NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR HANDBOOK
Seeing the Internet 
You're going to bring pages of the Internet to your computer
screen. The Internet is a collection of information stored in
computers physically located throughout the world. Much of the
information on the Internet is organized onto pages.
You'll bring one page to your computer screen, discover its
contents, and have the option of bringing more pages of
information. 
Some pages on the Internet are cool. I mean really cool. They can
be richly formatted and colorfully illustrated, capable
of bringing you sounds and movies and interactivity. Other pages
can be as ugly and disagreeable as what you'd find
under a rock. Your goal: to bring yourself gratifying pages of
information, and no others. 
Content is everything. But to get to the content you seek, you'll
need connections to those pages. Well-crafted pages
provide built-in connections to other pages. That is, clicking
your mouse button on a highlighted word or picture brings
another page of information--a linked page--to your screen. 
The entire network of pages can be potentially interlinked, one
pointing to another. As a result, you can display
information in the meaningful context of "Here is some
information on a page in front of me, and highlighted on this
page
is a connection to related information I might wish to explore
next." Netscape's popularity stems from the opulence of its pages
and the ease of bringing them to your screen. Pages
designed with expressive lettering, art, color, photos, sound,
animation, forms, and interactivity can be linked to an
untold number of similar pages distributed on networked computers
worldwide. Some Netscape pages contain frames. Frames segment a
page into rectangular areas, each area capable of displaying a
page. Using frames, Netscape can display pages within a page
(like the picture-in-picture feature of TV sets). Clicking
on a link in a frame may bring one or more new frames within a
page, or an entirely new page. The author of a page
determines which frames make up a page, however, you can use your
mouse to resize any frame within a page so that
you have control over the layout of the presented information. 
Netscape explores World Wide Web pages, a part of the Internet
rich in multimedia features, as well as other parts of
the Internet that are often text-based. The Internet's Usenet
newsgroups, electronic mail, and alternative transport
protocols offer impressive diversity of content and communicative
prowess. To take advantage of this wealth, Netscape
software contains features to explore the Internet in numerous
domains. Foremost, Netscape software presents pages of the
Internet with elegance and efficiency. Netscape software is a
browser--an interface--to pages throughout the world. Netscape
software allows you to immerse yourself in content
unencumbered by the complexity of distributed networks. 
Where should I start? 
Netscape software makes your exploration of the Internet more
productive and efficient. Built-in features let you easily
access information, create bookmarks listing your favorite pages,
view a history of pages you have already seen, and
customize the application's look and operation to suit your
preferences. If you're experienced with the Internet and World
Wide Web browsers, consider going directly to Mail, News, and
Bookmarks, Primary Menu Items, and Preferences Panels to scan for
new topics. Also, look over the final part
of the handbook containing reference questions and answers. 
If you're familiar with the Internet and browsers, but want an
overview of the features visible in Netscape's main
window, begin with Onscreen Fundamentals, then continue with the
aforementioned reference sections. 
If you have some understanding of Internet concepts, but are new
to World Wide Web browsers, proceed directly to
the Learn Netscape tutorial, then to the reference sections. 
If you detest mirth in your documentation, don't even consider
reading the Heartwarming Introduction. You can skip
over these interpersonal dialogs and not miss a thing about how
Netscape works (you'll find the basics are also
explained in the chapter following the introduction). 
If you want to read from start to end, continue on with Before
You Begin for more about handbook content, software
installation, and a start-up summary. 
For information particular to a software release (such as newly
added features and helper applications), run the
Netscape software and choose the Help|Release Notes menu item
(the Release Notes item under the Help menu). 
What will I learn in this handbook 
Before You Begin 
tells you what's ahead and offers information to give you a quick
start with Netscape Navigator software. 
Heartwarming Introduction 
is like nothing you've ever read in a product manual. It's
conversations with the Kafka family. Those of you new
to Netscape and the Internet might find you'll acquire the
underlying concepts presented in the least daunting of
manners. 
Learn Netscape 
presents the prominent topics of Netscape operation in short,
tutorial style. Some topics might interest you
immediately; others only after you've used the software and
desire more instruction. 
Onscreen Fundamentals 
is a general reference to the Netscape application organized by
what you see on the screen. The software's key
operations are explained without a preponderance of details. 
Mail, News, and Bookmarks 
covers these widely used features, explaining the specialized
windows, toolbars, and menu items. 
Primary Menu Items 
is a specific reference to Netscape window features obtained
through the menu bar and pop-up menus. This
section methodically explains most of the software's
capabilities. Preferences Panels 
extends the discussion of the primary menu items with a specific
reference to preferences items in the Options
menu. 
Questions and Answers 
is a set of sections providing detail on a range of topics from
tips and tricks to Internet tools to security. 
Index 
is the first place to go when you have a topic in mind. 
How can beginning Internet users install Netscape? 
To gain access to the Internet you need an Internet connection.
Specifically, you need either a dial-up connection
through a SLIP/PPP account or a direct connection to the Internet
through a local area network (LAN). The Windows,
Macintosh, and UNIX platforms each have unique file and
configuration requirements. 
Some Netscape products, such as Netscape Navigator Personal
Edition, provide the necessary files, configurations,
and instructions for a first-time Internet user to gain simple
access through a dial-up connection. The software helps
connect you to the network of a service provider (a company with
telecommunicati on
capabilities) that maintains your
Internet account. 
Other Netscape products, such as Netscape Navigator LAN Edition,
are for users who already have an Internet
connection or the know-how to gain access. If you are using this
software and need help connecting to the Internet, you
might want to ask a system administrator or knowledgeable friend,
or consult one of the many Internet books that
explain installation and configuration of Internet services for
your computer platform. 
How can Windows users install basic Netscape? 
Before installing Netscape, ensure that your Winsock package is
installed according to the package's instructions. Most
packages come with a utility application to test your Internet
connection. Windows 95 includes a built-in Winsock
package. 
You can obtain Netscape software from a network or on disk. From
the network, use a file transfer program to
download a version of Netscape for Windows (for example,
N32E20.EXE or n32e20) and place it in a temporary
directory. Then, run the file from DOS or Windows to self-extract
the installation files for Netscape. If you obtain the
software on disk, you'll have the necessary installation files. 
From Windows, locate Netscape's SETUP.EXE (or Setup) with your
file manager, then double-click on the file to
install Netscape automatically. Netscape creates a c:\netscape
directory and a Netscape icon group for you. 
Your Winsock package might require running a dialer to establish
an Internet connection. Once you've connected, you
can run Netscape. 
How can Mac and UNIX users install basic Netscape? 
On Macintosh 
Install a TCP stack and a dialer (MacTCP and MacPPP are the most
common) and place them in the System folder. 
You can get Netscape software from a network or on disk. From the
network, use a file transfer program to download
a version of Netscape suited for your Macintosh processor. If you
obtain the software on disk, you'll have the
necessary installation files. 
Double-click on the Installer icon to automatically install the
Netscape application. 
Run the dialer, connect, and run Netscape. 
On UNIX 
Get the appropriate binary file for your UNIX computer. Load the
file into the appropriate directory, then type: zcat
filename.tarZ | tar xvf - 
Read the README file and do any necessary adjustments (for
example, putting the provided XKeysymDB and nls
files in the correct place). 
What else do I need to know? 
This text assumes you are running the Netscape application with a
network connection to the Internet. If you need help
acquiring Netscape or establishing a network connection to the
Internet, consult with your service provider, system
administrator, or support resources. 
Some of you are reading this handbook on printed paper; others
are reading this online using Netscape software. The
online version lets you rapidly pinpoint the text you need by
clicking your mouse on content listings and index entries. 
In addition to the online handbook, the Help menu offers other
supplemental support including answers to frequently
asked questions, release notes for the Windows, Macintosh, or
UNIX platforms, and access to technical support. 
The cryptic acronyms and jargon haven't been banished entirely
from this text, yet effort has been made to keep this
handbook thin and useful so you may enjoy the following: 
Richly formatted, multimedia pages (simplifying HTTP) 
External graphics (automating GIF and JPEG) 
Secure transfer of information (integrating RSA technology) 
Full-fledged newsgroup interaction (including NNTP) 
Simple mail delivery (including SMTP) 
Shareware and public domain software (including FTP) 
Internet application access (civilizing UNIX) 
What's on each Netscape page? 
Click highlighted words and images in the content area of a page
to bring new Internet pages to your screen. 
Click toolbar buttons to activate commonly used Netscape
features. Click directory buttons to link to pages with
information and tools for browsing the Internet. 
Choose an item in a pull-down menu items to access a wide range
of both common and less frequently used
features, including commands to open other Netscape windows such
as the Mail window and News window. 
Use the location field to find the URL (page address) of the
current page and to enter other URLs of pages you
want to view. The field's label says Location when the page comes
from a server, or Go to when you edit the
field. 
An animated Netscape icon (status indicator) indicates when a
transfer is in progress. 
A blue colorbar (and a doorkey icon on blue) indicates a secure
document. A gray colorbar (and a broken
doorkey icon on gray) indicates an insecure document. 
The status message field displays information about a targeted
page or a transfer in progress. For example, when
you point the cursor over a highlighted link, the status field
displays the location of the page a mouse click will
bring. 
The progress bar fills with color as a transmission completes its
operation. The title bar shows the name, if any, of the current
page. 
The mail icon helps you check for incoming messages. 
Quickly, how do I start? 
Run the Netscape application. The first page you see is your
current home page. You can view and link to other
Internet pages by clicking on any highlighted words (colored or
underlined) or highlighted graphics (images with colored
borders) in the content area of a page. 
Several buttons in the button bars and items in the menu bar are
also links to Internet pages. For example, pressing the
Back button in the toolbar or choosing the Go|Back menu item (the
Back menu item from the Go menu) brings to your
screen the previous page. 
Try moving back and forth between two pages: 
1.Click on any highlighted words to view a new page, then click
on the toolbar's Back button (left arrow) or select
the Go|Back menu item to retrieve the previous page. 
2.Repeat step 1. Notice the changes in the location field (show's
the page's network location), the Netscape status
indicator (animates during a transfer), the status message field
(shows a link's location or a transfer's progress),
and the progress bar (illustrates a transfer's progress). 
What's good on the Internet? 
Netscape software offers a Directory menu with links to spark
(What's New? and What's Cool?) and expedite
(Internet Directory, Internet Search, and Internet White Pages)
your explorations. Throughout the Internet you'll
find links to pages of related interest. And your local bookstore
has shelves filled with titles attempting to map the
ever-changing information landscape. 
Perhaps you were hoping for the handbook to supply 100 color
illustrations of the most fabulous Internet sites. (You
were probably also disappointed that Melville didn't include any
pictures of the whale.) Alas, an arbitrary sampling might
quickly date a reference book and portray a bias of taste.
Internet content increasingly reflects a spectrum of interests
from individuals and institutions, benevolent and opportunistic,
sometimes artfully communicated, sometimes splayed in
an attempt gone awry. 
The Internet remains an untamed frontier. Its rules and etiquette
have evolved, and continue to evolve, from its
participants. You can find unparalleled richness in human
expression; the principles of mass publication are no longer the
property of the elite. The quality of information and the
behavior of individuals vary. As a member in the electronic
community, you might ask yourself how you'd like to contribute. 
Hey, Ma 
Hey, Ma. I got a new job. I'm no longer the night manager at
Lothario's House of Horrors in the Tenderloin. I'm writing
a book about the Internet. 
Good for you, Tooey. Isn't that the same organization James Bond
works for? 
Close, Ma, but no. This is information highway stuff, not a spy
thriller. It's a handbook for a software program called
Netscape so when you turn on your computer something more
intelligent happens than flying toasters. 
But last visit you were so proud to show us your flying toasters. 
I know, Ma, but we've all got to grow. Netscape is real. It
brings information from computers around the world to your
screen. 
That's nice. 
I mean it, Ma. 
Dad and I like the aquarium fish more than the toasters with
wings. Ma, those are screen savers. Netscape brings real
information. 
Yes, Tooey, I'm sure it does. Why don't you tell your father
about it? 
On to Dad 
Hello, son. Mom told me you're working for the government. 
No, not the government, Dad. The Internet got its start in the
government; now it's a term used to describe a collection
of computers worldwide that are connected in one way or another.
It's a network. No one owns the whole thing. It's
more a collaboration among all kinds of organizations and people
to split the cost and responsibilities of sharing
information. 
I suppose everyone who wants to can broadcast from their own home
television station. 
Sort of. Right now you can publish the equivalent of interactive
magazine pages. The broadcast of sound and movies is
becoming more and more efficient. 
We'll need a remote control that can flip through several million
stations. And they better not forget the on and off
switch. 
So I think you and Mom ought to try using Netscape. I can get you
connected to the Internet on your computer at
home. Then you can browse around to see what interests you. 
Don't have much time for the computer these days. Am volunteering
at the hospital two days a week and the library one
day week. Help out at the USO Wednesday evenings. Play golf. Keep
the house up. Take your mother out to dinner.
When I need to write something down, I find it easier to pick up
a pen. 
Just try it, Dad. This isn't a crummy word processor that gives
you empty pages and a thick manual. With Netscape,
your pages are filled with information on topics you choose.
Pages with color pictures and nice text and maybe sounds
or movies. 
Yes, I know. Computers are the future. Show your mother how it
works. She's better than I am. She can make the
toasters swim with the colored fish. 
Random access page-turner 
Here, Ma. I set everything up for you. You're looking at the
Netscape home page. To go somewhere, just point the
mouse over any colored text and click. You can always come back
to where you were by clicking on the Back button
in this toolbar or selecting Back from the Go menu. See these
words Netscape Handbook? That's the book I'm
working on. Try clicking on it. Go on. Just point and click.
That's right. Now see the colors moving on this little indicator
image. That means the page you clicked on is being transferred
from a remote computer to your computer. Same thing
with this status bar and these messages in the status area. They
are all feedback to tell you how information you
requested is coming from a server computer through an Internet
connection to your computer. 
So I'm on the information highway. This is fun. How come your
book is only one page long? 
There's more, Ma. You're just looking at the title and the table
of contents. Netscape brings you one page at a time. I
could have put the whole book in one long scrolling page but it's
more efficient to transport documents in smaller
chunks. Maybe some people want to read only the fun, folksy part.
This way they can click on heartwarming
introduction to receive just the section they want rather than
the whole book. 
I can't wait to read it, but I need to get my glasses. Sometimes
I get a headache trying to read on the screen. You
wouldn't have a printed copy, would you? 
Yeah, I've got a printed copy. Netscape lets you change the size
and kind of text you see on screen, yet still I don't like
reading long documents on screen. I just want to show you how you
can click on certain words that are linked
automatically to a new page. Click on any of the highlighted
words in the table of contents or index, and you'll see the
page that is linked. Netscape works like a television remote
control except instead of channels you select pages. It's an
automatic, random access page-turner. 
Sister 
Hi Tooey. Ma says you took her for a ride on the information
highway. Yeah, but she wasn't wearing her glasses so she didn't
see anything. She said she had a good time. 
I showed her how Netscape software works. It's pretty simple: you
run the program while connected to the Internet
and you look at pages, some with pictures and art as colorful as
any magazine. Links you see on one page help transmit
to you related information that's on another page. You just click
on colored words or pictures and, zoom, another page,
linked to the one you're seeing, comes flying into your computer
from the Internet. These interconnected pages are
distributed on server computers all over the world and Netscape
is the software that brings them to you. 
Who makes the pages and, if they're on servers all over the
world, who makes the links between the pages? 
That's exactly what everyone is trying to figure out. Right now,
pages are made by a bunch of Internet geeks who know
how to get information inside these server computers. But that's
about to change. More and more, pages and their links
are going to be personalized so that every individual can find
the information they want and publish information for
others. 
Do you like the people at your company? 
So far. They seem cool: intense programmers, torn jeans and
t-shirts, working through the night, alternative rock, 3 AM
trips to Denny's. I doubt we'll have the same problem as when I
contracted for the Pagan Axle Research Center, you
know, where their chief of engineering was detained by the county
for loudly explaining his proof of Fermat's Last
Theorem to a barbershop pole.. 
My sweetie 
Hey, pumpkin-girl. Are you free tonight? 
For you, yes. 
I was thinking of coming home early from work. Say, nine tonight.
You want to come over? 
How about if you come here? 
Certainly. 
Are you going to show me what's interesting on the Internet? 
I'd rather drown in a bowl of cabbage soup than disappoint you. 
You haven't yet. You know, your Mom called this morning. She
asked for you, but I think she wanted to talk to me.
She also wanted to know how to find the Internet discussion group
about Northern Exposure. I told her about news
and newsgroups, the Internet's bulletin board system. For an
example, I had her type news:alt.tv.* in the location field.
After reminding her to press the return key, she got the News
window listing all the alt.tv newsgroups and, sure
enough, she scrolled down and found the alt.tv.northern-exposure
link. Apparently, spent the rest of the afternoon
reading news messages describing the show's plots, personalities,
and demise in more detail than any TV show
deserves. She called back an hour ago marveling at the thread
that analyzed the parallel between Northern Exposure
and Green Acres: city transplant enveloped in rural lore. 
My mom is talking about threads? Where did she pick that up? 
She wanted to know why the titles of some messages were indented
in outline format. I told her the indented items were
responses, and responses to responses, to mirror a conversation.
I told her a thread is Internet parlance for a
conversation and that you could follow a thread by pressing the
Next button. Or jump to the next thread by pressing
the Thread button. Your mom is on the net. 
Who calls? 
Ma, Martha told me you called the other morning. You know I'm
never awake in the mornings. 
Maybe I wanted to talk to Martha. She told me about the
alternative newsgroups. Why do they call them alternative? 
You don't want to know, Mom. 
Oh, I saw all the newsgroups with the strange names. I would
never read those. 
Me neither. There are plenty of other great alt groups. And there
are tons of other categories besides alt. There's rec
for recreation, sci for science, biz for business, and hundreds
more. Martha said you liked the Northern Exposure
messages. 
I sent one in myself. I pressed the Post Office button and mailed
a letter. It got me wondering: Which newsgroup is
your book in? None of the pages in the Northern Exposure
newsgroup had nice pictures like your book. 
