Compusavvy! Back to the basics

DO YOU find yourself wincing at the word 'technology', or feel threatened when you don't understand computer terminology? "I know zilch about computers" is what you may say, to forewarn those who dare to broach the subject. In a technology-ridden world, where computers have become a necessity, you must know the essentials to be able to survive professionally. Being computer literate is not all that difficult, here's how you can make a beginning.

Exploring the unknown

Just like you have files in your cabinet, whatever you save in the computer is called a file. You need to know how to use Windows Explorer to handle files and multiple cabinets (read drives). Once you understand how files are stored, named, saved and copied, you can find your way about the computer with relative ease. A book on Windows basics will be helpful.

Web or labyrinth?

E-mail is becoming an increasingly popular means of communication. If you want to make use of the instantaneous way of staying in touch you need to have an email account. If you want to have a web based email account, you can sign up with any of the popular sites that provide free email services. The software used to access the Net is called a `web browser' and can be Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator through which you can reach the web site that offers web-based email services like www.yahoo.com or www.mail.com by tying the address of the site in the text- box at the top. If you are accessing email from a cyber cafi, then the owner or assistant should be able to help you get an id (if you are a first-timer).

Cruise through net-surfing

You can surf the Net by using tools like search engines, that let you find web sites that search and display links to any topic you want to know about. Some of the fastest and best search engines are www.google.com, www.altavista.com, and www.lycos.com. You can type your search request and in a few moments you have a list of all the web-sites in cyberspace that have anything to do with the search request you have made.

Some web sites are called portals, and they give you links to a whole lot of other sites sorted and displayed category-wise...You can get a list of the best sites in each category through portals, for example the best sites in 'sports' or 'careers' are listed.

Bare necessities

When you need to type important material, store, print or retrieve it later, you can use Microsoft Word - a software widely used in corporate circles for letters, mailing lists, labels, and formatting documents. If you need to do a lot of calculations, you can try a using Microsoft Excel- a handy software to help you manage large amounts of numeric data. Microsoft Access will be of use if you have a lot of information in the form of tables. Microsoft Power Point helps you make effective presentations. If you have access to a computer that has the Microsoft Office suite (comprising the software mentioned) installed, you can get familiarised with it by using a self-learn book, or take a short course in the same or ask someone who is computer savvy to teach you.

Hot technologies

Then where do Java, C, C++ and other 'hot' and 'hyped' about technologies fit in? They are computer languages used to create software (like Microsoft Office) for 'projects' that involve developing a solution to a problem in a company. It is usually to make a certain process easier, faster and more manageable. You do not need to know or learn these technologies unless you are looking for an active career in computers.

A few supervised practice sessions and a couple of do-it- yourself exercises will be able to Having a fair deal of computer knowledge can not only help you in your work but can also be a value-addition to your resume. You don't know when it may come handy- forewarned is forewarned.

ARCHANA JAYAKAR

archana.hyd@careercommunity.co.in