business accounts that you can embed on your library's website to invite people to follow your boards? I didn't!

Already using Pinterest for library-related purposes?  Please take a few minutes to fill out a short survey about how you're using it!

Guest Post: Using BatchGeo to Make Google Maps

Kerri's test data above, resulting map below.

What is BatchGeo? It's an easy way to convert spreadsheet data into a Google Map.

Guest post by Andy Barnett, Assistant Director at McMillan Memorial Library in Wisconsin Rapids.
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1. First, start with some an excel spreadsheet that includes address information, such as a list of patrons. McMillan used a list of patrons residing in a township.
2. Decide what you want to display on the map. Address, city, state, zip are essential to creating the map. Depending upon your data, this might include a number of things. We included patron barcode, but not anything else. This allowed us to identify and check any questionable addresses.
3. Copy the relevant data. If you copy entire columns, the first row will serve as headers and will not be mapped. If you copy a selection, the first row will be treated as headers and will not be mapped. We copied a selection and the row above, which gave us confusing headers, but accurate mapping.
4. Go to http://batchgeo.com/. Paste the data where it says Copy and then paste your location data below.
5. Click on Validate & Set Options. Match address, city and zip to your fields.
6. Finally, choose Map Now. A link to the map will be emailed to you. Maps can be public or private.

There is a limit of 2,000 items per map in the free version and the fee version creates maps faster.

Some addresses do not map correctly. CTY TRK doesn’t work, but CO RD does. Some state highways also confuse the mapping, especially when they use South or North in the address. BatchGeo is not as smart or forgiving as the USPS.

The resulting maps are zoomable and can be shared. When zoomed out, patron are aggregated and shown as numbers. City/village edges are easy to see, but county and township boundaries are not displayed. They can be used to check PSTATs, show where patrons live, or just for funsies.

Header and footer fun (aka "where does that document live?")

I wanted to add a footer to my Word document that would automatically display the name of the document and the path to the document. I knew how to add a footer, but couldn't figure out how to make the file and path information appear without me typing it... so I looked it up. Here's the answer:

Click on images to view full-size

1. Insert tab -> Footer 
   (I chose the "Blank" option)
2. Insert tab -> Quick Parts -> Field...
3. Select "FileName" and check the box to "Add path to filename"
4. Click on the Design tab and click "Close Header and Footer" to finish

Easy peasy. And it's the same basic idea when working with headers.

Another helpful option might be to add the "SaveDate" and "LastSavedBy" fields to easily know when and by whom the document was last updated.

Which of the "Quick Parts" fields do you use in your documents?

Scrolling Through Web Pages

While using control button and scroll wheel to resize an image in Firefox I accidently discovered I can scroll through web pages I’ve been to by holding down the shift key instead of the control key and turning the wheel on my mouse.

15 second search tips

Want to learn some Google search tips, but don't want to spend a lot of time doing it?

Try Google's "15 second search tips" videos on YouTube. There are 17 videos in the course, so even if you watch them ALL, you'll only be committing 4 minutes, 32 seconds.

15 second search tip: Weather

Still itchin' for more tips? Take a peek at Google's complete list of "Search Tips & Tricks", or browse GoogleHelp's YouTube playlists. 

Google Search Tip: Wishin' for a Definition  (ha! the narrator raps this 35 second Google tip!)