I think you mean the Send button, but hey. My book isn't in a
newsgroup. When you looked at my book and then
looked at a newsgroup, you were exploring two different areas of
the Internet. My book lives in the area that supports
excellent pictures and sounds and movies. The newsgroups live in
an area that supports easy back-and-forth
communication. Maybe one day the areas will merge, but right now
the Internet is specialized, not geographically, but
according to protocols. 
Who calls? 
Protocols. Oh, never mind. The Internet brings you different
kinds of pages. Some, like the pages of my book, have the
characteristics of glossy magazines with clever links. Others,
like the newsgroup pages, resemble a community bulletin
board posted with everybody's news and opinions. Netscape brings
you pages of either kind. You haven't read my
manual yet, have you? 
Not yet, Tooey. But I will. I promise. Did you know a university
professor wrote in to ask who was the Northern
Exposure equivalent of Arnold Ziffel? Someone responded the
moose, but I think the answer goes deeper than that. 
Brother 
Hey. 
Hey. 
You're writing again. 
Yup. Someone's got to explain every arrogant, assaulting acronym
the industry has come up with in the last twenty
years. Unless you've set up your smtp and nntp servers, are
comfortable using telnet, can ftp binhex, gif, and jpeg
files, know the url of my http site, and want to read my html
pages on www. 
You're working with a bunch of sick puppies. You know, the
hospital here has got an Internet connection. Should we
be using your software? 
You bet. I've got Mom reading Web pages and newsgroups. I'm
holding off telling her about email because I'm afraid
she'll expect me to write to her. 
You're too late. She sent me email last night. She has discovered
that Netscape is a full-fledged electronic mail
application and newsreader program in addition to a Web browser.
Now she's asking for a built-in Netscape screen
saver. 
What? Mom's complaining about features? 
Look, you were the one who bought her the computer. I suggested
tai chi lessons. 
I guess Mom has filled you in then. Netscape software supports a
bunch of protocols with a single point-and-click
interface. Foremost, there's World Wide Web hypertext support for
reading multimedia pages like my handbook. Then
there's a built-in Internet newsreader that follows threads and
allows you to post your own messages. There is, as Mom
pointed out, full email capabilities that let you compose, send,
and receive email over the net. Plus, there's a bunch
more. You can transport files. Read Gopher menus. Search
databases. Run Java applets. Program in JavaScript. Hey,
Netscape takes virtually everything on the Internet and presents
the information on a page. To view more information,
you click on a link, a button, or a menu item. It's almost that
simple and is evolving into the jack-of-all-trades Internet
application. 
Dad discovers bookmarks 
Hey, Dad. Check this out. 
Whoa. They let you do that? 
This page is from the Museum of Modern Art. There's no single
"they" in the Internet. The closest thing to a "they" in the
Internet is the groundswell of users who voice opinions to those
who abuse the frontier spirit of interconnected
computers. These scanned museum art pieces are well within the
bounds of net etiquette. On the other hand, there's
utter abhorrence for the huckster who sends unsolicited
advertising. How can you tell this is from the museum? 
See this code in the location field. It's a URL, short for
Uniform Resource Locator. Every page has a unique URL that
serves as its address. You can usually glean some information by
interpreting some of the letters between slashes and
periods. This one has a name and organization code org indicating
the museum. On other locations, the last couple of
letters refer to a country code. 
What's the difference between a person's email address and a
page's URL address? 
Not much. They both designate a location, but are used for
different purposes. If you ask Netscape to display an email
address, you're going to get a message that there's no page to
transmit. Likewise, if you ask Netscape to send mail to a
page's URL, the page location has no capacity to receive your
mail. See these letters http? That's a protocol for
presenting richly formatted, multimedia pages. The protocol news
presents pages containing Internet newsgroup
messages. Email uses yet another protocol, smtp, that presents
information in the context of a personal mailbox rather
than a published page. 
So how do you remember every address? 
Some pages I've got memorized, but Netscape has a bookmark
feature that makes memorization unnecessary.
Whenever you're looking at a page, you can choose Add Bookmark
from the Bookmarks menu to append the title of
the page to the Bookmarks menu. Later, you can choose the title
to bring the page. At its simplest, the bookmark
feature is a menu listing of page titles associated with page
URLs. You can open the Bookmarks window to elaborate
on your list of bookmarks. In the window you can group bookmarks
in folders that correspond to menu headings,
create multiple lists, share lists with other people, and
otherwise help you keep track of a large number of your favorite
pages. 
My sister, my search 
How long is the handbook? 
Too long. People have better things to do than read nonfiction.
The holier-than-thou voice of those who believe they are
imparting truths gives me the creeps. Man, there are some places
in this universe where nothing is the truth. Manual
writers need to recognize that even nouns can drip like Salvador
Dali's watch. 
Are you doing okay, Tooey? You sound a little tired 
The Internet is big, but big unto itself is no worthy grail.
Bigness is only an asset if you have proper filters to extract
matters of personal importance. Netscape can bring you more pages
than you can assimilate in a lifetime. How are you
going to spend your hours productively if the lyrics and harmony
that enrich your life are obscured with litter and noise?
I crave more from my technology than a heartless reference to a
mind numbing expanse. 
Maybe you need a little time off. When was the last time you and
Martha went away? 
We're making plans. I've been searching the net for a sign, an
omen, clues to nirvana. I checked under Netscape's
Directory and Help menus. That's what people need: a direction to
go and roadside attractions. 
Links to spirituality? I've looked at all of Netscape's menu
items. There's File, Edit, View, Go, Bookmarks, Options,
Directory, Window, and Help. They and their button counterparts
are tools to interact with the Internet's resources.
But tools are only tools. And the links you find in the Directory
and Help menus simply bring pages of information
supplied by indexers and writers such as yourself. The Internet
may become a reservoir of knowledge more profound
and nurturing than any modern day library, but get real, Tooey.
The net, like many of its nerdish contributors, remains
crude and raw and speckle-complected. 
I must remember to restrain my dueling enthusiasm and vitriol.
Choosing an item from the Directory or Help menu
brings a page of information from the Internet. These are only
starting points designed to open my eyes to possibilities
and opportunities. Sculpting beauty from the mountains of digital
detritus will come with time. I think for now I should
take your suggestion and call upon Martha to walk with me in the
twilight to the ice cream shop around the corner
where the youthful scoopers know us well and serve us double
scoops for the price of singles. 
Ma and ftp 
I talked to your sister today. She said you sounded a little sad. 
I've always been a little sad, Ma. I've had this wistful look
since I was eight years old. 
She says you worry too much. 
It's what I do best. 
You need to have more fun. 
Okay, tomorrow I'll have fun. I'll ignore my genetic
predisposition to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders
and
let nary an anxious thought trouble me. How's your TV newsgroup
doing? Enough is enough with that Alaska town. I started looking
at some different pages. Sometimes when I click on a link, I
get this message about a file transfer something. 
I can tell you've spent considerable time not reading my
handbook, Ma. That's okay, I understand. Instructional books
induce catatonia. 
I'm sure yours is good. 
Don't bet the inheritance on it. Anyway, Netscape supports lots
of protocols, which ultimately means different things
happen when you click on a link. The protocol for graphical
pages, known as World Wide Web pages, is different than
the protocol for newsgroup pages. Not only do the pages look a
little different, you can see the different protocol name
in the location field. Web pages start with the URL code http:
whereas news pages start with news:. The protocol for
email is different yet. But there's even more. 
What's the file transfer protocol do? 
The protocol that starts with ftp: is designed to let you
transfer files between a remote computer and your computer.
When you click on a ftp link, Netscape brings a file to your
computer's hard disk. Where some protocols bring pages
for viewing in Netscape, ftp brings computer software files that
reside independently of the Netscape application.
You've heard the phrase Odownloading.O Well, links to ftp sites
perform downloading automatically. It's the way
servers on the Internet distribute software. Once you've made a
connection to an ftp site, Netscape also gives you the
ability to upload files from your computer to the server using
either a menu command or by dragging file icons onto the
Netscape window. 
Brotherly morass 
Ma says you lost her trying to describe ftp. She knows it stands
for file transport protocol, but whenever she hears
about protocols she thinks she's supposed to curtsy the queen of
England. That's why I never bothered to mention Telnet, Gopher,
Lynx, Veronica, Archie, and WAIS. Eventually, I'll get around
to proxies, socks, and the helper applications. Plus there are
the powerful programming extensions such as Java,
JavaScript, and plug-ins. 
What are those? 
Just more peripheral stuff to learn if you want to enter the
Internet geekdom. Telnet is an application that lets you access
a remote computer and conduct an interactive session. You
exchange information by sitting and typing UNIX
commands into a blank field. Netscape lets you run Telnet easily,
but you have to know what to type to achieve any
results. 
And it goes down hill from there? 
Gopher's another protocol that Netscape supports. Gopher servers
offer pages with menus, but they aren't as rich as
Web pages. Lynx is a program for browsing among servers but,
unlike Netscape, supports only text. Veronica is a
program that searches Gopher sites. Archie is a program that
searches ftp sites. WAIS is server system specialized for
searching databases. Proxies, socks, and the helper applications
supplement the Netscape application: they are options
that let users adapt to particular computer configurations and
software requirements. 
Netscape knows how to display most of the information on the
Internet, but not everything. 
Yeah, for example, viewing software built into Netscape displays
images stored in the GIF and JPEG formats. But
pages can contain sounds or movies or compressed information that
needs to be interpreted by separate applications.
Netscape maintains a directory of helper applications that you
ought to have on your disk drive. When you click on a
link that requires outside help, Netscape makes the helper
application automatically run. 
Pages you can write on 
I noticed some pages have blanks for you to fill in. 
That's right, Dad. Pages can contain forms. Forms can accept
input and, with the press of a button, transmit the input to
an electronic address. 
So what you have is a page with a place inside for the user to
write email. 
Essentially, yes, though forms can take different kinds of input.
Forms may contain check boxes, radio buttons,
pull-down menus, or selection lists. Sometimes you'll find fields
already filled in with suggested text. When you are
finished filling out a form, you send it. Usually you just have
to press a button because the email address of the recipient
is predetermined by the form. 
What happens to the form after you send it out to the Internet? 
The input gets sent, not the form. The information you entered is
transmitted to a mailbox for a person to read or to a
computer capable of interpreting, and perhaps responding to, your
input. A form that produces an immediate response
is common. Such a form requests information that goes back to a
server computer, the server interprets the information
you've entered on the form, then sends back to you a page with
information responding to your request. But not all
forms send back mail. Sometimes when you send a form, no response
is generated; the page with the form stays on
your screen and the fields may revert to their original state. 
This whole business of forms sounds like an easy way for an
organization to take orders or get customer feedback or
disseminate information. 
Just like paper forms, electronic forms provide a structure and
context for communicating information. When you're
communicating to a computer, this can translate to fast and
expansive responses. Forms are definitely cool. 
I'd like to see a real estate form where you enter in the address
of a property for sale and you get back county clerk's
records for the house. You know how the realtors alway use
flowery language to make a house sound better than it is.
Like cute instead of tiny. Like near transportation instead of
abutting a truck stop. The glossy brochure that says
"located atop a gently sloping hill" might appeal less after an
Internet search reveals that the previous occupant's Andean
goat plummeted following a faulty misstep. 
Speaking of goats 
Do you think Netscape and the Internet are important in the grand
scheme of things? 
Martha. You know what happens when we start talking
existentially. The same as when we play crazy eights. Followed by
an uncanny hunger for a mushroom pizza. 
Knowledge transfers more deliberately than computer bits. My
fondness of the Internet is strongest when I get the sense
I've entered someone else's mind. Institutionalized information
doesn't appeal to me like the clever, intimate home pages
of people expressing a small part of themselves. The Internet
lets you publish a portrait of yourself as you choose, a
freedom that printed pages or broadcast media can't grant
efficiently. Netscape makes the Internet less daunting. Mostly
by consolidating the different protocols of electronic
information, and also by offering built-in Oschool suppliesO like
bookmark links that let you organize your own repository. The
combination of heartfelt content and personalized tools
makes a worthwhile contribution. I certainly find the work more
rewarding than my primary task in the Tenderloin:
coercing intoxicated patrons to refrain from fondling the
florescent appendages of a fourteen-foot ceramic Lizzie
Borden. 
Remember when we visited the little farm in Tilden park and you
talked to the Saint Albans goat? 
Everyone needs on occasion to look to a higher power for
guidance. Scholarly minutia doesn't excite me and the
spiritual path seems incomplete without weekly TV listings. Youth
provided me with artful distractions until my liver
cried uncle. I still see eidetic wisps fluid in the blue of sky.
Over torqued visionaries spout Internet glories, but only the
lonely write sensible instructions on the use of the heart. That
goat studied me unblinkingly. She knew all she needed. 
You asked her, "How shall I proceed?" 
She requested that I first feed her a choice morsel of corn,
which I did. Then her wise eyes answered, "I am goat who
knows what I need to know. You are something much uglier and
should proceed with modesty." 
We fed her more corn and walked among the live oak. 
Understanding pages and frames 
Now, you're probably comfortable with the idea that information
on the Internet is presented on pages you see on the
screen. Even the navigational concepts are pretty easy: 
You start with a home page. 
You click on highlighted words (colored or underlined) in a page
to bring another page of related information to
your screen. 
You click on arrow buttons to go back (or forward) to a page you
have previously seen. 
Plus, you can go directly to pages that interest you by choosing
menu items: 
History items in the Go menu display pages you have viewed
before. Bookmarks items in the Bookmarks menu display pages you
have designated as worthy of easy access. 
Directory items in the Directory menu display pages that help you
use Netscape and Internet features. 
Ideally, the act of finding pages becomes secondary to what you
really care about: the page's content. Like pages of a
magazine, you'll want to flip from one screen page to another,
sometimes to continue with the same article and other
times to begin a new article. But you can't hold screen pages in
your hands like you can a magazine. Screen pages are
rarely uniform in length and, displayed one page at a time, don't
provide intuitive feedback on where the information
begins and ends. 
So even though Internet pages bring information to you rather
gloriously, there is something distinctly uncomfortable
about content that continues over numerous links to pages of
varying lengths. Anyone who has witnessed a slide show
of a neighbor's family vacation can identify with the queasy
sensation of boundlessness. 
Readers of electronic pages need tools to keep track of pages.
The Netscape text fields, toolbar buttons, and menu
items provide you with the ability to manage pages of information
that might otherwise leave you feeling overwhelmed
and unfocused. Each time you open the Netscape window (you can
have multiple Netscape windows open
concurrently), you begin a new session of Internet interaction. 
The author of a page supplies the content you initially see.
Sometimes the content is presented as a single unit taking up
the entire content area of the window. Other times the content is
displayed in multiple rectangular frames that, together,
form a patchwork of individual pages that fills the content area.
Each frame can contain scroll bars to let you view more
information. Netscape allows you to resize any frame by
positioning the mouse in the borders between frames (the
cursor changes shape), then dragging the frame to a new size. 
A frame within a page is, in essence, a smaller page within a
large patchwork page. Each frame has characteristics of a
page. Together, the frames form a top-level page (also called a
frameset). For example, clicking on a link within a frame
can bring new information within the frame or to a different
frame. Likewise, a link can bring an entirely new top-level
page replacing all the frames. 
When viewing a page with frames, certain menu items change to
reflect that actions affect only a selected frame's page
and not the set of pages in the top-level page. The Mail
Document, Save as, and Print menu items change to Mail
Frame, Save Frame as, and Print Frame, respectively. When you
select a frame by clicking within it, other functions
such as keyboard shortcuts affect only the contents of the frame. 
Some pages and frames have the capability to automatically update
themselves. Pages that have server-push and
client-pull capabilities contain instructions that allow multiple
interactions with the server computers. You can always
terminate these automatic actions by going to another page or
otherwise exiting the page. 
To open a new Netscape window, choose the File|New Web Browser
menu item. The new window brings another
copy of your home page to screen in a fully functional and
independent Netscape window. You can have simultaneous
network connections. 
Knowing that every page has a unique URL 
To understand how a single page is kept distinct in a world of
electronic pages, you should recognize its URL, short for
Uniform Resource Locator. Every page has a unique URL just like
every person has a unique palm print. (Arguments
persist as to which is more cryptic.) 
A URL is text used for identifying and addressing an item in a
computer network. In short, a URL provides location
information and Netscape displays a URL in the location field.
Most often you don't need to know a page's URL
because the location information is included as part of a
highlighted link; Netscape already knows the URL when you
click on highlighted text, press an arrow button, or select a
menu item. But sometimes you won't have an automatic link
and instead have only the text of the URL (perhaps from a friend
or a newspaper article). 
Netscape gives you the opportunity to type a URL directly into
the location text field (or the URL dialog box produced
by the File|Open Location menu item. Using the URL, Netscape will
bring you the specified page just as if you had
clicked on an automatic link. Notice that the label on the
location field says Location after you bring a page, or Go to
as soon as you edit the field. 
Here are some sample URLs: 
http://home.netscape.com/index.html 
ftp://ftp.netscape.com/pub/ 
news:news.announce.newusers 
On Windows, the location text field offers a pull-down menu to
the right of the text. The menu contains up to 10 URLs
of pages whose locations you've most recently typed into the
field and viewed. Choosing a URL item from this menu
brings the page to your screen again. The URLs are retained in
the menu across your Netscape sessions. 
Netscape uses the URL text to find a particular item, such as a
page, among all the computers connected to the
Internet. Within the URL text are components that specify the
protocol, server, and pathname of an item. Notice in the
URL http://home.netscape.com/index.html that the protocol is
followed by a colon (http:), the server is preceded
by two slashes (//home.netscape.com), and each segment of the
pathname (only one here) is preceded by a single
slash (/index.html). 
The first component, the protocol, identifies a manner for
interpreting computer information. Many Internet pages use
HTTP (short for HyperText Transfer Protocol). Other common
protocols you might come across include file (also
known as ftp, which is short for File Transfer Protocol), news
(the protocol used by Usenet news groups), and gopher
(an alternative transfer protocol). 
The second component, the server, identifies the computer system
that stores the information you seek (such as
home.netscape.com). Each server on the Internet has a unique
address name whose text refers to the organization
maintaining the server. 
