Getting Around

Your computer has files and folders. Depending on what sort of user you are, you may store everything in the My Documents folder. Or maybe, on your work computer, you save everything in the network folder.

There's more than one way to get around a computer's folders. And once you get that down, you'll have all sorts of new ways to save and sort things on your computer.

First, open up My Documents or My Computer. By default, the My Documents displays only the folder. The left side of the window gives you some options for the folder or the things in it. Great. Now, let's change the settings. If you've never played with this, it's going to look huge and scary and overwhelming at first. Relax, do as I tell you (heh, that's always good advice!) and it'll be okay.







On the top of the My Documents window, there's a button labeled Folders. (BTW: You are using Windows Explorer to view My Documents.) Click the Folder button. Now, the left side of your window will show ALLLL the folders and drives and everything on your computer.

Deep breaths. Lets look at the list-- what are we really seeing? Well, at the top is Desktop. As far as Windows Explorer is concerned, the Desktop is the root of everything. If you clock on "Desktop" you will see everything on your desktop, but as little icons inside the Explorer Window. See-- it's just a different way to see the same stuff.

Okay, what else do we have here. Under Desktop is My Documents. See the little plus sign next to it. Squint! Ah, there it is-- circled in red. This plus sign lets us Expand the folders. So, if you click it, the folders that are inside the My Documents folder will expand. You won't see any files on the left-- only folders (and drives, which are like giant folders.) Click the expand button.

(An expanded folder has the inner folders showing and a minus sign, circled in blue)

Notice how the view on the right didn't change? Why make the computer load all the images... this is one way Explorer is faster for getting around.

Now, you can see the folders. You can select a folder or another plus sign. When you get to the folder you want, you can select it by clicking on it once, and the contents will load in the right side of the screen.

You can nest folders almost limitlessly. And name them anything you want.

And, another bonus, if you need to go to another folder, you can simply click on it on the left. You don't have to go "Up" or "Back." Just find it and click. Quick and easy. Try it, click around. And if you think you've moved or clicked something wrong, you can always Undo.

My Town Monday

My little part of Michigan, happens to be still mostly rural, with a swathe of so-called civilization (or at least population) running along the middle where I-96 carves it's path between Detroit and Lansing.

According to the last census records, there were more people in the city of Ann Arbor than their are in all of Livingston County.

A lot of people allegedly move here from the Metro Detroit Area. For me, the "Metro Detroit" area is pretty much anywhere east of, say, Novi. But, I'm a local yokel. The hustle and bustle of downtown Brighton or of the Latson Road interchange is more than exciting enough for me.

With the mix of rural life and city life, I get to see pristine Hummers and beat up pick up trucks with mud up to the mirrors and grass stuck in the grill. Which do you think actually went off-road?

Like Michigan's weather with it's range of possibilities, I find that Livingston County's range of life rather interesting.

In addition to the mix of suburbia, small cities, small towns, and farmland, it's a less than hour to get to Flint (north), Lansing (west) and Ann Arbor (south) where large cities dwell with even greater possibilities. Oh, and Metro Detroit to the East. Beyond that is Canada (which for Michiganders, hardly seems like another country at all.)

I've lived here my entire life, or at least all the parts of it that I remember. That counts as far as I'm concerned. This is my home. I plan to stay. (Crappy weather, potholes, and wretched economy and all.)

Reprinted with permission.

In the Beginning...

There was the Computer Mama. Elizabeth is "too young" for bifocals, has racing stripes in her hair, and loves all things computers. If she's not too old to learn computers, than neither are you.








But what happens when a Computer Mama has a daughter? Well, that's were Computer Kids come from. Clair is happiest at any one of her computers with a glass of Diet Pepsi at her side. She actually likes troubleshooting computer problems.










We're both longtime residents of Livingston County, Michigan. Where is that? Well, hold out your right hand...
















... right about here. More or less. (This is one of the best parts about living in Michigan. ;-)

Welcome to the Computer Mama Blog, part of the Comma Project. Here, we'll talk about the things we love best-- computers and Livingston County. But no techno-babble. We want you to enjoy as much as we do. Okay, okay. Maybe half as much as we do.