WWW INFORMATION SOURCES

by Warren W. Fisher


mySFA:  mysfa.sfasu.edu.  Use https://mysfa-prod.sfasu.edu if the regular url does not work.  The official place for SFA faculty and students to see and update a variety of information, including e-mail address, classes, SFA news, etc. Visit applicable links from the login page for help with a variety of e-mail and mySFA problems.

Computer help:

Answers that work:  answers to computer hardware and software problems:  www.answersthatwork.com

mySFA (see above)

PC Health Guidelines:  security and network help for SFA students and staff.

Quick Fixes for myCourses Problems:  help with common problems in using the SFA myCourses (Blackboard) system:  http://www.cob.sfasu.edu/wfisher/quick_fix.html

SFA Library Help (includes some computer help):  http://library.sfasu.edu/index.php/help/

SFA On-Line (information and technical help with SFA on-line courses):  http://sfaonline.sfasu.edu/

SFA Technical Support Center (TSC):  help with numerous computer and software issues specifically directed to SFA faculty, staff, and students:  http://www.sfasu.edu/tsc/
Note:  the TSC is currently located at 514 E. Austin St.  Go west (toward University) on Austin St. from Raguet St. to the second house on the right.

YourTechOnline.comhttp://www.yourtechonline.com or call 1-877-717-7111.   Non-free help with hardware, software, virus, spyware, etc. problems.  Rated very effective by PC Magazine.

General search:

Note: most search engines will do both subject and key word searches, but most are better at some things than others.  Try several different ones for best results.  Google is consistently among the best.
Alta Vista , one of the most comprehensive indices on the WWW, but not the easiest to use.  Use the Advanced Search Settings feature to refine your search:  www.altavista.com
Ask Jeeves , a search engine oriented toward answering questions:  www.ask.com

Dogpile , a search engine that automatically searches a number of other engines, often with good results:  www.dogpile.com

** Google , a search engine that lists first those pages that are referenced by many other pages.  There is an easy-to-use advanced search, and the results are usually useful: www.google.com
** Hotsheet.com , a unique combination of links to useful resources, subject indices, and a list of search engines:  www.hotsheet.com
Yahoo , general search and lots of links to electronic commerce resources; also includes search for web sites that ask or answer questions:  www.yahoo.com (note: Yahoo originally had searches based on subject rather than key word, but that is mostly gone now except for EC subjects)
SFA Library search, especially with Subject Guides, which are the best way to find magazine and journal articles:    http://library.sfasu.edu/  .   See search tips and advanced search from within a search program for help.  Note:  only available through SFA.  If you are not using SFA as your Internet Service Provider, you must either set up a "Proxy" (see Help from the main Library page) or access the Library through the link in myCourses on mySFA.   Also note:  if you attempt to access the subject guides through mySFA and it doesn't work (nothing happens when you click on them), you may have to add mySFA to your list of "trusted sites."  To do so, start Microsoft Internet Explorer, then click Tools, Options, Security, Trusted Sites, Sites.  Add the address:  http://luminis.sfasu.edu and uncheck the box "Require https..."
Encyclopedia:  Encyclopaedia Britannicawww.britannica.com
Fraud Victim Support Sites:
Better Business Bureau:   www.bbb.org

Federal Trade Commission:  www.ftc.gov

Scambusters:  www.scambusters.org
Identity Theft Information:

Federal Trade Commission ID Theft hotline:  877-438-4338 or http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/

Identity Theft and How to Avoid It or  www.cob.sfasu.edu/wfisher/idtheft.html

Identity Theft Resource Center:  www.idtheftcenter.org

Maps:

Google Maps:  maps.google.com

Google Earth:  satellite view of the earth's surface with ability to add roads, restaurants, much more.  Awesome zooming ability.  Get free download from earth.google.com

Mapquest:  www.mapquest.com

Rand McNally:  www.randmcnally.com
University of Texas Map Library:  www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/index.html
News and computer magazines:
CNN Interactive:  www.cnn.com
PC Magazine:  www.pcmag.com
USA Today:  www.usatoday.com
ZDNet (miscellaneous computer news):  www.zdnet.com
Privacy and Other Consumer Information:
Consumer Network:  consumer.net

Epinions (consumer reviews):  http://www.epinions.com/

Kudzu (help finding reliable contractors and other services):  http://www.kudzu.com/

National Do Not Call Registry:  www.donotcall.gov

Consumer's Guide to the Do Not Call Registry.  Includes links with information about fighting spam, junk faxes, unsolicited text messages, etc.

Texas Do Not Call Registry:  www.texasnocall.com

Yelp (consumer reviews):  http://www.yelp.com/
Software Sources:
Anti-virus:
Malwarebytes (free and pay versions):  http://www.malwarebytes.org/

McAfee anti-virus software, with free trial download:  http://www.mcafee.com/us/

Note:  SFA students and staff can get Symantec Anti-virus free through mySFA.
Browser: (alternative to MSIE)
Firefox (free):  http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ Stick to version 3.6 (available from  http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all-older.html ) for maximum compatibility, especially with Blackboard.
Spyware Prevention and Removal:
AdAware (free and pay versions):  www.lavasoftusa.com

Spybot (free):  http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

Miscellaneous:
Darik's Boot and Nuke:  free program to "sanitize" your hard drive before getting rid of it (may not work on some newer hard drives):  http://www.dban.org/

Scooter Software, the source for Beyond Compare (for synchronizing files on your hard drive and backup media):  www.scootersoftware.com

Tucows : www.tucows.com
ZD-Netdownloads.zdnet.com
Weather:  www.weather.com or www.intellicast.com or www.nws.noaa.gov

Web Page Authoring Resources:

**W3Schools:  outstanding resource including plain-language tutorials on HTML and related subjects:  http://www.w3schools.com/
Web Pages That Suck (and how to avoid creating them):  www.webpagesthatsuck.com
Webreference:  www.webreference.com
White Pages (like a phone book but also finds addresses and e-mail addresses):
Internet Address Finder:  www.iaf.net (free and non-free services)
555-1212.com (very good but not free):  www.555-1212.com
Yahoo People Search: people.yahoo.com (free and non-free services)
Yellow Pages (lists of businesses):
Superpages.com:  www.superpages.com
YellowPages.Com:  www.yellowpages.com
Miscellaneous Resources:

Free once-a-year credit reports:  www.annualcreditreport.com

Federal government miscellaneous information, including Social Security, Medicare, passports, etc.:  answers.usa.gov
Similar information is available by phone at 800-333-4636

Federal government statistics:  www.fedstats.gov

IMP (COBMail):  cobweb.sfasu.edu/webmail/

Internet connection speed test (click link in lower right):  www.speakeasy.net/

Kelley Blue Book (used and new car prices, etc.):  www.kbb.com/
Links useful to business students (especially marketing and international business):  wtfaculty.wtamu.edu/~sanwar.bus/otherlinks.htm

McAfee Secure:  services to make sure your web site is safe from hackers.  Can also be used by consumers to check to see if the e-commerce sites you are using are safe from hackers:  http://www.mcafeesecure.com/us/
Security Training On-Line:  how to get free government-sponsored on-line training on information system security and other subjects

SFA Information Technology Security page:  current security threats including identity theft threats and how to avoid them:  http://www.sfasu.edu/itsecurity/

U.S. government site portal (list of U.S. government sites on the WWW):  www.usa.gov

Wireless networking information:  www.wi-fiplanet.com


Note: our server is Unix-based, so all url's are case sensitive.
Send comments and corrections concerning this page to:
wfisher@sfasu.edu
Last updated January 21, 2012