The last component, the pathname, identifies the location of an
item on the server. For example, a pathname usually
specifies the name of the file comprising the page (such as
/welcome.html), possibly preceded by one or more
directory names (folder names) that contain the file (such as
/home/welcome.html ).
Some pathnames use special characters. If you are typing a URL
into the location field, you'll need to enter the
characters that exactly match the URL. For example, some
pathnames contain the tilde character (~) which designates a
particular home directory on a server. 
Finding, starting and stopping links 
A link is a connection from one page to another. You find a link
by looking for one or more words highlighted with
color, underlining, or both in the content area of a page. Images
and icons with colored borders also serve as links.
When the mouse cursor points over a link, the URL location of the
link appears in the status field. A link within a page
that contains frames can be a connection that brings one or more
new pages within frames, or an entirely new top-level
page replacing all frames. 
You can bring a linked page to your screen by clicking once on
the highlighted text, image, or icon. Clicking on a link
transfers page content from a server location to your location.
After you click on a link, the Netscape status indicator
animates to show you that the transfer of the page to your
computer is in progress. You can stop a transfer in progress
by pressing the Stop button or choosing the Go|Stop Loading menu
item. An unfollowed link is a connection to a page that you have
not yet viewed; a followed link is one you have. By default,
unfollowed links are blue and followed links are purple. (On
Windows and Macintosh, you can change the colors used
to denote unfollowed and followed links from the
Options|General|Colors menu item. On UNIX, modify your
.Xdefaults file outside of the application.) If you have a black
and white monitor, unfollowed and followed links are
highlighted only with underlining and not differentiated. 
You can stop a transfer in progress whenever the transfer takes
longer than you like. This might happen if the content of
the page is large or if the server computer is sluggish.
Sometimes the page specified by a link just isn't available.
You'll
usually get a message if a connection was not made or a page not
found. Examine the status field and progress bar to
receive feedback about the progress of a transfer. 
When you bring a page to your screen, you'll see the whole page
or, if the content is extensive, only a portion. (Scroll
bars let you see the rest.) Often the portion you see is the
beginning of the page, but sometimes a link brings you content
from the page's middle or end. A link can display a new page or
display a different portion of the same page (in effect,
automatically scrolling for you). For example, the beginning of a
page might include a table of contents that links each
chapter title to its respective content further down the page. 
Yet another kind of link doesn't bring a page at all. A mailto
link whose URL begins with mailto:, produces the
Message Composition window for sending email (with the
recipient's address automatically filled in). 
Linking via buttons and menu items 
In addition to links in the content area, you can also access
links using Netscape buttons and menu items. Many of the
links controlled by buttons and menu items bring pages you have
viewed at least once before. Button links are
particularly useful for going back and forth among recently
viewed pages. Menu item links directly access a wide range
of pages such as a history list of pages you have viewed or a
bookmark list of pages you (or others) have personally
selected as noteworthy. 
The toolbar offers the following button links: 
Back displays the previous page in the history list. The history
list is a reference to pages you have viewed. 
Forward displays the next page in the history list. (Available
only after using the Back command or a history
menu item.) 
Home displays the home page designated in your preferences. 
Open displays a dialog box where you can enter any URL. 
Once you have brought a page to screen, you can view (and store,
if you wish) its URL. Every page is distinguished by
its URL. Linking to a page via highlighted content, toolbar
buttons, or menu items is a shortcut that enables you to
display the page without having to explicitly request the page's
URL. When no built-in link is available, you can display a
page by entering the URL in the location field, then pressing the
Enter (Return) key. (The label of the location field
changes to Go to when you edit the field.) Alternatively, you can
choose the File|Open Location menu item, enter the
URL in the dialog box, then press the Open button. 
Menu items offer each of the links available through toolbar
buttons plus many more. The Netscape application keeps
track of pages you have seen, lets you create easy-access lists
of favorite pages, and points you to pages with current
information about Netscape and the Internet. The page's title is
displayed as the menu item. 
History items from the Go menu display previously viewed pages.
The Netscape application automatically
appends the title of a page you have viewed as the topmost menu
item in the history list. The View History menu
item shows you how the history lineage is maintained. 
Bookmark items from the Bookmarks menu display pages of your
choice. You can add a bookmark menu item
for the page you are viewing by choosing Bookmarks|Add Bookmark.
The Window|Bookmarks menu item
lets you establish lists of bookmarks for yourself and to share
with others. 
Items from the Directory and Help menus display pages with
up-to-date information on Netscape software and
Internet exploration. 
A pop-up menu offers utility features and a shortcut for certain
links. On Windows and UNIX, you can click on
the right mouse button to produce the pop-up menu (on Macintosh,
press and hold down the mouse button).
When the mouse button is pressed over a link or image, pop-up
menu items let you go to pages, view individual
images, save files onto your disk, copy locations to the
clipboard, and perform other tasks. On the Windows 95
version, the pop-up menu item Create Shortcut lets you create
Internet shortcut icons that you can place on the
desktop or in any folder. Clicking on an Internet shortcut icon
automatically opens the Netscape application and
loads a particular page. 
Using history and bookmark lists 
When you pull down a menu that contains history or bookmark
items, you see a list of page titles. To bring a page to
your screen, choose the title of the page. 
History items let you quickly retrieve pages that you've recently
viewed in your current session. Only a single lineage of
history items is displayed. 
For example, a series of pages containing maps might show you
increasing detail as you click on links. If you view
consecutively linked pages with titles North America, United
States, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia, you'll see all four
items appear in the history list with Philadelphia topmost in the
list. Furthermore, if you back up to the United States page, then
view pages of California and San Francisco, California and
San Francisco automatically replace Pennsylvania and
Philadelphia. The new line of links replaces the old line of
links. 
Bookmarks items offer a more permanent means of page retrieval.
Once you add a bookmark to your list, the title stays
until you remove it or change lists. The permanence and
accessibility of bookmarks make them invaluable for
personalizing your Internet access. 
Because bookmarks offer such ease of retrieval, the Netscape
application offers many options for creating a bookmark
list. Basic options let you add access to a page through a menu
item. More advanced options let you create hierarchical
menus, partial menu displays, multiple and shared bookmark files,
list descriptions, and list searches. 
The Bookmarks window, displayed by choosing the Window|Bookmarks
menu item, gives you tools to manage
bookmark lists. These tools might differ slightly depending on
the platform you are using. 
You'll find bookmarks and folders (a folder represents a
hierarchical menu header) arranged like files and folders on
your hard disk. You can double-click bookmarks to access pages,
drag and-drop icons to arrange your bookmarks,
and use bookmark menu items to create new bookmark items and
manipulate bookmark lists. 
For example, to create a hierarchical menu, choose Item|Insert
Folder from the Bookmarks window, give the folder
(header) a name in the dialog box, close the dialog, then drag a
bookmark into the resulting folder. 
Don't let the advanced features dissuade you from the basic
functionality of bookmarks. At its simplest, you can choose
the Bookmarks|Add Bookmarks menu item to add the current page to
your bookmark list, giving you direct access
to your favorite pages. 
Choosing the screen look 
You can tailor the look of the Netscape application by showing or
hiding certain graphical elements on the screen.
You'll find the basic alternatives listed in the Options menu. 
The default settings show the toolbar, location field, and
directory buttons. These graphical elements provide simplified
access to links, commands, and page location information. By
hiding any or all of these graphical elements, you increase
the amount of screen real estate available for page content. 
Checking the Show Toolbar item displays a row of easily
accessible buttons that substitute for widely used menu
items. 
Checking the Show Location item displays URL information that's
useful for tracking a page's whereabouts or
requesting a new page. 
Checking the Show Directory Buttons item displays a row of handy
buttons that substitute for some Directory
and Help menu items. 
Other items in the Options menu affect the presentation of
information. Auto Load Images lets you designate whether
to display inline graphics automatically. Document Encoding
allows for the display of different language character sets.
Choosing one of the preferences menu items General, Mail and
News, Network, or Security produces a tabbed
dialog box (or pop-up menu). Each preferences menu item provides
access to specific preferences panels. 
The panels contain settings that determine how the Netscape
application operates. Many settings affect the look of
graphical elements and content. After you are finished changing
any values, click the OK button to accept the new panel
settings or click the Cancel button to close the dialog box
without accepting changes. 
Changing styles, fonts, and colors 
To see options affecting general styles, fonts, and colors,
choose the Options|General menu item. The dialog box
contains tabs to different panel settings. For options affecting
the styles, font, and colors of mail and news, choose the
Options|Mail and News menu item. 
In the General|Appearance panel, one set of radio buttons let you
display the toolbar with Pictures, Text, or
Pictures and Text. 
You can check whether to also underline colored links. With a
black and white display, you must check this box to
underline links so the links are visible. 
Another set of radio buttons lets you designate the number of
days before the color of a followed link reverts back to
the color of a unfollowed link. For example, if you specify 7
days, the color indicator for a followed link expires after 7
days and reverts to the unfollowed link color. If you choose
Never, followed links never revert to the unfollowed color.
Pressing the Now button causes all followed links to immediately
revert to the color of unfollowed links. The default
value specifies that followed links expire after 30 days. 
On Windows and Macintosh, you can select colors for links, text,
and background in the Colors panel . Click the
Custom check boxes, then press the Choose Color buttons (on
Macintosh, click the colored boxes). If the check box
is unchecked, default settings display unfollowed links in blue,
followed links in purple, text in black, and background in
white. For background, you can also choose an image file. 
On Windows and UNIX, the Images panel lets you choose how to
display an image's colors to most closely match the
computer's available colors. 
In the Fonts panel, a set of pull-down menus lets you choose the
font and font size for each of the two types of fonts
that pages use to display text: Proportional and Fixed. Most text
uses a proportional font. Text in editable fields and
certain paragraphs preformatted by the author of a page typically
use a fixed font. 
Also in the Fonts panel, you can use the For the Encoding
pull-down menu to choose the character set encoding that's
associated with each proportional and fixed font pair. Netscape
lets you choose encodings in order to accommodate
the character symbols of numerous languages. You can view or
modify the fonts associated with any encoding by
choosing the encoding name from the menu, then choosing items
from the proportional and fixed font pull-down menus.
For example, for the default encoding Latin1, you can choose to
display proportional font text in 12 point Times and
fixed font text in 10 point Courier. Note that to apply a
particular encoding to a page, choose from the
Options|Document Encoding hierarchical menu. 
Selecting a home page 
You can designate your own home page (the page the Netscape
application first brings to the screen each time you
open a new window) by supplying a URL as a preferences panel
item. The home page designated initially with
Netscape software (the default) has this URL:
http://home.netscape.com/index.htm l
You can change your home page (and change back to the default)
clicking the radio button Home Page Location in
Options|General|Appearance, then typing the URL of the new home
page you want. Alternatively, you can check the
radio button Blank Page if you want the home page to be empty of
content. Each time you ask the Netscape application to open a new
window, the designated home page is brought to screen.
The URL can designate a page from a remote computer or one on
your hard disk. 
To get the URL of a page on your hard disk, choose File|Open
File. Then select the page (file) on your hard disk (for
example, you can choose your bookmarks file). After the page
opens, you'll see its URL in the location field. You can
select and copy the URL, then paste it into the Home Page
Location text field in your preferences. 
At first, you probably won't have any pages stored on your hard
disk. But later, you might want quick and sure access
to certain pages, such as one with valuable links or one you've
created for yourself. 
Viewing inline images 
Ideally, pages on the screen should present images (or other
multimedia effects) as simply and efficiently as text.
However, images (and sounds and movies) are relatively larger in
byte size than text and can take considerable time to
transport from remote computers (servers) to your computer. The
length of time needed to bring a page with images
depends on several factors, most prominently the speed of the
modem or direct link connecting you with a remote
server. To compensate for the potential lethargy of transmitting
images, Netscape software offers features that let you
manipulate how images are handled. 
The Netscape application loads images into pages automatically.
If the author of a page has designed the page with
inline images, the images are displayed when you bring the page
to your screen. You have the option to turn off
automatic image loading by unchecking the Options|Auto Load
Images menu item. When this menu item is
unchecked, the images in pages are replaced by small icons. In
addition, the small replacement icon is sometimes
accompanied by alternative text. Also called ALT text,
alternative text is shown only as a substitution when an image is
not loaded. 
You can view these images at a later time. To manually load all
images that are represented by icons, you can press the
Images button in the toolbar or select the View|Load Images menu
item. To manually load an individual image, click
on the image's icon. 
The advantage of unchecking Auto Load Images is that pages are
brought to screen faster. The disadvantage is that
you can't view the images until you specify that you want the
images loaded. 
The Auto Load Images item affects subsequent links and not the
current contents of a page. However, if you choose
the View|Reload menu item or press the Reload button on the
toolbar, you bring the current page back again, this time
with the Auto Load Image option active. 
You also have the option of displaying an image incrementally as
the image is transmitted or in a single burst after the
transmission. Typically, the While Loading option provides more
satisfying feedback. However, on a fast network, the
After Loading option may complete the load slightly faster. 
To set this option, choose the Options|General|Images menu item,
then select one of the two radio buttons: While
Loading or After Loading. 
Like highlighted text, an inline image can be linked to another
page, another position on the same page, or any type of
external file such as an external image. As with all links,
pointing the mouse button over a link puts the URL location of
the prospective link in the status field. 
Viewing external images 
External images (unlike inline images) are displayed in their own
windows. You can view an external image by clicking
on a link to the image. The Netscape application can open
external images stored in GIF (Graphics Interchange
Format), JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group), and XBM (X Bit
Map) file formats. Other file formats require that
you have a suitable helper application available on your hard
disk (and referenced in the Helpers panel). 
Links to external images work like links to pages. An external
image file has a unique URL just like an ordinary page.
External images are not automatically loaded in their full
representation even if the Auto Load Images item is checked. 
You can click on highlighted text, an image icon, or an inline
image to bring an external image into a separate window on
the screen. Netscape or the external application opens and
presents the image in a separate window. You must click
back into the Netscape window to continue working with the
Netscape application. 
Pages that present large or detailed images often have inline
snapshot images (also called thumbnail images) inserted into
pages that serve as links to external images. Unlike the icon
replacements, these snapshots provide an approximate view
of the actual image, yet are still much smaller and faster to
transport than the full image. You can expand the snapshot
into the full image by clicking once on the snapshot. 
Filling in forms 
You can do more than read Netscape pages; you can write on them.
Pages can contain forms for you to enter and send
information. For example, a page might have a form with fields
for you to enter a name and address next to a button that
sends the information to the page's author. Forms can offer
editable fields with or without default text, check boxes,
radio buttons, pull-down menus, selection lists, and buttons to
send or clear the information you enter. The content you
enter into a form doesn't permanently alter the page (you don't
modify the source page at its location), yet the form gives
you the ability to conveniently transmit a response. 
To send ordinary email, you fill in fields to supply the content
of your message, the subject summary, and the email
address of the intended recipient. Pages with forms let you reply
to information you read in the page. To send a form,
you fill in one or more fields embedded within a page, usually
labeled with instructions and configured with a button that
sends the form's contents to the recipient without requiring you
to provide any email address. 
The author of a page determines the layout of a form. A page can
contain multiple forms, each form capable of sending
fields independently of another form on the page. Fields in a
form can restrict the kind or range of text you enter (such
as numbers only) to help you fill in the form as desired. 
Typically, forms give you a fast and easy way to make a request
or send back a response regarding the page you are
reading. Forms can supply an interface to databases with fields
that let you query for information and perform Internet
searches. The Usenet news pages, designed for people to
communicate with each other on special interests, contain
forms for you to enter messages and subscribe to newsgroups. The
Netscape software has built-in links to pages with
forms for you to comment about the Netscape application, and
request product information. 
Setting up email and news 
This section gives you some background about Internet protocols
and the preference items you use to set up your email
and news services. Upcoming sections describe mail and news
services in more detail. 
Before you can exchange email or access any newsgroup news, you
need to tell the Netscape application how to make
the appropriate connection to the server computer handling
various protocol. Where your World Wide Web server
uses uses the HTTP protocol to transport page information, your
outgoing and incoming Internet mail servers use mail
protocols (SMTP and POP3) and your Usenet news server uses a news
protocol (NNTP). 
Do you know the name of your email servers and news server? If
not, you will have to find out from your service
provider, systems administrator, or resident know-it-all. After
specifying the names of these servers as preference items
in the Servers panel, Netscape software lets you send and receive
email and newsgroup postings. 
Here are some of the preferences you can set in the Option|Mail
and News panels. 
In the Servers panel, specify your mail server names in the
Outgoing Mail (SMTP) Server field and the
Incoming Mail (POP3) Server field. You should specify local mail
servers, if available. Often, the same server
name is appropriate for both fields and the name can be as simple
as mail. You should also enter your email id
(the part of your email address to the left of the @ symbol; not
the entire address and without the @ symbol) in
the POP User Name field. 
In the Servers panel, specify your news server name in the News
(NNTP) Server field. You should specify a
local news server, if available. Often, the name can be as simple
as news. 
In the Identity panel, specify your name, email address (the
entire address including the @ symbol), and your
reply-to address (if you want mail replies sent to a different
address than your email address) in the designated
fields. This and other information provided in the panel
establishes your identity to those who receive your mail
and news messages. 
In the Organization panel, specify whether you want mail and news
messages threaded and the method
messages are sorted. By default, news messages are threaded and
mail messages are not. When messages are
threaded, replies are displayed adjacent to the original message
and other replies to the original message. When
messages are unthreaded (the box unchecked), replies are
displayed according to the sorting order without
regard to the position of the original message or other replies. 
In the Appearance panel, specify font characteristics of your
message text and quoted text. By default, when
you reply to a message, the original text is quoted (restated)
with each line preceded by the > symbol. You can
specify the style and size of the quoted text in your messages. 
In the Composition panel, specify whether you want your replies
to automatically quote the original message,
and whether you want a copy of your messages automatically sent
to yourself, sent to another email address, or
stored on a disk file. 
Receiving and sending email 
To display the Mail window and access email features, choose
Windows|Netscape Mail. Or, as a shortcut, you can
click on the mail icon (the small envelope in the bottom-right of
the Netscape and News windows). 
