CRTC

Free Software & Services

Building A Home Page

Anyone that has ever built a home page knows that it isn't that difficult. All you need are the right tools and add-ons. Most sites that provide a clean one have editors you can use for free. They're easy to use, and you don't usually have to deal with code, unless you want to add copy and paste code. We provide free training to all those interested in our page building workshop. Because we prepare people to build their own sites, we teach our students to build from scratch on clean pages. If you want to go beyond the basic features most page editors provide, you're going to have to have to learn a little about HTML and JAVA. Think about it. The home page is free, the software is free, our lessons are free and the add-ons we give you links to cost nothing. You don't have to spend a dime, so why not give it a try? The instructions below will help you get started on your own if you're in a hurry.

The first featured link in the list takes you to a site where you can read a regular column about the Internet. This site will give you the fundamentals needed to begin exploiting this environment. The second link is to a site that offers free HTML, and JAVA code training. If you are already comfortable with code, you can use the Web Masters site as a reference source. If you know nothing about these two languages, this is a good place to start. They aren't as difficult to learn as you might imagine. Those that join our workshop will have an easier time of it. The class uses the best drag and drop page editor on the web, so you learn by studying code in a live document that you didn't have to memorize. Learning this way is much faster, and less of a challenge.

The Internet

Web Master

The first link under this paragraph takes you to Geocities, our building site for the workshop to get a free home page. The last two links in the Gifs section offer free animated graphics. I got the ones I used on this page from places like them. There are millions of angels willing to help you without cost on the Web. However, you must have search engines skills to find them.�This is an important part of the training we provide our students. People that can't use them on an expert level can't tap into the power that experienced PC users utilize every day.

Gifs Network

Media Builder

Getting Help With Page Building

We hold a class in page building at our Delphi workshop on Saturday from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. EST New York time, or 17:00:00 hours to 18:00 hours, London time, for those on the GMT standard. We also have an International PC group that meets in the same room from 1:00 p.m. New York time, or 18:00:00 hours to 19:00 hours, London time for those of the GMT standard. Creating a home page is the first task students. Those registered with Alliance International PC Group discuss a wide variety of topics. Discussions are limited to computers. We do talk about hard and software however issues however, It's the social branch of CRCS. Like all club based chat rooms, you must join these clubs, or it won't let you in. You can unjoin our clubs any time you like, and there is no obligation involved in attending our meetings.

You'll find more great free software, and information at our Lycos club should you decide to join our page building workshop and on the Smartville page. We show are members how to weave it into powerful systems to enhance the speed, power, and intelligence of their computers.

Delphi Builders Club

Yahoo Club

Lycos Club

Visto

Our clubs are international in scope. These facilities are provided as a service to our members, and to visitors that might drop by, however, we keep best software to ourselves. This is one of the reasons that those that join us should sign up for them all. We use different sites for different purposes. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, We might use any of them at a given time. The names of our clubs are as follows: (Delphi) Computer And Page Building Training - Free, (Yahoo) Alliance International PC Group, (Lycos) ABCs Of Page Building. And finally, the fourth site is to our shared secured site. It's for members of the group that want to work on group projects, like our news letter. They can also share pictures, or get the download files we post for them from time to time from this site. The Visto site provides services you may find useful. You might want to pay it a visit.

Registering With Engines

The button below links you to a place that lets visitors use their site to register with major engines for free. They will also do this for you, but there is a charge involved. Our page building workshop offers training is this area also. What good does it do to have your URL submitted to hundreds of search engines when most people only use the top 20? The majority of submissions will go to small, little know platforms.You'd be surpised how many have paid for Com sites only to find they lack the expertise to draw traffic to them.

Knowing how to submit a page is a make, or break proposition. Here is a hint on how to judge quality. Weaker search engines gather a high percentage of unrelated sites when you run a query. Many little known search tools deserve to remain obscure, so getting listed with them won't do very much good as far as attracting visitors

Once our students finish their home pages, becoming expert with these powerful tools teaches you how to write listings. Those without this background often make major mistakes when it comes to submitting a URL to them.

