So your children surf the web at the speed of teen, while you just recently learned that hitting the enter key on the keyboard is equivalent to clicking the “search� button on the Google homepage? Well, don’t feel too bad. Kids learn all about computers in school nowadays and part of what they learn are shortcuts.

There are many ways to do specific things on computers. For instance, in Internet Explorer and Firefox, if you know the web address of a website you want to visit, you can simply type in the name of the address (without the prefix “www.� and suffix “.com�). Then hold down the CTRL button on your keyboard and hit the ENTER key. This will automatically place the “www.� and “.com� before and after the name of the site you wish to visit. In other words, if you want to get to the Google website, simply type “google� in the address bar and then hit CTRL+ENTER. Is this the lazy man’s way of surfing? Maybe, but when you are in a hurry it saves some time.

What are some other shortcuts I can use, you ask? Well, there are several keyboard shortcuts that many of you probably already know, but I’ll post the basic ones here anyways in case you don’t know them.

• “ctrl+câ€? copy
• “ctrl+vâ€? paste
• “ctrl+xâ€? cut
• “ctrl+zâ€? undo
• “ctrl+yâ€? redo
• “ctrl+bâ€? bold
• “ctrl+uâ€? underline
• “ctrl+iâ€? italics
• “ctrl+aâ€? select all
• “ctrl+fâ€? find
• “ctrl+sâ€? save
• “ctrl+pâ€? print
• “ctrl+escâ€? just like clicking on the “startâ€? button in the task bar
• “ctrl+homeâ€? goes to the top of the page/document
• “ctrl+endâ€? goes to the bottom of the page/document
• “backspaceâ€? within an internet browser - will go back to the previous page

Like I said, these are just some basic keyboard shortcuts, but when used in conjunction with your every day work (or play) on the computer, they can help speed things along. And hey, maybe your kids will even be surprised that you can keep up with their need for surfing speed.

Do you have any shortcuts you find useful that you want to share? Feel free to add to the list.

- Catinreno

Delete is our friend - Basic computer help for the technologically challenged.

Computer Help