When you open the Mail window, Netscape checks the server and
retrieves any new mail. To receive mail, you'll have
to enter your email password each session (or specify in the Mail
and News|Organization panel that your password
be remembered across sessions). 
After Netscape has initially checked the mail server for
messages, Netscape can periodically recheck the server and
inform you if any new messages have arrived. However, Netscape
does not automatically retrieve these additional
messages from the mail server. To retrieve new messages, press
the Get Mail toolbar button or click the mail icon. 
A setting in the Mail and News|Servers panel determines how often
Netscape automatically checks the mail server
for new messages. You can also click on the mail icon from the
Mail window to manually check the server and retrieve
new messages. 
Netscape informs you of the availability of new messages using
the mail icon. 
Before you've checked for mail (for example, before you've opened
the Mail window or if you haven't supplied
your password), you'll see a question mark (?) adjacent to the
envelope. This indicates Netscape cannot
automatically check the status of the mail server. 
After you've check for mail, you'll see the envelope alone. This
indicates there are no new messages for you. 
Subsequently, when Netscape automatically checks the mail server
and finds new messages for you, you'll see an
exclamation point (!) adjacent to the envelope. This indicates
that new messages are available for retrieval. On
Macintosh, you'll also be notified of new messages by a mail icon
flashing in the menu bar. 
The Mail window contains three panes: a mailbox pane, a message
header pane, and a message pane. Click on an item
in the mailbox pane (such as the Inbox) to display the mailbox
contents in the message header pane. Click on an item in
the message header field to display the message contents in the
message pane. 
Occasionally, you'll want to select multiple message headings,
for example, to move messages to the trash. To select
multiple, contiguous message headings, hold down the Shift key as
you click on an item. To select multiple,
noncontiguous message headings, hold down the Ctrl key as you
click on an item. (On Macintosh, use the Shift key to
select noncontiguous items). When two or more message headings
are selected, the message pane is empty. 
The Mail window and the Message Composition window, described in
subsequent sections, contain menu items,
toolbar buttons, and clickable icons to let you compose, view,
organize, store, and deliver your mail in varied ways.
Menu items offer the full set of features. Toolbar buttons
provide basic mail features such as getting mail, deleting mail,
composing mail, replying to mail, and displaying your messages.
Small, clickable icons in the message header pane let
you highlight individual messages as read or unread, and flagged
or unflagged. 
Using the Mail window 
The mailbox pane and message header pane are organized in
columns. Columns in the mailbox pane state a mail folder
name, the number of unread messages it contains, and the total
number of messages it contains. Columns in the message
header pane state the sender name, its flagged status, its read
status, the subject line, and date. 
You can resize panes by positioning your mouse between two panes
(the cursor changes shape) and dragging. 
You can click on column titles in the message heading pane to
temporarily rearrange items according to Sender,
Subject, or Date. You can also use the View|Sort hierarchical
menu to sort or thread messages so that replies are
positioned adjacent to original messages. To arrange messages to
your preferred criteria by default (that is, every time
you open up the Mail window), you must set the preference items
in the Mail and News|Organization panel. 
You can resize columns by positioning your mouse between two
column headings (the cursor changes shape) and
dragging. It's best to adjust the leftmost column first, because
resizing a column repositions all the columns to the right.
On UNIX, choose Options|Save Options to retain changes. 
Choose File|New Folder to display a dialog for creating a folder
in the mailbox pane. You can drag messages from the
message heading pane into a folder in the mailbox pane.
Alternatively, you can select a message, then use the
Message|Move hierarchical menu item to put a message into a
folder. The Message|Copy item lets you put a copy
of a message into a folder without moving the original. 
The Edit menu contains items for deleting selected messages and
folders. Deleted items are put into a Trash folder.
Choose Empty Trash Folder to permanently delete the contents of
the trash. 
Here are other basic features you'll find in the Mail window: 
Searching in messages: Choose the Edit|Find menu item to search
for text in the message header or content
panes. When the first occurrence of matching text is found, the
message is selected and displayed in the message
field. Choose Edit|Find Again for additional occurrences. 
Email addresses: Choose Message|Add to Address Book to insert the
address of the sender of the selected
message into your Address Book. 
Marking messages: The Message menu also contains items that let
you mark messages as read or unread,
and flagged or unflagged. When you wish to mark or flag multiple
selections, the menu item is more convenient
than clicking on the small icons in the pane. 
Navigation: The Go menu contains items for navigating among
adjacent messages, unread messages, and
flagged messages. 
Viewing messages: The Options menu contains items that help
determine the content of the message heading
and message panes. You can specify that the message heading pane
Show All Messages or Show Only
Unread Messages. You can have header information displayed within
each message by checking the Show All
Headers item. Use the Document Encoding menu item if you wish to
select alternative character sets. To
preserve your menu changes for subsequent sessions, choose the
Options|Save Options menu item. 
Using the Message Composition window 
You create and send both email and newsgroup messages in the
Message Composition window. Many different actions
produce the Message Composition window and, when appropriate, the
Netscape application fills in certain fields
automatically. 
Choose the File|New Mail Message menu item to display the empty
Message Composition window. The
window has its own menu items, clickable buttons, and fields for
your message's address, headings, and content.
You can set which fields are visible by checking items in the
View menu. 
Choose File|Mail Document (or File|Mail Frame) to display the
Message Composition window with fields
filled and the current page automatically attached. The Content
field contains the current page's URL, the
Subject field contains the page title, and the Attachment field
displays the file name of the attached page. 
Choose a mail or news reply option to display the window with the
address field filled in. You might also reply to
pages and messages by clicking a mailto link or button. 
Typically, you'll use the Send To field for the address of the
primary recipient, the Cc field for additional recipients, the
Subject field for briefly describing the message, and the
Attachment field for including a page or disk file with the
message. If you've specified a text file containing your
signature in the Mail and News|Identity panel, your signature is
appended to the message field in all of your mailings. 
You need to know the Internet mail address of where to send your
email. Internet addresses typically contain a user
name followed by the @ symbol (pronounced "at"), followed by mail
server location name. For example, to send email
to this company, enter info@netscape.com. 
You can create, edit, and store addresses, singly or in a folder
list, in the Address Book window. Addresses are
maintained in the Address Book window similarly to how bookmarks
are maintained in the Bookmark window. 
Commonly, you'll send mail by replying to other mail. By default,
the original text appears as quoted text (each line
preceded by the > symbol), though you can turn this feature off
in the Composition panel. You can also quote a
message's text by choosing the Message Composition window's
File|Include Original Text menu item or paste in a
clipboard selection as quoted text by selecting Edit|Paste as
Quotation. Pressing the Attach button produces a dialog box that
lets you send email with a file attachment. An attachment is a
separate document sent along with the email message. The dialog
box buttons let you select a page URL or a file. You
can choose to send a page as is (embedded with the HTML
instructions that format Internet pages) or converted to
plain text. After completing the dialog box (you can list
multiple attachments), the attachment is ready to be sent along
with your message. 
The Mail window offers options that let you send mail immediately
or defer delivery. Typically, you'll want to send
messages immediately if you're connected to the network. However,
to reduce connection time, you can compose
messages offline and defer sending mail until the next time
you're connected. 
When the Mail window's Options|Immediate Delivery menu item is
checked, the Message Composition window
offers a Send Now toolbar button and menu item (Send button on
Windows and UNIX). This allows messages you've
written to be sent over the network immediately. Press the Send
Now button or choose File|Send Now to transmit the
message and any attachments to the recipient. 
When the Mail window's Options|Deferred Delivery menu item is
checked, the Message Composition window
offers a Send Later toolbar button and menu item (Send button on
Windows; Later button on UNIX). This allows
messages you've written to be stored in your Outbox folder
(deferred) until you explicitly specify that the contents of the
Outbox be sent. Press the Send Later button or choose File|Send
Later to store the current message in the Outbox
folder on your disk for transmission at a later time. Choose
File|Send Mail in Outbox to distribute deferred messages.
Receiving and sending news 
To display the News window, choose Window|Netscape News. The News
window operates similarly to the Mail
window. If you skipped the previous pages on exchanging and
composing mail, you might want to go back and read
these now. Like mail, you create your news messages in the
Message Composition window. 
People post messages (send their news) to newsgroups. Throughout
the Internet, you'll find the newsgroup terms
"message", "posting", and "article" used interchangeably. 
Newsgroups are organized by subject; each newsgroup has a name
intended to reflect the topic of discussion for its
messages. The Usenet is the collection of all newsgroups; it is
the Internet's multifaceted bulletin board especially
designed for people to communicate news with one another on
special interest topics. 
The News window contains three panes: a newsgroup pane, a message
header pane, and a message pane. Click on an
item in the newsgroup pane to display a listing of messages in
the message header pane. Click on an item in the message
header field to display each message in the message pane. 
When you open the News window, the set of newsgroups you have
specified in the Options menu is displayed in the
newsgroup pane. You can choose the Show All Newsgroups menu item
to see the broadest selection of available
groups. However, the number of newsgroups is so large that you
might prefer to limit your newsgroup pane to
subscribed newsgroups. 
You can quickly access your favorite newsgroups without searching
through the thousands of available groups by
subscribing to newsgroups. The easiest way to subscribe to a
newsgroup is to, first, display all newsgroups (choose
Options|Show All Newsgroups) in the newsgroup pane, then locate
each newsgroup you want ready access to and
check the Subscribe check box beside the newsgroup name. 
After you subscribe to your favorite newsgroups, you can choose
the Options|Show Subscribed Newsgroups or
Options|Show Active Newsgroups menu item so that, each time you
open the News window, the newsgroup pane
displays only your chosen newsgroups. Active newsgroups are
subscribed newsgroups that contain new messages. 
There are alternative ways to subscribe if you know a newsgroup's
URL. Each of the following displays the newsgroup
name in the newsgroup pane. 
Enter the newsgroup URL in the location field of the Netscape
main window. 
Choose File|Add Newsgroup and type the newsgroup URL in a dialog
box. Click on a link to a newsgroup or newsgroup message. 
You still must check the Subscribe box if you want the newsgroup
to be displayed in the pane in subsequent news
sessions. 
Using the News window 
The menu items, toolbar buttons, and clickable icons in the News
window let you view and compose news messages in
much the same way as you do mail messages. Here are the primary
difference: Organizing messages: Typically, you'll organize and
store your mail messages on your hard disk in folders you
create. News messages, on the other hand, are already organized
and stored in newsgroups on remote servers. If
you want to store news messages on your hard disk, you'll need to
explicitly save news messages using the
File|Save As menu item. The News window does not offer a
mailbox/folder facility. 
Multiple news hosts: You can have multiple news hosts (though
most users only need and have one), each host
supplying you with a set of newsgroups. Choose the File|Open News
Host menu item to display a dialog box
for specifying additional news hosts in your newsgroup pane. 
Replying to messages: The News window has a unique set of toolbar
buttons that include variations on how
you can reply to messages (also available through the Message
menu). You can reply to news by sending a
newsgroup message (Post Reply), an email message (Mail Reply), or
both (Post and Mail Reply). 
Threaded messages: By default, newsgroup messages are threaded
(replies are positioned adjacent to original
messages). Toolbar buttons allow you to mark a thread or entire
newsgroup as read. Like mail, you can click in
the message header pane to change the read or flagged status of
individual messages. 
Quantity and age of messages: Newsgroups often contain a large
number of messages. Several commands
help determine the quantity and age of messages that appear in
the message header pane at a time. The default
number of messages retrieved from the news server is set as a
preference item in the Servers panel (maximum
3500). You can choose the File|Get More Messages menu item to
display additional messages that do not
exceed the maximum. From the Options menu, you can choose to Add
from Newest Messages or Add from
Oldest Messages to specify whether a batch of messages should
begin with newer or older messages first. By
default, newer messages are retrieved first. 
Viewing messages: The Options menu lets you choose whether the
message heading pane should Show All
Messages or Show Only Unread Messages (the default). The default
choice displays limits the message
heading pane to displaying only messages you have not read. 
Email addresses: Like mail, you can choose Message|Add to Address
Book to insert the email address of
the news message sender into your address book. 
Exploring Usenet news 
The URLs of Usenet news are formatted similarly, but not
identically, to other pages. For example, the URL
news:alt.tv.northern-exp specifies the server protocol news: and
the newsgroup alt.tv.northern-exp. Unlike other
Internet connections, the URL does not specify a server name and
pathname with preceding slashes. 
Each newsgroup has a unique name, described with words separated
by periods. Some words (like alt, short for
alternative, or comp, short for computers) specify categories
rather than a particular newsgroup. Note that not all news
servers provide access to all newsgroups. 
Reading Usenet news can be as easy as reading any other Internet
page: Click on a link and bring a Usenet news
message to your screen. But newsgroup pages offer advantages
(notably the ability to easily publish your own writing to
other newsgroup readers) and disadvantages (no images, weak
formatting, and limited links). 
Typically, each newsgroup presents its messages along threads. A
thread bundles a message with a response to the
message. The grouping of a new topic with one or more responses
to the topic (in indented outline form) presents
messages in a topical context. A strictly chronological
organization of every newsgroup contribution would create a
discombobulated trail of messages less pleasant than reading
Joyce in his later years. 
When you subscribe to a newsgroup, the name of the newsgroup is
added to a list (a News file; also called a News RC
or newsrc file), maintained by the Netscape software. On Windows
and UNIX, you can specify the location of your
News file in the Servers panel. On Macintosh, the News file is
stored in the Netscape folder within your system's
Preferences folder. 
The process for retrieving information from news servers has a
significant difference than the process for retrieving
information from World Wide Web servers. News messages are
collected and automatically distributed at periodic
intervals, en masse, among news servers throughout the Usenet.
When you supply a URL to request newsgroup
messages, your request is routed to the news server provided by
your service provider, which has accumulated
messages throughout the Usenet system. In contrast, when you
supply a URL to request a particular Web page, your
request is routed to the single Web site whose server distributes
the page. 
Likewise, a news message that you send goes to your service
provider's news server, whereupon the message is
automatically distributed at periodic intervals to other
participating Usenet news servers. Other Usenet readers can then
access your news message from their local news server. 
This batch processing of Usenet news permits distribution
efficiencies. For example, a popular Web site can get
inundated with requests for pages. However, a popular newsgroup
is broadly distributed by the entire network of
participating news servers. 
Your request for either Web pages or news messages contains some
identifying information about the requesting
computer. With Web pages, request information is conveyed to Web
site that serves a page. With news, request
information is conveyed to your provider's news server. 
Saving pages 
Netscape software gives you the opportunity to save a page as a
file on your computer. You can do this after or instead
of bringing the page to your screen. 
Some links, for example those that transport software, sound, or
movie files, don't transmit pages. You can often
identify these links by noticing a URL that begins with ftp or
ends with a file-type suffix such as au or mpeg. Clicking
on these links can automatically download (save) a file to disk
and launch helper applications that support the file's
format. Most links, however, point to pages that you can bring to
your screen or specifically save on your disk. 
The File|Save as menu item produces a dialog box that lets you
save the current page as a source (HTML) file or a
text file on your disk. (On UNIX, you can also save in PostScript
format.) A file saved in HTML source format retains
the formatting of the original page. A file saved in text format
is presented as plain text. You can save an image file, but
not a page's inline images. 
When you view a page containing frames, the File|Save Frame as
menu item replaces File|Save as and lets you save
only the page of a currently selected frame. The dialog box
options for saving the page are unchanged. 
By using a pop-up menu item, you can save a page as a disk file
instead of bringing the page to the screen. While
pointing over a link, click on the right mouse button (on
Macintosh, hold down the mouse button) to pop up the menu.
The Save this Link as item saves to disk (instead of bringing to
screen) the page whose link you are clicking on. The
Save this Image as item saves to disk (instead of bringing to
screen) the image whose link you are clicking on. 
Saving to disk is particularly useful for retrieving a
nonformatted page (such as a data file) not intended for viewing.
You
can also produce the dialog box for saving a page to disk by
clicking on a link with the Shift key held down (option key
on Macintosh). Other pop-up menu items let you copy page and
image locations (URLs) to the clipboard. 
Saving to disk is also offered as a pop-up menu item. While
pointing over a link, click on the rightmost mouse button
(on Macintosh, hold down the mouse button) to pop up the menu.
The Save this Link as item saves to disk (instead
of bringing to screen) the page whose link you are clicking on.
The Save this Image as item saves to disk (instead of
bringing to screen) the image whose link you are clicking on.
Other pop-up menu items let you copy page and image
locations (URLs) to the clipboard. 
After saving a file to disk, you can use the File|Open File menu
item to display the local file as a Netscape page. (A file
on your disk is a local file; a file out on the network is a
remote file.) For GIF, JPEG, or other nontext files to appear as
available files in the Open File dialog, make sure to select "All
Files" as the file type (on Macintosh, hold down the
Option key while selecting the Open File menu item). 
The View|Document Source menu item lets you view the current page
in HTML source format. By default, source
text is displayed in a window. On Windows and Macintosh, you can
override the default source viewer by specifying a
supporting text application (such as your word processor) in the
View Source field of the General|Applications
panel. Subsequently, when you choose View|Document Source, the
HTML text appears in a window of your selected
application. 
The File|Mail Document menu item produces a window that lets you
send the current page URL along with an email
attachment of the page. The Window|Bookmarks menu item produces a
window that lets you save page links in a file. 
Note: Netscape software works on several computer platforms and
reserves the use of a few special characters to help
interpret URLs. To avoid problems, don't use the following
characters when you create a file name: 
slash (/) 
colon (:) 
number symbol (#) 
Printing and finding 
Many of the File and Edit menu items in the Netscape application
work as they do on other applications. To print the
contents of the current page, choose File|Print or press the
Print button in the toolbar. A Print dialog box lets you
select printing options and begin printing. On Windows, you can
choose File|Print Preview to see a screen display of a
printed page. 
When you view a page containing frames, you'll see the File|Print
Frame menu item in place of File|Print. The
command lets you print only the page of a currently selected
frame. The dialog box options for printing the page are
unchanged. 
When printing a page, the Netscape application formats content
according to the size of the printed page rather than the
size of the onscreen window. The print command rearranges the
page layout (text is wordwrapped and graphics are
repositioned) in order to accommodate paper size. 