Testing Search Engines

I test engines by searching for other search engines, and unusual things like red silk gloves. If the list is short, or the query brings back nothing, the database isn't comprehensive. Before you push the button below to register your site, I recommend that you test the engines you list your site with. Many of the more popular ones have gotten a reputation they don't deserve. Try the ones on our search engine page, and see how the ones you use stack up. Once you believe you have mastered this very important area, you can use the button below to register your page. I'd advise you to join our workshop first before making this move. Most sites only let you do it once, so you've got to get it perfect the first time.

Getting A COM Site

You are usually not permitted to conduct business from a home page, although there are loop holes you can exploit. I have the right to talk about my book here, because I use it as a reference source, and I'm not offering it for sale. I suggest using a free home pages to test market your product, service, or ideas before talking out your wallet. If you don't have building skills, and don't want to gain any, you can open a store with a service provider. Should you start raking in the bucks, the next step would logically be to get your own Com site.  It will cost you around seventy-five dollars to register a domain name. The button below links you to a place that will lease you space on their server very cheaply. Like all companies in this business, they will charge you a monthly service fee.I recommend using the search engines to comparison shop before signing with any company, and that you gain some programming skill before getting a Com site. You can design the site yourself for nothing, and it will be exactly the way you want it. Why pay a set up, and administration fee if you can build and update the site yourself?

If you're just curious about what doing this involves, take a trip to the provider and find out. To see about getting your own COM site, click the button below. This seems like an honest site, but remember there are many crooks, and incompetents in this business, so don't sign up until you shop around, and do your homework. Don't fall for the hype. Making money on the Internet involves a great deal of hard work, and a great deal of computer skill, if you aren't a cash rich corporation. Little folks get ignored usually. You have to learn how to drive traffic to your site by using your brains, not your check book.

Employment Center

Don't tell me! I already know what you're going to say. Although all this sounds good, you don't have the money to speculate on an Internet business venture. Fortunately, I have the answer to this problem. I bet you're tired of your job anyway. If you can't find money enough to put aside to improve your lot in life, how can you improve your lot in life? The two sites listed below will take you to the biggest employment sites in the US. If you want to find a company that appreciates your skills enough to reward you richly, gaining some computer expertise will put out the welcome mat. This sites also have tradional positions that don't involve computers. There are more jobs on the Internet than there are in local newspapers. Employers find it cheaper and faster to place classified ads on-line these days, and employment agencies also use these services. Now what's your excuse for not getting ahead? The link on the right is to Hotjobs.com, the one next to it is to Monsterboard.com.

The Computer Center

Now that you have your new job, and have all that extra cash burning a hole in your pocket, let's do something constructive with it. How about a trip to several computer catalog sites, so you can start increasing super charging the machine that got you that great job. All three companies listed below, and Gateway, the hardware site listed last from the right are honest, reliable, and have good return policies.

The link on the right is to PC Connection, the second to Microwharehouse, the third is to PC Mall, and the forth is to Gateway. In case you're are in the market for a fast, inexpensive, quality PC, you can try this company. While I once recommended the Gateway SL 4000 series exclusively. The release of the Pentium III is dumping a great many brand name systems on the market at low prices. If you're interested in ordering hard, or software, try getting catalogs from the three companies listed below. Magazines have more detailed information than can be found at corporate Web site

Medical Advice

Feeling a bit under the weather, or have a health problem you would like some professional help with? We have several sites listed below that offer free health and medical information. Just click on the buttons to get guidance from experts in this field. We aren't affiliated with these sites. We have no connection with them other than providing you a link

US Government Services

Click on the mailbox under this paragraph to go to the US mail service site. The blue button next to it takes you to the US Weather service to get local US forecasts.  The yellow link is to the congressional news letter.  The next blue button lets you visit the White House site where you can view  presidental speeches and policy statements . The green button is to our friends the IRS. The red link is to Doonesbury, a popular interactive political cartoon site.