To set up the page for printing, choose File|Page Setup. You can
use this command to choose landscape printing
(across the long side of paper) instead of the more common
portrait orientation. 
To cut, copy, and paste, choose the respective items from the
Edit menu. Note that Cut and Paste items are only
effective in certain editable fields. The content area is a
read-only field that only enables you to select and copy text for
use elsewhere. 
To find a word or phrase within a page, choose or press the Find
button in the toolbar. A Find dialog box lets you
enter the string of characters you wish to find. Check the Match
case radio button (Case Sensitive on the Macintosh
and UNIX) to require capital letters to match. 
On Windows, check the Up or Down radio button to direct the
search toward the beginning or end of the document. If
there is a current selection, the search begins at the selection
and does not wrap around. On Macintosh and UNIX,
check the Find Backwards check box to start the search from the
beginning or end of the document. 
To find the same word or phrase again, choose Edit|Find Again. 
Identifying secure information 
Netscape software allows computers to transfer information in a
secure way that prevents the forms you send or the
pages you receive from being misappropriated. Security issues
arise because information travelling on the Internet
usually take a circuitous route through several intermediary
computers to reach any destination computer. The actual
route your information takes to reach its destination is not
under your control. 
As your information travels on Internet computers, any
intermediary computer has the potential to eavesdrop and make
copies. An intermediary computer could even deceive you and
exchange information with you by misrepresenting itself
as your intended destination. These possibilities make the
transfer of confidential information such as passwords or
credit card numbers susceptible to abuse. 
The Netscape application and Netscape server use patented RSA
public key cryptographic technology and custom
software to allow you to send and receive information securely.
The security protocols are open. 
Only your computer and the server can encrypt and decrypt your
information. In transit, the information is an
unreadable jumble. An intermediary can continue to route the
data, and even make copies of it, but the information
cannot be decrypted and remains private and safely communicated. 
As part of the cryptographic technology, the Netscape application
and Netscape server are able to authenticate Internet
servers. This prevents an intermediary computer from posing as
your destination. 
Not all exchanges of information are secure. Netscape uses
graphical elements and dialog boxes to inform you when
you are interacting with secure and insecure server sites. 
A URL that begins with https:// (instead ofhttp://) indicates
that a document comes from a secure server.
Similarly, a news URL that begins with snews: (instead of news:)
indicates that a document comes from a
secure news server. To access news servers other than the default
news server, use two slashes (//) after the
colon (:). 
To the left of the status message, a doorkey icon on a blue
background indicates a secure document (a document
is a slightly broader term for a page and its contents); a
document with a broken doorkey icon on a gray
background indicates an insecure document. 
Above the content area, a blue colorbar indicates a secure
document; a gray colorbar indicates an insecure
document. 
Dialog boxes alert you to changes in security status among the
documents you bring to screen. You can choose
to bypass security dialogs by setting preference items in the
Security|General panel. 
You can examine the security qualifications of a document in more
detail by choosing View|Document Info. The
resulting dialog box tells you about encryption grade and server
certification. You can view information about a
particular site certificate or certificate authority in the
Security|Site Certificate panel. 
Understanding public key technology 
The public key technology working within the Netscape application
and Netscape server is often described with
unfamiliar security terminology. You might find the explanation
of how public keys works an interesting supplement to
your knowledge of Internet security. 
A computer's security key is a file. You don't open a key (file)
like you open a document or a word processor
application. Keys are more like magnetic badges with powerful
encryption and decryption capabilities. 
There are two kinds of keys, private and public, and you need
both. A private key sits on your computer and you never
give it out. A public key you can make as many copies of it as
you wish and give it out to everybody. 
You need both kinds of keys because they are fundamentally
linked. (Like a pair of pants, you always buy both legs.)
You can pass your public key around to whomever you wish, but in
order for any key to perform its decryption duty, it
must be matched back to its linked key partner. 
Both public and private keys have the ability to encrypt and (as
a set) decrypt information. Keys work in two primary
ways: 
1.Other users can encrypt information with your public key (the
key you've distributed freely) and send the
information securely to you. Only you, with your private key, can
decrypt their message. The sender can be sure
that the message is read only by you (encrypted for privacy) and
has not been altered. 
2.You can encrypt information with your private key and send the
information securely over the network. Anyone
on the network who has your public key (the key you've
distributed freely) can decrypt your message. The
recipient can be sure that the message came only from you
(authenticated with your digital signature) and has not
be altered. 
In summary, your public and private key (files) are linked by a
powerful cryptographic algorithm that would require
major computer resources to crack. No one else's keys can
decipher messages to you encrypted with your public key.
And no one else's keys can be used to pose as you by sending
messages encrypted with your private key. 
The Netscape window 
This section on onscreen fundamentals describes what you see in
the main Netscape window. Most of the tools and text
fields that help you to navigate the Internet are visible, though
you have the option of hiding some tools in order to give
more space on the screen to the content area. 
The next section describes a window's graphical elements.
Subsequent sections go into more detail on page displays
and button actions. Subsequent chapters explore mail, news,
bookmarks, primary menu items, preferences panels, and
additional application features. 
You can open multiple Netscape windows to view multiple pages of
information. The title bar of the window shows the
title of the currently loaded page. You'll also find that some
pages are designed to be a patchwork of pages. These
patchwork pages contain rectangular frames, each frame presents
its own page information (similar to the
picture-in-picture feature offered in some television sets). 
Window summary 
Colors and underlining 
Colors or underlining highlight words on a page that link to new
pages. Clicking on the highlighted text initiates the
transfer. On black and white monitors, underlining highlights
links. When you select text in a field, the selection is
highlighted (by default, in a different color than the colors
used for links). 
Status indicator 
The status indicator (the company logo) animates when a transfer
is in progress. Click on the logo to bring the
company home page. 
Progress bar 
The progress bar animates to show the progress of the current
operation. The bar shows the percentage done of
document layout as a page loads and the percentage of kilobytes
loaded as an external image loads. 
Mail icon 
Click on the mail icon (the small envelope in the bottom-right of
the Netscape, Mail, and News windows) to
display the Mail window (if not already open) and retrieve for
new messages. The mail icon includes a question
mark (?) if Netscape cannot automatically check the mail server
for new messages. The mail icon includes an
exclamation point if the news server has new messages for you. 
Window title bar 
An author of a page specifies the title as part of the page's
HTML source text. 
Page display 
The content area displays a page. Text can be selected and
copied. The content area of some pages is
segmented into rectangular frames, each frame containing its own
page. A page's background can be set by you
or determined by the transmitted page. The location field lets
you enter the location (URL) of a page you wish to
bring to screen. The status message field and title bar text are
read only. 
Security indicators 
The security indicator below the content area shows whether a
document is secure (doorkey icon on blue) or
insecure (broken doorkey icon on gray). The secure doorkey icon
is displayed with two teeth for high-grade
encryption and one tooth for medium-grade. A blue colorbar above
the content area indicates a secure
document. A gray colorbar indicates an insecure document. 
Document information 
Choosing the View|Document Info menu item lets you see
composition and security information about the
current page. 
Toolbar buttons 
Toolbar buttons activate the Netscape features you'll most
commonly use. Click on the buttons to revisit pages,
reload pages, load images, open locations, print pages, find
text, and stop transfers in progress. You can choose
to have the buttons displayed as pictures, text, or both by
setting the panel item in
Options|General|Appearance. The Mail and News windows each offer
a distinct set of toolbar buttons. 
Directory buttons 
Directory buttons display pages of information that help you
browse the Internet. Click on the buttons to find out
what's new and cool, use Internet search and directory tools,
participate in newsgroups, and read the handbook. 
Content area, frames, and text fields 
Content area 
The content area contains the current page brought by the most
recently requested link. Vertical and horizontal
scroll bars might be present to view pages larger than the screen
area. The content area displays
HTML-formatted pages that often include inline images stored in
the GIF and JPEG graphic file formats. Other
file formats represented by links in the content area (for
example, a sound file) can be accessed using external
helper applications. You can copy text to the clipboard by
selecting the text, then choosing File|Copy. Unlike a
word processor, you won't see a blinking insertion bar.
Alternatively, you can select text by clicking once at one
end of a selection, then holding down the shift key and clicking
a second time with the cursor pointing at the other
end of the selection. 
Frames 
The content area of some pages is segmented into rectangular
frames, each frame containing its own page. A
page containing frames is a top-level page (or frameset).
Generally, toolbar and menu items affect the top-level
page. The pages within each individual frame may have scroll
bars. You can select a frame by clicking inside it.
Some commands, such as keyboard shortcuts, affect only the
selected frame. Likewise, some menu items, such
as printing and document mailing, apply to a frame alone. You can
resize frames by positioning the cursor in the
border between frames (the cursor changes shape) and dragging the
adjacent frames to a new position. Clicking
on a link within a frame may affect the page within the frame,
pages within other frames, or the top-level page.
Frames and the actions of their links are created by page authors
using HTML 
Backgrounds 
The background of the content area may vary according to a
preference item you can set in the Color panel (not
on UNIX). You can set the background to a default of gray, a
custom color of your choosing, or an image file
you select. You can also determine if your choice of background
should always be used or if the background
transmitted with a page should override your choice. 
Location/Go to 
The location field shows you the location of the current page and
can be used to enter the location (the URL
address) of the page you wish to go to next. The label of the
location field reads Location after you bring a page.
The label changes to Go to if you enter text into the field.
Pressing the return key brings the page specified in the
Go to field and changes the label back to Location. On Windows, a
pull down menu at the right of the field lets
you choose a URL (the 10 most recent locations you've entered
into the field are stored as menu items) to revisit
pages. 
Status message 
The status message area contains text describing a page's
location or the progress of a connection to a page.
When the cursor is positioned over highlighted words (or an
image) serving as a link to a page, the status
message field shows the URL that will be used to bring the page
to the screen. When the Auto Load Image
option is unchecked and the cursor points over an image, the
status message shows the alternate text for the
image and, if the image is a link, the URL. When the cursor
points over an image with active areas, the status
messages shows the description for the active area. During
connections, the status message field reports progress
in contacting the URL source, loading pages, and loading inline
information. Error messages 
Error message result from a variety of situations. The Netscape
application tries to evaluate any problem you
encounter and present information to help you solve or circumvent
it. The most common error messages result
from trying to view a page that isn't available. Often, this
occurs because the server issuing the page is temporarily
shut down or too busy with other connections to handle your
request. Occasionally, the page is no longer
available at the specified URL. If you would like to report a
problem, you should note the exact wording of the
error message. The Help menu offers items for giving feedback and
getting support. 
Security indicators 
A document has one of three security states: secure, insecure, or
mixed. The most prominent security indicator, located
at the screen's bottom-left, is a doorkey on blue for secure
documents and a broken doorkey on gray for insecure
documents. The secure doorkey icon varies slightly depending on
the grade of encryption: the doorkey has two teeth for
high-grade and one tooth for medium-grade. The colorbar over the
content area is blue for secure and gray for
insecure. A mixed document, with insecure information omitted, is
shown as secure. 
A URL beginning with https:// shows that the document came from a
secure server. To connect to an HTTP server that
offers security, insert the letter "s" so that the URL begins
with https://. Use http:// otherwise. Similarly, a news URL
that starts with snews: (instead of news:) shows that the
document comes from a secure news server (again, insert the
letter "s" if your news server offers security). Use two slashes
(//) after the colon (:) for news servers other than the
default one. Chose the View|Document Info menu item for security
details. A secure document can only have inline information from
secure sources. The insecure information on a mixed security
document is replaced by a mixed security icon. Bringing a mixed
security document to screen produces a notification
dialog. 
If a form appears on a secure page that has an insecure submit
process, a notification dialog always appears. The
warning states that although the document is secure, the
submission you are about to make is insecure and could be
compromised by a third party. If you are sending passwords,
credit cards numbers, or other information you would like
to keep private, it would be safer for you to cancel the
submission. If an insecure document contains secure information
(either inline or as part of a form), no special action is taken.
The
document is considered insecure. This includes insecure forms
with secure submission processes. 
Several notification dialog boxes inform you about the security
status of documents. You can choose whether or not to
receive these dialogs by setting the panel items in
Options|Security|Alerts (or by unchecking a dialog's Show this
Alert Next Time box). 
Notification dialog boxes 
When entering a secure document space, you are notified the
secure document is encrypted when transferred to
you and any information you send back is also encrypted. 
When leaving a secure document space, you are notified the
insecure document could be observed by a third
party when transferred to you and any information you send back
could also be read by a third party. 
When viewing a document with a mix of secure and insecure
information, you are notified the secure document
that you just loaded contained some insecure information that
will not be shown. 
When you submit a form using any insecure submit process, you are
notified the submission process you are
about to use is insecure. This means that the information you are
sending could be compromised by a third party. 
You will always be notified if the document was expected to be a
secure document but is actually an insecure
document (the document location has been redirected to an
insecure document). This means that a third party
could observe the document you are about to bring. 
Document information 
To view elements of a document's structure, composition, and
security status, choose View|Document Info. The
information, displayed in a separate Netscape window, helps you
establish the document's authenticity and other
security characteristics. 
In the upper portion of the window, the document's structure is
presented as a hierarchy of the component URLs (for
example, the URLs of image files contained in the document). The
lower portion of the window consists of several fields
stating location, type, source, cache, length, modification, and
character set encoding information, plus the particulars of
a document's security status. 
To interpret the security status of a document, you should verify
that the information you see 
Is consistent with your knowledge of the party with whom you are
communicating. States that the document is secure or insecure. 
Designates for secure documents the encryption type in the
transmission and certification of the server. 
If a document is insecure, the security information notifies you
that encryption is not used and there is no server
certificate. If a document is secure, the security information
tells you encryption's grade, export control, key size, and
algorithm type. In addition, the server certificate presents data
that identifies 
Who the certificate belongs to (the organization being certified) 
Who the certificate was issued by (the certificate issuer) 
Serial number 
Valid certificate dates 
Certificate fingerprint (comprised of hexadecimal digits) 
Like documents, certificate information is protected by
encryption to ensure authenticity and integrity. The data can
include the following: 
The server's fully qualified common or host name (such as
hostname.netscape.com) Optional department name 
Legal, registered organization name 
Locality or city the organization resides or is registered in 
State or province name 
Country name 
Toolbar 
Back 
Displays the previous page in the history list. A history list
references a hierarchy of pages you've already viewed.
Forward 
Displays the next page in the history list. When you use Back or
a history menu item to retrieve a page, using
Forward gets the proceeding page. Forward is only available after
you use Back or a history item. 
Home 
Displays the home page designated in the General
Preferences|Appearance panel. The default is the
Netscape home page location. 
Reload 
Redisplays the current Netscape page, reflecting any changes made
prior to the original loading. Netscape
checks the network server to see if any change to the page has
occurred. If there's no change, the original page is
retrieved from the cache. If there's a change, the updated page
is retrieved from the network server. If you press
the Reload button while holding down the Shift key (Option key on
Macintosh), Netscape retrieves the page
from the network server regardless of whether the page has been
updated (the cache is not used). 
Images 
Loads images into pages. This is useful when the Options|Auto
Load Images menu item is unchecked and
icons have been substituted for images. By loading images, you
replace the icons with the intended images. 
Open 
Lets you enter a URL to display the specified page in the content
area. Print 
Prints the content area of the current Netscape page. A dialog
box lets you select printing characteristics. 
Find 
Lets you specify a word or phrase to locate within the current
Netscape page. You can specify case sensitivity
and search direction. If a match is found, the text is selected
and displayed. 
Stop 
Halts any ongoing transfer of page information. 
Directory buttons 
Directory buttons can also be accessed from the Directory or Help
menus. What's New? (Directory|What's New?) 
Information describing what's new on the Internet. 
What's Cool? (Directory|What's Cool?) 
Information describing what's cool on the Internet. 
Handbook (Help|Handbook) 
The Netscape Navigator Handbook online. 
Net Search (Directory|Internet Search) 
A directory of Internet search engines. 
Net Directory (Directory|Internet Directory) 
A master directory of other Internet directories. 
Software (Help|Software) 
Information on Netscape Navigator software upgrades. 
Tools for the Internet 
In the previous chapter you read about the onscreen fundamentals
for exploring the Internet. This chapter covers
primary tools for interacting with others on the Internet and
organizing the information you find: Mail, News, and
Bookmarks. 
As you read about mail and news, you'll see their features
overlap substantially. Essentially, mail and news perform the
same tasks: letting you correspond with others. For both mail and
news, you create messages in the Message
Composition window. 
The core difference between mail and news is in its scope of
distribution. Mail is distributed on a person-to-person
basis; news is distributed on a publication-for-all basis. 
A mail message is sent to an email address for collection by an
individual or organizational entity. 
A news message, commonly called a news article, is sent to a
newsgroup (posted to a computer operating as a
bulletin board) for collection by any Internet user who chooses
to browse the list of posted messages. 
You'll find that Netscape's Mail and News windows offer numerous
features to help you organize the volumes of
Internet correspondence. For example, you'll want to be able to
distinguish old correspondence that you've read from
new correspondence that you've yet to read. 
Some organizational tools pertain to mail or news, but not both.
For example, to organize mail messages you can drag
and drop the messages into mail folders. New messages, on the
other hand, are already organized among newsgroups
and the News window does support the dragging and dropping of
messages. The last sections of this chapter detail the operation
of the Bookmarks window and Address Book window.
Bookmarks let you organize URLs using the same drag-and-drop
metaphor used to organize files in operating systems
such as those used by Macintosh and Windows 95 computers. Both
the Bookmarks and Address Book windows offer
custom menu items to help you set up and use their features. 
Message Composition window 
You can create and send email and newsgroup messages using the
Message Composition window. When sending
email, you can transmit Internet pages and disk files as
attachments, including fully formatted HTML pages displayed
within your mail message. 
To display the Message Composition window, choose File|New Mail
Message or File|Mail Document, or one of
several toolbar buttons and menu items in the Mail and News
windows. You can also display the Message Composition
window by clicking on a page link or a button designed to
initiate email. 
The View menu items let you hide or display numerous types of
address fields. Fields can contain more than one
address. 
The From field shows your email address. 
The Reply To field contains the email address where you want
replies to your email sent. 
The Mail To contains the email address where you want your
message sent. 
The Mail Cc field contains the email address where you want a
copy of your message sent. 
The Mail Bcc field contains the email address where you want a
blind copy of your message sent. A blind copy
does not display the address of the copy recipient 
The File Cc field contains the location where you want to store a
copy of the message you're sending. By
default, messages are stored in the folder specified in the Mail
and News|Servers panel. 
The Newsgroups field contains the name of the newsgroup where you
want to post your news message. If
you're posting from a newsgroup listing or message, this field is
preset with the name of the newsgroup. 
The Followup To field contains the name of the newsgroup where
you replies to your message posted. 
The Subject field contains a description of your email or
posting. If you're sending mail or posting from news
messages, this field is preset with the name of the current page. 
The Attachment field shows the page name or file name of any
attachments you've designated. 
Enter a message or include the text of the current page in the
large message field. If you're sending mail, this field is
preset with the current page's URL. If the Mail and News|Identity
panel specifies a text file containing your signature,
the signature is appended. 
On Windows, you can click on some field labels to produce the
Address Book window or Attachment file dialog to
simplify text entry. On Macintosh, you can click the small
triangle icon in the upper-left of the window to show or hide
the address and attachment fields. 
Here are the Message Composition buttons: 
Send (Now), available when you check Options|Immediate Delivery,
distributes the current message into the
network and closes the window. 
Send (Later), available when you check Options|Deferred Delivery,
stores the current message in the
Outbox folder on your disk for distribution into the network at a
later time. Choose File|Send Mail in Outbox
to distribute deferred messages. 
Quote puts the current message into the quoted text format. 
Attach lets you send a separate document along with the email
message. Press Attach Location (URL) to
specify an HTML page. Press Attach File to specify any other type
of file. Press Delete to remove a selected
entry. The dialog also offers radio buttons for choosing how to
send the attachment. Select the default, As Is
(Source), to send files in their original form. Choose Convert to
Plain Text if you want your attachment sent as
ordinary ASCII text. By attaching an HTML page in source format,
the recipient of the attachment can use
Netscape to view the page fully formatted directly in the Mail
window. The View menu in the Mail window offers
options that let you view attachments either inline (the page
appears within the message body) or as links (a link
to the page appears within the message body). 
Address opens the Address Book window. 
Stop halts transmission of the message you are sending. 
Here are the Message Composition menu items: 
File|Send Now (Same as Send Now toolbar button.) 
File|Send Later (Same as Send Later toolbar button.) 
File|Attach File (Same as Attach toolbar button.) 
File|Include Original Text imports the text of the current page
into the message field. The imported text is
appended to any other content in the field and each line is
preceded with a greater-than (>) symbol. 
Edit|Paste as Quotation inserts the contents of the clipboard
into the message as quoted text (each line
preceded by the greater-than (>) symbol. 
View|Show All displays all possible address fields available in
the Message Composition window. Other View
menu items let you individually select the fields you want
visible in the window. 
Options|Mail and News Preferences (Same as the Options menu item
in the Netscape, Mail, or News
window.) 
Options|Immediate Delivery, when checked, specifies that the
Message Composition window offer a Send
Now menu item and toolbar button so that messages you have
written are sent over the network immediately.
The option is saved across sessions. 
Options|Deferred Delivery, when checked, provides a Send Later
menu item and toolbar button so that the
messages you've written are stored in your Outbox folder
(deferred) until you explicitly decide to send them.
Choose the Mail window's File|Send Mail in Outbox menu item to
deliver deferred messages. If you close the
Mail window with mail in your Outbox, a dialog asks you whether
you want to send the deferred messages now.
The option is saved across sessions. 
Mail window 
Choose Window|Mail to display the Mail window and check for new
messages. Alternatively, you can click on the
mail icon (the small envelope in the bottom-right of the Netscape
and News windows). 
When you first open the Mail window, you're prompted to enter
your email password. Use the password that you
established with your Internet service provider or system
administrator when you set up your Internet account. You'll
have to enter your email password once per session or specify in
the Mail and News|Organization panel that
Netscape remember your password. 
When you open the Mail window, Netscape checks the server and
retrieves any new mail. Thereafter, Netscape can
periodically recheck the server for new incoming messages, though
does not automatically retrieve the messages. You
can set the number of minutes between checks in the Mail and
News|Servers panel. 
To retrieve new messages, press the Get Mail toolbar button or
click the mail icon. You can also click on the mail icon
from the Mail window to manually check the server and retrieve
new messages. 
The mail icon shows you of the availability of new messages. 
A question mark (?) adjacent to the envelope indicates Netscape
cannot automatically check the status of the
mail server. This appears before you've opened the Mail window or
if you haven't supplied your password. 
The envelope alone indicates there are no new messages for you. 
An exclamation point (!) adjacent to the envelope indicates that
new messages are available for retrieval. On
Macintosh, you'll also be notified of new messages by a mail icon
flashing in the menu bar. 
The Mail window consists of three panes: the mail folder pane,
the message header pane, and the message content
pane. 
The mail folder pane contains a hierarchical list of your mail
folders and three columns: 
Mail Folder shows the name of the mail folder. 
Unread shows the number of unread messages. 
Total shows the number of messages within the folder. 
Four Netscape-generated folders can appear at the top of the list
of folders: 
The Inbox folder holds incoming mail messages to you. The folder
always appears. 
The Outbox folder holds your unsent messages. The folder is
created when the Message Composition window's
Options|Deferred Delivery item is checked and you specify that a
message be sent later. 
The Sent Mail folder holds copies of your sent messages. The
folder is created when a mail file is specified in the
Mail and News|Composition panel and you send a message. 
The Trash folder holds mail messages you are deleting. The folder
is created when you delete a message. 
Using menu items, you can add more mail folders to help organize
your mail. Any new folders you create will appear
after the automatically created folders. 
When you select a mail folder by clicking on it, the message
heading pane displays the titles of messages contained in
that folder and the following columns: 
Sender shows the name of the sender of the mail message. 
The Flag icon shows if the message has been marked as noteworthy.
Click the icon to toggle the flag status. 
The Read icon shows if the message has been viewed. Click the
icon to toggle the read status. 
Subject shows the subject line of the message. 
Date shows the date and time the message arrived at your Inbox. 
You can move a message stored in one folder to another by
dragging the message icon in the message list to a message
folder. You can also use Message|Move or Message|Copy to put
messages or message copies inside folders. 
Mail messages are unthreaded by default. You can change the
setting in the Mail and News|Organization panel. On
Macintosh, the message headings pane offers an area above the
scroll bar that you can click on to show the current
headings threaded or unthreaded. 
When you select a message heading by clicking on it, the message
gets displayed in the message content pane along
with header information such as Subject, Date, From, To, and CC. 
You can use toolbar buttons or menu items to move on to the next
message or read a previous message. 
You can resize each of the three panes to accommodate mail
information by positioning the cursor on the border lines
between two panes (the cursor changes shape) and dragging to the
proportions you desire. 
If the message sender has included a page attachment, you can
check the View|Attachments Inline menu item to
display fully formatted HTML page information appended to the
message body or check the View|Attachments as
Links menu item to display a link to the attached page. If the
message sender has included a file attachment, you can
click on a link that presents the Save As dialog for saving the
file to your hard disk. Beside each link to an attachment,
you'll find information detailing the attachment's name, file
type, and encoding. 
The Mail toolbar buttons and menu items offer further options for
viewing, creating, sending, and storing mail messages. 
Mail toolbar buttons 
Get Mail 
Connect to the mail server and bring any available mail messages
into the Inbox. 
Delete 
Puts the currently selected message in the message heading field
into the Trash folder. 
To: Mail 
Displays the Message Composition window for creating a new mail
message. The To field is blank. 
Re: Mail 
Displays the Message Composition window for replying to the
current mail message. The To field is
pre-addressed to the original message's sender. 
Re: All 
Displays the Message Composition window for replying to the
current mail message. The To field is
pre-addressed to the original message's sender and all other
recipients of the current message. 
Forward 
Displays the Message Composition window for forwarding the
current mail message as an attachment. The To
field is blank. The original Subject field is prefixed with Fwd. 
Previous 
View the previous unread message in the message list. 
Next 
View the next unread message in the message list. 
Print 
Prints the currently selected message in the message heading
field. Stop 
Halts any ongoing transmission of messages from the mail server. 
Mail menu items 
When you position the mouse over each Mail window pane, you can
use the pop-up menu as a shortcut to several of
the menu bar items listed here. 
File 
New Web Browser creates a new Netscape window. 
New Mail Message displays the Message Composition window for
writing a new mail message. 
New Folder creates a new mail folder. 
Add Folder (Open Folder) displays the standard Open Folder dialog
box. Save As produces a dialog box for saving the current message
as a file. Get New Mail connects to the mail server and retrieves
messages addressed to you. 
Send Mail in Outbox connects to the mail server and sends any
outgoing messages you have stored in the
Outbox folder for deferred delivery. 
Empty Trash Folder permanently removes messages placed in the
Trash folder. 
Compress This Folder recovers disk space from deleted messages. 
Page Setup displays the standard Page Setup dialog box. 
Print Messages prints a selected message. 
Close closes the Mail window. 
Exit/Quit exits the Netscape application. 
Edit 
Undo/Redo reverses the last action. 
Cut removes the current selection and places a copy on the
clipboard. Copy places a copy of the current selection on the
clipboard. 
Paste puts a copy of the contents of the clipboard at the
position of the selection marker. 
Delete Message moves the current message to the Trash folder. 
Delete Folder permanently removes the selected folder. 
Select Thread selects all messages in the current thread. 
Select Flagged Messages selects messages in the current thread
that are designated in the Mark column of the
message headings pane. 
Select All Messages selects all messages in all threads. 
Find searches for text in the current message. 
Find Again searches for the same text as the previous search. 
View 
Sort lets you arrange the position of messages in the message
heading field according to Date, Subject, Sender,
or Message Number and can specify Ascending order. Choose Again
to sort again. Choose Thread
Messages to sort messages so that messages and their responses
are grouped together. 
Unscramble (ROT-13) lets you decode a certain type of message in
which the sender has shifted the message's
characters. 
Load Images displays the images of the current message if they
have not been automatically loaded. 
Refresh redraws the current message. 
Reload brings the message from the server again. 
Document Source produces a View Source window showing the current
page in HTML format. 
Attachments Inline, when checked, lets you to view a page
attachment as part of the message. If the sender
has included an HTML page as an attachment, the formatted page is
appended to the message body. 
Attachments as Links, when checked, lets you to access a page
attachment using a link. If the sender has
included an HTML page as an attachment, a link to the formatted
page is appended to the message body.
Clicking on the link displays the page in the message content
pane. Message 
Reply displays the Message Composition window for writing a
response with the Send To field pre-addressed
to the sender of the previous message. 
Reply to All displays the Message Composition window for writing
a response with the Send To field
pre-addressed to the sender and other recipients of the previous
message. Forward displays the Message Composition window for
sending the current messages as an attachment with the
Subject field and Attachment field automatically filled in. 
Forward Quoted displays the Message Composition window for
sending the current message as quoted text in
the content area. 
Mark as Read designates that the current message has been viewed. 
Mark as Unread designates that the current message has not been
viewed. Flag Message distinguishes the current message with a
small icon in the flag column of the message headings
field. 
Unflag Message removes the current message's distinguishing icon. 
Add to Address Book creates an address book entry of the sender
of the current message. 
Move transfers the current message to the folder you select. 
Copy transfers a copy of the current message to the folder you
select. Go 
Next Message displays the next message listed in the message
heading pane. 
Previous Message displays the previous message. 
First Unread displays the first unread message. 
Next Unread displays the next unread message. 
Previous Unread displays the previous unread message. 
First Flagged displays the first marked message. 
Next Flagged displays the next marked message. 
Previous Flagged displays the previous marked message. 
Stop Loading halts any ongoing transmission of messages from the
mail server. 
Options 
Show All Messages, when checked, displays both read and unread
messages in the message header pane. 
Show Only Unread Messages, when checked, displays only unread
messages in the message header pane. 
Show All Headers, when checked, displays full header information
including Return Path, Received, Message
ID, and Content Type. When unchecked, the message content pane
displays only the basic address fields. 
Document Encoding lets you select which character set encoding a
document uses when document encoding is
either not specified or unavailable. 
Save Options preserves any changes made to your menu settings for
subsequent sessions (excluding the
preferences panel items, which are saved by pressing OK). 
Window 
This menu lets you switch among Netscape's primary or currently
open windows. 
Help 
This menu contains the same items as Netscape's main window. 
News window 
Choose the Window|News menu item to display the News window. The
window has a toolbar, distinct menu items,
and three panes containing news information. 
The newsgroup pane is a hierarchical list of news servers,
categories, and newsgroups. Note that you need to set the
host name of your news (NNTP) server in the Mail and News|Servers
panel before you can access Usenet news. 
The outer-level (leftmost) folders in the newsgroup pane show the
news servers (news hosts) you've connected to.
Typically, you'll have connected to only the default news server
and have only one outer-level folder. 
To view the full set of available news categories and newsgroups,
choose the Options|Show All Newsgroups menu
item. A news category, notated by a folder icon and an asterisk
in its name, contains newsgroups sharing the same
prefix. Click on a category folder to display all its newsgroups. 
The newsgroup pane contains the following columns: 
News Server shows the names of the news servers and newsgroups. 
The Subscribe icon shows if you are subscribed to the newsgroup.
Click the icon to toggle the subscribe status. 
Unread shows the number of unread messages in the newsgroup. 
Total shows the number of read and unread messages in the
newsgroup. The Subscribe column (notated by a check mark) that
lets you limit the visible newsgroups to those of your choosing.
You can subscribe to newsgroups by first showing all newsgroups,
then clicking a particular newsgroup's Subscribe
icon in the newsgroup pane. 
After subscribing to newsgroups, you can change the Options menu
setting so that you view only subscribed
newsgroups (or only active newsgroups which are subscribed
newsgroups with unread messages). Other columns in the
newsgroup pane tell you the number of unread messages and the
total number of messages per newsgroup. 
Your newsgroup subscription information is stored in a News file.
If you have no previous News file, Netscape creates
one that lists a couple of newsgroups designed for new users. 
When you select a newsgroup by clicking on it, the message
headings contained in the newsgroup are displayed in the
message headings pane and has the following columns: 
Sender shows the name of the sender of the news message. 
The Flag icon shows if the message has been marked as noteworthy.
Click the icon to toggle the flag status. 
The Read icon shows if the message has been viewed. Click the
icon to toggle the read status. 
Subject shows the subject line of the message. 
Date shows the date and time the message was posted. 
News messages are threaded by default. You can change the setting
in the Mail and News|Organization panel. On
Macintosh, the message headings pane offers areas above and below
the scroll bar that you can click on. Click the top
area to show the current headings threaded or unthreaded. Click
the bottom area to show get more messages (same as
File|Get More Messages menu item). 
When you select a message heading by clicking on it, the message
is displayed in the message content pane along with
the header information such as Subject, Date, From, Organization,
Newsgroups, and References. 
The Newsgroups and References fields contain links to the
newsgroup(s) containing the current message and where
replies should be posted. 
You can use toolbar buttons or menu items to move on to the next
message or read a previous message. 
You can resize each of the three panes to accommodate the mail
information by positioning the cursor on the border
lines between two panes (the cursor changes shape) and dragging
the panes to the proportions you desire. 
The News toolbar buttons and menu items offer further options for
viewing, creating, sending, and storing news
messages. 
News toolbar buttons 
To: News 
Displays the Message Composition window for creating a new news
message. To: Mail 
Displays the Message Composition window for creating a new mail
message. Re: Mail 
Displays the Message Composition window for replying to the
current message's sender. The To field is
pre-addressed. 
Re: News 
Displays the Message Composition window for replying to the
current news message thread. 
Re: Both 
Displays the Message Composition window for replying to the
current news message thread and replying by mail
to the message's sender. 
Forward 
Displays the Message Composition window for forwarding the
current news message as an attachment. The To
field is blank. The original Subject field is prefixed with Fwd. 
Previous 
Displays the previous unread message in the thread. 
Next 
Displays the next unread message in the thread. 
Thread 
Marks messages in the thread as read. 
Group 
Marks all messages in the group as read. 
Print 
Prints the currently selected message in the message heading
field. Stop 
Halts any ongoing transmission of messages from the news server. 
News menu items 
When you position the mouse over each News window pane, you can
use the pop-up menu as a shortcut to several of
the menu bar items listed here. 
File 
New Web Browser creates a new Netscape window. 
New Mail Message displays the Message Composition window for
writing a new mail message. 
New News Message displays the Message Composition window for
writing a new news message. 
Save As lets you save the current message as a file. 
Open News Host prompts you to specify the news server to access
and add to your news server list. 
Remove News Host deletes the selected news server from your list. 
Add Newsgroup lets you select a new newsgroup to add to your
subscription list. 
Get More Messages lets you retrieve an additional group of news
messages. Send Mail in Outbox (UNIX only) connects to the mail
server and sends any outgoing messages you have
stored. 
Page Setup displays the standard Page Setup dialog box. 
Print Messages prints a selected message. 
Close closes the News window. 
Exit/Quit exits the Netscape application. 
Edit 
Undo/Redo reverses the last action. 
Cut removes the current selection and places a copy on the
clipboard. Copy places a copy of the current selection on the
clipboard. 
Paste puts a copy of the contents of the clipboard at the
position of the selection marker. 
Select Thread selects all messages in the current thread. 
Select Flagged Messages selects messages in the current thread
that are designated in the message headings
pane. 
Select All Messages selects all messages in all threads. 
Find searches for text in the current message. 
Find Again searches for the same text as the previous search. 
Cancel Message removes the selected message you've sent to the
newsgroup. View 
Sort lets you arrange the position of messages in the message
heading field according to Date, Subject, Sender,
or Message Number and can specify Ascending order. Choose Again
to sort again. Choose Thread
Messages to sort messages so that messages and their responses
are grouped together. 
Unscramble (ROT-13) lets you decode a certain type of message in
which the sender has shifted the message's
characters. 