News letter/Magazines

The New button on the right takes you to our news letter, the Smartville Tip Sheet. The button next to it takes you to Smartsonian magazine. It was compiled by a computer after categories of stories were given to a program. It's a good example of automation in action.  The articals it contains were select for those that want to learn more about computing. If you are really into this subject, you'll find a link to Byte magazine to the far left. It's now available on-line for free.�

Internet Radio

Now that you've done your homework, Let's listen to some music. Radio is alive and well inside your PC. We just put up a new radio station. To use most of these sites you'll need Real Player, or the Windows Media Player. Fortunately, many of the links on the pages you'll be taken to let you download them for free. Want to listen to radio stations from across the country, and around the world? You've come to the right place. Now for the sites.

The first one on the right is to About.Com, the second is to Netradio.net, the third to Broadcast.com, and the last is to Greenwitch.com. Once you connect to a station you can minimize both that window, the one for your player, and this page, so you can work as you normally do while, listening to some great music. You will get clipping, sound interruption, while surfing, so try to stay at one site if you want to listen to the radio, or work from your Desktop.

Smartville Game Awards

Tomb Raider

The three top awards, the Freebie, go toTomb Raiders I,II, III and IV. They're the most playable games I have ever seen for the PC. The graphics in all versions are superb. The movement is excellent, and the main character is a women, something you don't see much in action games. These programs aren't really arcade games, they're actually a for those that like to think, and appreciate a challenge. The plot contains many mysteries and riddles you must solve. These titles are recommended for ages 17 and above, because of the degree of difficulty, and violent content from time to time.

Laura, the main character in this game, has returned home to her parents, so you won't find her at most free down load sites. You'll find links to all her demo titles below. You'd better get them quickly. They were once posted all over, but now even powerful search engines come up with fan sites instead of programs. Do yourself a favor and trust me on this one. The first link takes you to the site for Tomb Raiders III, the yellow button to the developer's site. You might not want to get the original Tomb Raiders demo. It may crash your system, and it's difficult to exit. There is also a new demo out, but I don't like it much because it's so difficult to find things. If you're collecting these programs, you might want to get it, but it frustrates the mess out of me. Maybe you'll have better luck.

My third choice for the best free game down load is Frogger. Since it's an older release, you may have to use the search engines to find it. The experience will do you good. This game is suitable for people of all ages. The most violent things about it are insect eating, and hit and run accidents. Try it and see what I mean. It will keep you laughing at your mistakes, Once you succed you can win with your eyes closed. You only get to play one level, but it's amusing. I'm glad they brought it back. You should keep in mind that these free demos are only meant to give you the taste and feel of the full product. If you like a demo a great deal, you should think of placing an order with the supplier to return the favor. This will encourage them to keep up the good work.

Frogger

Most companies are so cheap that they only let you download unplayable demos. The products reviewed here have broken an unwritten law, by providing powerful versions of a commercially available product. The titles honored here should help you realize that PC games have come a long way since Pong.

Virtua Squad 2

The fourth award winner is Virtua Squad 2. It's a classic arcade style shoot'em up game, but you can play this one with a mouse. I found it rather boring after playing it a few times. Unfortunately you only get to play one level with this game as well, The dirst scenario takes place in a police proving ground. It puts you in a simulated shooting situation with bad guys. You have to get them before they get you. If nothing else, this games helps to sharpen your point and click skills with a mouse. This software is mainly worth mentioning because of the excellent graphics. I usually don't like arcade games, because the programming is hard wired. The character movement is always the same. This one isn't suitable for small children, but teenage boys should love it. They pay much more bloddy ones in the pizza parlor after school. It will also let adults blow off steam. Playing this game beats showing up at the office party with an AK47.

Bricks 2000

Lastly, how can I talk about quality games without mentioning Bricks 2000? It's a freeware version of Tetris that plays like an expensive commercial product. You can set the skill level as high, or as low, as you like. If you're new to computer games, Tetris is a good place to start. This title can even give experts a hard time. It's suitable for people of all ages. The link below this paragraph should find most of these games. Just type their names in the search window.�

Free Software Download Sites

Software Grab Bag

Cnet
Zdnet
Mcafee