Load Images displays the images of the current message if they
have not been automatically loaded. 
Refresh redraws the current message. 
Reload brings the message from the server again. 
Document Source produces a View Source window showing the current
page in HTML format. 
Attachments Inline, when checked, lets you to view a page
attachment as part of the message. If the sender
has included an HTML page as an attachment, the formatted page is
appended to the message body. 
Attachments as Links, when checked, lets you to access a page
attachment using a link. If the sender has
included an HTML page as an attachment, a link to the formatted
page is appended to the message body.
Clicking on the link displays the page in the message content
pane. Message 
Post Reply displays the Message Composition window for writing a
response with the Send To field
pre-addressed to the newsgroup of the previous message. 
Post and Mail Reply displays the Message Composition window for
writing a response to the current message
thread and replying to the message's sender. 
Mail Reply displays the Message Composition window for replying
to the current message's sender. The To
field is pre-addressed. 
Forward displays the Message Composition window for forwarding
the current news message as an attachment.
The To field is blank. The original Subject field is prefixed
with Fwd. 
Forward Quoted displays the Message Composition window for
sending the current message as quoted text in
the content area. 
Mark as Read designates that the current message has been read. 
Mark as Unread designates that the current message has not been
read. Mark Thread Read designates in the message headings field
that the messages in the current thread have been
read. 
Mark Newsgroup Read designates in the message headings field that
the messages in the current newsgroup
have been read. 
Flag Message distinguishes the current message with a small icon
in the flag column of the message headings
field. 
Unflag Message removes the current message's distinguishing icon. 
Add to Address Book creates an address book entry of the sender
of the current message. 
Go 
Next Message displays the next listed message in the message
content pane. 
Previous Message displays the previous message. 
First Unread displays the first unread message. 
Next Unread displays the next unread message. 
Previous Unreaddisplays the previous unread message. 
First Flagged displays the first marked message. 
Next Flagged displays the next marked message. 
Previous Flagged displays the previous marked message. 
Stop Loading halts any ongoing transmission of messages from the
news server. 
Options 
Show Subscribed Newsgroups, when checked, displays only
newsgroups in your subscription list. 
Show Active Newsgroups, when checked, displays only subscribed
newsgroups with new messages. 
Show All Newsgroups, when checked, displays all available
newsgroups from your news server. 
Show New Newsgroups, when checked, displays only newsgroups new
since you previously connected to the
news server. 
Show All Messages, when checked, displays all messages of the
selected newsgroup. 
Show Only Unread Messages, when checked, displays only unread
messages. Show All Headers, when checked, displays full header
information including Return Path, Received,
Message ID, and Content Type. When unchecked, the message pane
displays only the basic address fields. 
Add from Newest Messages, when checked, displays the most recent
messages first. 
Add from Oldest Messages, when checked, displays the oldest
messages first. 
Document Encoding lets you select which character set encoding a
document uses when document encoding is
either not specified or unavailable. 
Save Options preserves any changes made to your menu settings for
subsequent sessions (excluding the
preferences panel items, which are saved by pressing OK). 
Window 
This menu lets you switch among Netscape's primary or currently
open windows. 
Help 
This menu contains the same items as Netscape's main window. 
Bookmarks window 
Use the Bookmarks menu for fast and easy access to your favorite
pages. Choose Bookmarks|Add Bookmark to add the current Netscape
page to the Bookmarks menu. Each time
you add a page, the page's title is appended as a menu item.
Simply select the title to display the page on your
screen. 
Choose Windows|Bookmarks to display the Bookmarks window. The
Bookmarks window has its own menu
bar with items you can use to build and maintain one or more
bookmark lists. 
The Bookmarks window contains icons and folders to help you
organize your bookmarks. Each bookmark icon
corresponds to a menu item. Each bookmark icon in a folder
corresponds to a menu item under a header (a hierarchical
or multilevel menu). Folders can be nested in other folders. 
Double-click on bookmarks to access pages. 
Drag and drop icons among folders to arrange your bookmarks. 
To build a hierarchical menu, create a folder in the Bookmarks
window (choose Item|Insert Folder from the
Bookmark window's menu bar). You can then drag an existing
bookmark into the folder or choose Item|Insert
Bookmark to add a new bookmark. 
Any changes you make to your bookmarks are saved and available
the next time you start Netscape. 
Bookmarks are maintained in lists, with each list represented by
a bookmarks file. You can maintain multiple bookmark
lists, each with its own set of titles linked to favorite pages,
although only one bookmark list can be active at a time. You
can select which list to display in the Bookmarks menu by
choosing File|Open from the Bookmark window. 
Bookmarks menu items 
The Bookmarks window offers the following menu items: 
File|Open lets you select a bookmarks file to use as your active
bookmarks file. 
File|Import lets you append the contents of a bookmarks file to
the end of the active bookmarks file. Note that
a bookmarks file is an HTML-formatted page; if you try to import
an HTML page that is not a bookmark file,
you may get nonfunctional bookmark entries. 
File|Save As saves the active bookmarks file as an HTML-formatted
page. Enter a file name of your choosing,
then press OK to create a bookmarks file. 
File|What's New checks your bookmarks to see which pages, if any,
have undergone modifications since you
last viewed them. Before the check, you're prompted as to whether
you want to check all bookmarks or only
selected bookmarks. After the check, a dialog tells you how many
pages were reached and how many have
changed. 
File|Close closes the bookmark window while saving the current
list. File|Quit (Macintosh only) exits the Netscape application. 
Edit|Undo-Redo reverses the previous action. 
Edit|Cut removes the current selection and places a copy on the
clipboard. If the selection includes a folder, the
folder's contents are also included. 
Edit|Copy places a copy of the current selection on the
clipboard. If the selection includes a folder, the folder's
contents are also included. 
Edit|Paste places the contents of the clipboard into the
bookmarks list after the current selection. If the selection
is a folder, the new item is inserted into the folder as the
first item. 
Edit|Delete removes the current selection. If the selection
includes a folder, the folder's contents are also
removed. 
Edit|Select All (Macintosh only) highlights all items in the
window. Edit|Find Searches for items in the bookmark list (both
titles and URLs). When a match is found, the item is
selected. 
Edit|Find Again performs the Find command again. 
Item|Properties displays the Bookmark Properties window for a
selected bookmark or header. It's only
possible to see one properties window at a time. 
Item|Go to Bookmark displays the page specified by the current
selection in the list (provided the current
selection is a page title). This action is the same as
double-clicking on a bookmark. 
Item|Sort Bookmarks arranges bookmark items in alphabetical
order. Item|Insert Bookmark lets you add a new bookmark below the
current selection in the list. You'll see the
Bookmarks Properties window, where you enter the bookmark title
you wish to use in the Name field
(temporarily titled New Item) and the new item's URL in the
Location field. You have the option of adding
information to the Description field. The Last Visited field
contains the date you last viewed the page. The
Added on field contains the current date and time. Click OK to
complete the insertion. Note that if the current
selection is an open folder, the new item is inserted into the
folder as the folder's first item. If the selection is a
closed folder, the new item is inserted after the folder at the
same level as the folder. 
Item|Insert Folder lets you add a new folder (and corresponding
menu header) below the current selection.
You'll see the Bookmarks Properties window, where you enter the
name of the new folder (temporarily titled in
theName text field). You have the option of adding information to
the Description field. The Added on field
contains the current date and time. (There's no information for
the Location or Last Visited field.) Click OK to
complete the insertion. 
Item|Insert Separator creates a separator line below the current
selection in the list 
Item|Make Alias lets you create an alternate bookmark (an alias)
that works in the same manner as the original
bookmark. Using aliases, you can have the same bookmark in
multiple folders. Unlike a copy of a bookmark, an
alias automatically reflects any change made to the original
bookmark. Item|Set to New Bookmarks Folder makes the selected
folder the default bookmarks folder, so that each
time you choose Add Bookmark from the Bookmarks menu, the
bookmark you add goes into that folder. The
default is the topmost folder. First select a folder, then choose
Set to New Bookmarks Folder. 
Item|Set to Bookmark Menu Folder limits the bookmarks that appear
under the Bookmarks menu to those
beginning at the specified folder. The default is the entire
listing. First, select a folder, then choose Set to
Bookmark Menu Folder. 
Bookmarks shortcuts and tips 
Selecting items 
On Windows and UNIX, double-click on a folder to display or hide
its contents. On Macintosh, click on a
folder arrow to display or hide its contents. 
Single-click on a bookmark or folder item to select or unselect
the item. When you single-click on a folder,
subsequent actions (such as editing and positioning) act upon all
the contents of the folder. 
On Windows, select multiple items by holding down the Ctrl key
(noncontiguous) or Shift key (contiguous). On
Macintosh, select multiple items by holding down the Shift key
(noncontiguous). On Windows, when a single bookmark is selected,
the status area displays the bookmark's URL. Otherwise, the
status area displays the number of items selected. 
Positioning items 
Drag and drop items within a Bookmarks window to position them.
While dragging an item around, you'll see a
box or a line indicating the position where a drop will occur.
When you drag an item over a folder, you'll see a
box around the folder (a drop positions the item first in the
folder list). When you drag an item over a bookmark
or separator, you'll see a horizontal line between adjacent items
(a drop positions the item at the line). 
Drag and drop a link from a Netscape page by clicking on the link
and then dragging it into the Bookmarks
window. The bookmark is added at the position of the drop. 
Creating shortcut icons 
Bookmark shortcuts: On Windows 95 and Macintosh, drag and drop a
bookmark icon from the Bookmarks
window to the desktop to create a bookmark shortcut icon. You can
double click on a bookmark shortcut icon
or drag the icon onto the Netscape window to open Netscape and
display the page. 
Internet shortcuts: On Windows 95, drag and drop a link from a
Netscape page to the desktop to create an
Internet shortcut for a specific page. 
Address Book window 
Use the Address Book to simplify the process of addressing the
email you send. To display the Address Book window,
choose Window|Address Book. The window operates similarly to the
Bookmarks window. You organize your
addresses with address book icons and mailing list folders. 
Any individual you add to your address book is represented by an
icon. These individual icons appear first in the
address book. Mailing list folders appear after the individual
icons. Use the Address Book's menu items to create and
modify entries. 
Adding addresses: To add an individual, choose Item|Add User.
You'll see the Address Book Properties dialog
where you can enter a nickname, name, email address, and
description. To modify an address book entry, select the
icon to modify, then choose Item|Properties. 
You can enter an abbreviation or other alternative name in the
Nickname field to further simplify addressing the mail you
send. When you compose new mail, simply enter the nickname
(rather than the email address), then press Enter or
Return. The nickname automatically expands to the corresponding
email address in the address book. 
Mailing lists: Mailing lists, represented by folder icons,
contain aliases to individuals in your address book. Each
individual in a mailing list is also represented by an individual
icon outside of the mailing list. 
To add an address to a mailing list, drag and drop the individual
icon on to the mailing list folder. The individual icon
remains in its place and the alias, notated in italics, is stored
in the folder. Choose Item|Add List to create a new
mailing list folder. 
Address Book menu items 
Menu items specific to the Address Book window work as follows 
File|New Mail Message displays the Message Composition window for
writing a new mail message to
selected users. 
File|Import lets you append the contents of an address book file
(an HTML-formatted page) into the active
address book file. 
File|Save As lets you save the active address book file (as an
HTML formatted page). Enter a file name of your
choice, then click OK. 
File|Close closes the Address Book window while saving the
current list. 
File|Quit (Macintosh only) exits the Netscape application. 
Edit|Undo-Redo reverses the previous action. 
Edit|Cut-Copy-Paste (Macintosh only) performs the standard
editing features. 
Edit|Delete (Delete Address on Macintosh) removes the current
selection. If the selection includes a folder, the
folder's contents are also removed. 
Edit|Find lets you search for items in the Address Book list
(both names and addresses). 
Edit|Find Again performs the Find command again. 
Item|Add User lets you create a new email address entry. You can
enter an abbreviated name in the Nickname
field that serves a shortcut when addressing email. Enter the
full name you want to use in the Name field and the
proper address in the Email field. You have the option of adding
information to the Description field. 
Item|Add List lets you insert a new folder (mailing list) below
the individuals in the list. You can enter an
abbreviated name in the Nickname field to serve as a shortcut
when addressing email to the entire list. Enter a
name for the new mailing list folder (temporarily titled New
Header). You have the option of adding information
to the Description field. 
Item|Properties (Edit Address Book Entry on Macintosh) lets you
edit the information of the selected
address or folder. 
File 
New Web Browser 
Creates a new Netscape window. This window has the same history
items as the previous window and displays
the oldest page in the history (usually the home page) to screen. 
New Mail Message 
Lets you create and send a new mail message in the Message
Composition window. 
Mail Document... (or Mail Frame...) 
Lets you create and send a mail message in the Message
Composition window with the current page
automatically attached. The content field contains the page's
URL. The subject field contains the page's title. 
Open Location... 
Lets you enter a URL to display the specified page in the content
area. Every page has a unique URL that
identifies its protocol, server, and file pathname. 
Open File... 
Lets you select a file to open. 
Save as... (or Save Frame as...) 
Lets you save a file that contains the current Netscape page
contents. You can save the page in plain text format
or in source (HTML) format. On UNIX, you also have the option to
save in PostScript format. 
Upload File... 
Lets you select a file to upload to the FTP server specified by
the current URL. The command is only active
when the current page accesses an FTP site. Alternatively, you
can upload files to the FTP site by dragging and
dropping files from the desktop to the Netscape window. Write
permission is required. 
Page Setup... (Not on UNIX) 
Lets you specify printing characteristics associated with the
current page. 
Print... (or Print Frame...) 
Prints the content area of the current Netscape page. You can
select various printing characteristics. 
Print Preview (Windows only) 
Previews the printed page on screen. 
Close 
Closes the current Netscape page. On Windows, exits the Netscape
application when you close the last page. 
Exit (On Macintosh: Quit) 
Closes the current Netscape page and exits the Netscape
application. Edit 
Undo 
Reverses the last action you performed, when possible. 
Cut... 
Removes the current selection and places a copy on the clipboard. 
Copy 
Places a copy of the current selection on the clipboard. 
Paste 
Puts the clipboard contents into the current Netscape page at the
position of the selection marker. 
Clear (Macintosh only) 
Removes the current selection. 
Select All 
Creates a selection composed of the entire contents of the area
occupied by the selection marker. 
Find... 
Lets you specify a word or phrase to locate within the current
Netscape page. Press the Find button to begin the
search. If a match is found, the text is selected and, if
necessary, scrolled to a visible position in the content area.
If the Match Case option (Case Sensitive on Macintosh and UNIX)
is checked, the case of each letter must
match; otherwise a match can occur regardless of case. On
Windows, check the Up or Down radio button to
direct the search toward the beginning or end of the document. If
there is a current selection, the search begins at
the selection and does not wrap around to the opposite end of the
document. On Macintosh and UNIX, check
the Find Backwards check box to determine if the search starts
from the beginning or end of the document. 
Find Again 
Searches for another occurrence of the text specified after using
Find. View 
Reload 
Brings a fresh copy of the current Netscape page to replace the
one originally loaded. Netscape checks the
network server to see if any change to the page has occurred. If
there's no change, the fresh copy is retrieved
from the cache. If there's a change, the fresh copy is
transmitted from the network server and the reloaded page
displays the updated page contents. If you press the Reload
button while holding down the Shift key (Option
key on Macintosh), Netscape retrieves a fresh version from the
network server regardless of whether the page
has been updated (the cache is not used). 
Reload Frame 
Brings a fresh copy of the currently selected page within a
single frame on a Netscape page containing frames. In
other respects, the command operates the same as Reload. 
Load Images 
Displays images of the current Netscape page. Typically, images
automatically load into pages. However, if the
Options|Auto Load Images menu item is unchecked when a page
loads, a small icon is substituted at the
position of each image. Choosing Load Images replaces all small
icons with their corresponding images. Images
are loaded from their source files, however the page is not
reloaded (links to images are not updated from the
source page). 
Refresh (Not on Macintosh) 
Brings a fresh copy of the current Netscape page from local
memory to replace the one originally loaded. The
refreshed page does not display changes made to the source page
from the time of the original loading. 
Document Source 
Produces a View Source window showing the current page in the
format of HTML (HyperText Markup
Language). The HTML source text includes the commands used to
create the content and content style of a
single page. On Windows and Macintosh, you can specify an
application of your choice to view the source text
(bypassing the viewer window). Choose the
Options|General|Applications menu item to find the View Source
field and a Browse button to specify the location of the viewing
application you wish to use as the default viewer.
Document Info 
Produces a page in a separate Netscape window stating the current
document's structure and composition
including title, location (URL), date of last modification,
character set encoding, and security status. Secure
documents specify the type of encryption used and certificate
data. The certificate states the version, serial
number, issuer (identity of the certifier), and subject (identity
of the server). 
Go 
Back 
Displays the previous page in the history list. A history list
references a hierarchy of pages you have viewed. 
Forward 
Displays the next page in the history list. If you have used Back
or a history menu item to bring back a page, then
Forward brings the page ahead in the history list. Forward is
only offered after using Back or a history item. 
Home 
Displays the home page whose location is specified in the General
Preferences|Ap pearance
panel. Netscape's
home page is the default. 
Stop Loading 
Halts the connection in progress to display a page. 
History items 
The Go menu appends the title of each page in the history list as
a menu item. Choose the menu item to display
the page. Choose Window|History to view the history list. 
Bookmarks 
Add Bookmark 
Adds the title of the current Netscape page to the list of pages
in the bookmark file. The Bookmarks menu grows
as you add bookmarks. Initially, the menu contains two items: one
that adds a bookmark item and another to
view the Bookmarks window. Bookmarks are stored as a list and
represented by a bookmark file on your hard
disk. The bookmarks list can be viewed in the Bookmarks window.
For a complete description of bookmarks
and the tools for working with bookmarks, see the section on
Mail, News, and Bookmarks 
Go to Bookmarks (Windows only) 
Displays the Bookmarks window (the same as choosing
Window|Bookmarks). Bookmark items 
The Bookmarks menu appends an item with the title of each page
you add as a bookmark. Choose the menu
item to display the page. Choose Window|Bookmarks to view the
bookmark list. 
Options 
General Preferences... 
Presents a dialog box containing tab buttons for selecting
preference items. Each tab presents one or more panels
that help you define Netscape's operation. The General
Preferences panels cover a broad set of preference
items. Panels for other preference items are displayed by
subsequent menu items. Click the OK button to close
the dialog box while accepting any changes in panel settings.
Click Apply, if available, to accept changes without
closing the dialog. Click Cancel to close the dialog box without
accepting any changes. Click Defaults to reset
panel items to initial out-of-box settings. Click Help, if
available, for online help information about each panel. 
Mail and News Preferences... 
Presents the tabbed panels for setting mail and news preference
items. Network Preferences... 
Presents the tabbed panels for setting preference items regarding
cache, network connections, and proxy
configurations. 
Security Preferences... 
Presents the tabbed panels for setting preference items for
security features. 
Show Toolbar 
Toggles the visibility of the toolbar buttons. If checked, the
toolbar buttons are visible. 
Show Location 
Toggles the visibility of the location (URL) field. If checked,
the location is visible. 
Show Directory Buttons 
Toggles the visibility of the Directory menu buttons. If checked,
the buttons are visible. 
Show Java Console 
Displays the Java Console window. Some Java programs might
display information here. 
Auto Load Images 
Toggles the presentation of inline images as a page is brought to
screen. If checked, images embedded in a page
are automatically loaded. If unchecked, images are not loaded and
are instead represented by small icons that
can be loaded by choosing View|Load Images or Images from the
toolbar. Unchecking this item increases the
speed for displaying page text. 
Document Encoding 
Lets you select which character set encoding a document uses when
document encoding is either not specified or
unavailable. The proportional and fixed fonts associated with the
default encoding are designated using the
General Preferences|Fonts panel items. 
Save Options 
Saves any changes made to the settings of the Options menu (not
including the preferences panels whose items
are saved by pressing OK). Changes remain in effect for
subsequent Netscape sessions. 
Directory 
Netscape's Home 
Links to help get you started using Netscape and exploring the
Internet. What's New! 
A timely page leading you to the new information appearing every
day on the Internet. 
What's Cool! 
An intriguing page guiding you to the more interesting offerings
on the Internet. 
Netscape Galleria 
A directory of online services and content offerings from
Netscape server customers. 
Internet Directory 
A master directory of Internet sites and other Internet
directories. Internet Search 
A directory of Internet search engines that you can use to find
specific information or a particular page, either by
searching page titles, subject fields, document content, or other
indexes and directories. 
Internet White Pages 
A directory of services to assist you in locating the names and
email addresses of Internet users. 
About the Internet 
General information about the Internet with links to pages that
explain Internet concepts. 
Windows 
Netscape Mail 
Displays the Mail window. 
Netscape News 
Displays the News window. 
Address Book 
Displays an Address Book window where you can create and modify
files containing email addresses. 
Bookmarks 
Displays a Bookmarks window where you can create and modify
bookmark files. 
History 
Displays a History window that lists, in two columns, the title
and URL of each page you have recently viewed.
The history list is sorted with the most recently viewed pages at
the top. One item in the list is always selected.
Pressing the Go to button, or double-clicking an item, brings the
selected page back to the screen. Pressing the
Add to Bookmark button puts the selected page into the bookmark
list. Window items 
Makes the selected window item the frontmost window. Each open
window is listed as a menu item. The menu
item name is derived from the window's type and title. The
current window is designated with a check mark. 
Help (See Balloon Help or Apple menu on Macintosh) 
About Netscape 
Version, copyright, and license information about the Netscape
software. About Plug-ins 
Presents MIME type information for currently installed plug-in
modules. Plug-in modules are software programs
that extend the capabilities of Netscape. The plug-in application
programming interface (API) provides native
support for new data types and additional features. After
installing a plug-in on your hard disk (per instructions
from the plug-in), the plug-in adds capabilities seamlessly to
Netscape, performing like built-in Netscape features.
A Netscape dialog box tries to inform you if there's an
incompatibility with a version of a plug-in. 
Registration Information 
Displays a page containing the registration number for your copy
of Netscape Navigator. If you have not yet
registered your copy of the software, the page tells you how to
register. Software 
Displays a page containing information on how to obtain the most
recent upgrades to Netscape Navigator
software. 
Handbook 
Displays the online version of the documentation, with links to
chapters and index entries. 
Release Notes 
New feature information, links to helper applications, and tips
for using a specific version of the software. 
Frequently Asked Questions 
Answers to common questions on a variety of Netscape topics. 
On Security 
Questions and answers about Netscape's security features and
links to additional technical information about
Netscape's implementation of Internet security. 
How to Give Feedback 
A feedback form for you to fill in and send your comments,
requests for features, bug reports, and other
information to Netscape. 
How to Get Support 
Displays information on Netscape support programs and relevant
email addresses. 
How to Create Web Services 
A page with links to help you explore opportunities for creating
and publishing your own documents on the
Internet using Netscape software. 
Pop-up Menu 
On Windows and UNIX, clicking the right mouse button produces a
pop up menu with items that are shortcuts for
several commands. On Macintosh, holding down the mouse button
produces the pop-up menu. 
The items in the menu depend on the type or contents of the
window you are on. For example, when pressing the
mouse button over a link, menu items refer to the page specified
by the link; over an image, menu items refer to the
image file specified by the image; over a pane in the Mail or
News window, menu items apply specifically to mail or
news features. When a frame is selected, Back and Forward menu
items refer to the individual frame. 
Back (or Back in Frame) (Same as Go|Back item) 
Displays the previous page in the history list. 
Forward (or Forward in Frame) (Same as Go|Forward item) 
Displays the next page in the history list. 
Open this Link (filename) 
Displays the specified page. 
Add Bookmark for this Link 
Creates a bookmark in the bookmark list for the specified page. 
New Window with this Link 
Displays the specified page into a newly opened window instead of
the current window. 
Save this Link as... 
Saves the specified page to disk (instead of displaying on
screen). Copy this Link Location 
Copies the specified page location (URL) to the clipboard. 
Open this Image (filename) 
Displays the specified image. 
Save this Image as... 
Saves the specified image to disk (instead of displaying on
screen). Copy this Image (Macintosh only) 
Copies the specified image to the clipboard. 
Copy this Image Location 
Copies the specified image location (URL) to the clipboard. 
Load this Image 
Displays the specified image. (Replaces an image icon with the
corresponding image like the View|Load Images
menu item.). 
Create Shortcut (Windows 95 only) 
Displays the Create Internet Shortcuts dialog box preset with
information about the current page. To create a
Internet shortcut icon on your desktop, you can accept the
current information or supply a new description and
URL for any page you wish. After you have created the icon, you
can click it to open Netscape with the shortcut
page automatically loaded. 
General Preferences |Appearance 
All the settings in this panel affect how Netscape will look when
you first start it. You can return to this panel at any time
to further personalize the Netscape application. 
You can customize our toolbar look with the Toolbar radio
buttons: Pictures, Text, or Pictures and Text. The default
is Pictures. 
The Startup area of this panel lets you decide which window is
your launch window when running Netscape. Choose
from Netscape Browser, Netscape Mail, or Netscape News. The
default is Netscape Browser. 
Blank Page and Home Page Location let you determine the first
page to appear when starting Netscape. You can
enter the location (URL) you want as your startup page in the
text field for Home Page Location. By default, this field
contains the URL of the Netscape application's home page.
Choosing Blank Page will display a blank page when you
launch Netscape. 
Under Link Styles, the first setting, Underlined is checked by
default. This ensures that text links in content areas are
underlined. The Followed Links settings let you decide when a
given followed link (a URL that you've gone to)
expires. The color of a followed link will revert to the color of
an unfollowed link based on your selection. Expire After
30 Days is set by default. Choosing Never Expire means your links
will always stay as a followed one. The Expire
After choice lets you determine how many days pass before
followed links revert to unfollowed ones. 
General Preferences |Applications 
Use this panel setting to specify the folder to store
applications that support Netscape. These applications provide
Netscape with connection and page formatting utilities. Click on
the field's adjacent Browse button (not on UNIX) to
identify a new application location. 
Telnet Application: Telnet provides the means to connect to and
interact with another computer using standard
Internet protocols. Use this field to specify the location of
your Telnet application. 
TN3270 Application: TN3270 is used for Telnet connections to IBM
mainframes. Enter the location of your
TN3270 application here. 
Rlogin Application and Rlogin with User: (Unix only) Use these
fields to specify locations for Rlogin
functionality. 
View Source: (Windows and Macintosh only) A viewer application
displays a page's text embedded with the
HTML formatting commands. Enter the location of the viewer
application you use to view HTML source text. If
no application is specified, your platform might use a default
viewer. Temporary Directory: Before a helper application
executes, Netscape temporarily stores application files on
disk. After the helper application is exited, Netscape deletes
the files. Enter the location to store files that are
used and automatically disposed of by Netscape .(On Macintosh and
UNIX, click Browse to select a new
default folder if, for example, your default disk is short on
space and you want to store temporary files in another
location.) 
General Preferences |Colors 
By default, all Custom boxes are unchecked and default colors are
used. (This preference panel is on Windows and
Macintosh only.) Check any of the Custom boxes to personalize
your link, text, and background colors. The Choose
Color buttons (Color box on the Macintosh) in the first four
settings give you reign over your palette. 
Links: Blue is the default color for links to unviewed pages. 
Followed links: Purple is the default color of text links to
pages you have already seen. 
Text: Black is the default color to display ordinary text. 
In the Background setting, you can specify how the background of
a document should be presented on your screen.
Choose Default to use the standard gray background. Choose Custom
and then press Choose Color to select a
background color of your choice. Choose Image File and press the
Browse button to select an image file to serve as
your document background. 
If you want to use Always Use My Colors, Overriding Document,
then check this box and your settings will always
override another page's. By default, the box is unchecked,
displaying the individual background and colors of any page
you view. 
On Macintosh, click in the Use utilities pattern box to use the
Macintosh system utilities pattern as the background
outside the content area (such as at the top of the Netscape
window and in the status message area). You can set this
pattern by choosing the Control Panels|Desktop Patterns desk
accessory, scrolling to a pattern, holding down the
Option key, and clicking on the Set Utilities Pattern button. The
utilities pattern is displayed outside the content area
once you restart the Netscape application. 
General Preferences |Fonts 
Netscape lets you choose a character set encoding's font display
and specify a document's character set encoding. An
encoding represents a mapping of glyphs (such as character
symbols) to computer codes (such as hexadecimal digits). 
Each character set encoding from the For the Encoding pull-down
menu is associated with the display of a
proportional and fixed font pair. You can view or modify the
association for any encoding by choosing the encoding
name from the menu, then choosing items from the proportional and
fixed font pull-down menus. For example, the
default encoding, Latin1, is associated with the proportional
font Times 12 and the fixed font Courier 10. 
Most pages display text in a proportional font. The Use the
Proportional Font field specifies the font of the primary
type of text in the content area. Click the Choose Font button
(font and font size fields are pop-up menus on
Macintosh) to select an alternative font or font size display.
You can make a selection for each encoding. 
Fixed font text is used in editable fields and certain paragraphs
preformatted by the author of a page. The Use the
Fixed Font field specifies the font of the secondary type of text
in the content area. Click the Choose Font button (font
and font size fields are pop-up menus on Macintosh) to select an
alternative font or font size display.You can make a
selection for each encoding. 
General Preferences |Helpers 
Choose the Help|Release Notes menu item for platform-specific
details and to find sites for downloading helper
application software. 
The Netscape application brings files to your computer using
various server protocols such as HTTP, NNTP, SMTP,
and FTP. Each protocol can support different file formats.
Netscape has the built-in capability to interpret and display
on your computer several formats, including the HTML format used
by HTTP servers. When the Netscape application
retrieves a file with a format that Netscape itself cannot read,
the application attempts to use an external helper
application capable of reading the file. 
The Helpers dialog box lets you examine and configure how a
file's format maps to a helper application. The dialog box
contains several fields and buttons to specify MIME file types (a
method of differentiating file formats using a suffix
appended to a file name), helper applications, and associated
actions. A scrolling text field lists the helper applications
available to the Netscape application. Each line of the text
field contains
information about one helper application. By clicking on a line
in the text field, you can see and modify preferences for
the selected helper application in the area below the scrolling
field. Below the helper applications listing are text fields and
buttons that allow you to configure new helper applications or
reconfigure current ones. You can add or modify information such
as file extensions or actions associated with a helper
application, then click OK (or Apply) to update the contents of
the scrolling field. 
The File/MIME Type field specifies the file or MIME type of the
selection. The Subtype field further classifies the technical
format of the selection. The File Extensions (Extensions) on
Macintosh) field specifies the available suffix or suffixes used
by the file
type of the selection. You can enter or modify file extensions in
this field. 
Click the Create New Type (New on Macintosh) button to produce
the Configure New MIME Type dialog
box with two text fields for you to enter a MIME type and MIME
subtype. Clicking the OK button of the New
Type dialog verifies the data and, if valid, adds the file
information to the list. 
(Macintosh only) The application associated with the current
selection is listed. Click the Browse button to select
an associated application. Choose the application's default file
type from the File type pop-up menu. 
Under the Action setting, you can select one of four radio
buttons to designate the action performed by the helper
application: 
View in Browse (Use Netscape as Viewer on Macintosh and UNIX)
opens the downloaded file in the
content area if the file's format is supported. 
Save to Disk (Save on Macintosh) produces a dialog box for saving
a file to disk after the file is downloaded. 
Unknown: Prompt User causes a notification to the user. 
Launch Application opens the selected application using the
downloaded file as its document. Click theBrowse
button to select a launch application. The application pathname
is listed. 
General Preferences |Images 
The Choosing Colors setting (not available on Macintosh) lets you
specify how images are displayed. You can select
from Automatic, Dither, or Substitute Colors. The default,
Automatic, attempts to determine the most appropriate
type of image display. Alternatively, you can select Dither or
Substitute Colors to most closely match the computer's
available colors. Dithered images may offer a closer match to an
image's intended colors, but take longer to display. 
Select While Loading or After Loading to display images
incrementally while the image is transmitted, or all at once
after the transmission. The While Loading option provides the
benefit of feedback as the transmission progresses. On
a fast network, the After Loading option might complete the load
slightly faster. The default is While Loading. 
General Preferences |Language 
Netscape lets you inform servers of your language priorities.
(This preference panel is on Windows and Macintosh
only.) When you request a page, your language priorities are sent
as part of the request (in the HTTP header). Servers
that have the capability to send you a page in more than one
language can interpret your language priorities and respond
to your request accordingly. 
A language request entry consists of language code and,
sometimes, a region code. For example, the code en-US
represents the English language in the United States region; the
code fr-CA represents the French language in the
Canada region. The built-in codes are standard ISO language tags. 
Many language and region codes are built in and specified in the
Request Language|Region field. You also have the
opportunity to specify another language and region in the User
define (Others) text entry field. 
To build your language priority list, select from the
Language/Region, then click on the arrow keys to insert the
selection into the Accept List. 
Click the Right arrow button to insert an item from the
Language/Region field into the Accept List. 
Click the Left arrow button to remove a selected item from the
Accept List. 
Click the Promote button (Macintosh only) to increase by one
position the relative priority of a selected item in
the priority list. 
Click the Demote button (Macintosh only) to decrease by one
position the relative priority of a selected item in
the priority list. 
Enter a Language/Region code in the User define (Others on
Macintosh) text field and press Enter (Return)
to insert your entry into the Accept List. 
Mail and News Preferences |Appearance 
The Appearance panel lets you customize font styles for display
in Mail and News windows. Select Fixed Width Font
or Variable Width Font to determine whether messages use a
display font with fixed- or variable-width characters. A
series of other radio buttons let you determine the text style,
text size, and color of the quoted text. Quoted text (text
preceded by the > symbol) marks information restated from a
previous message. On Windows and Macintosh, the
default text style is bold; on UNIX, the default is italic. 
On Windows only, you can also specify Use Netscape Client for
Mail and News or Use Exchange Client for
Mail and News to perform mail and news functions. Netscape is the
default. Mail and News Preferences |Composition 
In the section for composing mail and news messages, the Allow
8-bit radio button (the default) accommodates the
widest range of email servers (U.S. and Europe). If you are using
a MIME mail reader where non-ASCII characters
are misinterpreted, use the MIME Compliant option to enable
proper character display. 
In the next section of this panel, enter an email address in
either the Mail Messages or News Messages fields if you
want to retain a copy of mail or news messages you send. In the
next section, you can also automatically store a copy of
your mail or news messages to a disk file. By default, the path
for the copied mail file is the path to the Sent Mail file. 
Finally, select the check box Automatically quote original
message when replying to restate the original message
(each line prefaced by the > symbol) in your replies. By default,
this box is checked. If unchecked, none of the original
message is restated. Note that when replying to a message, you
should delete nonrelevant lines so that your messages
are not unnecessarily long. 
Mail and News Preferences |Servers 
To send email, the Netscape application must make the appropriate
connection to a SMTP (Simple Mail Transport
Protocol) server. To receive email, Netscape makes a connection
to a POP server. Usually, the names of these servers
are the same. 
In the Mail section of this panel, enter the server names in the
Outgoing Mail (SMTP) Server and Incoming Mail
(POP3) Server fields (ideally, local mail servers if available).
If you do not know the name of your SMTP or POP
server, ask your service provider or system administrator. 
Text in the Outgoing Mail (SMTP) Server field designates the host
name of your SMTP server. 
Text in the Incoming Mail (POP3) Server field designates the host
name of your POP server. 
Text in the POP User Name field designates your user name (the
part of your email address to the left of the @
symbol). Don't include the @ symbol or the server name to the
right of the @ symbol as part of your email
address. 
Text in the Mail Directory field (Your POP ID on Macintosh)
designates the pathname of the folder containing
your email files. 
To determine Maximum Message Size, select None or Size to specify
the maximum amount of information a
message can contain. Unsent message lines remain on the server.
Selecting Size and providing a number of
kilobytes in the adjacent field prevents you from receiving
message transmissions longer than you wish. The
default is None (no maximum). 
Select Removed from the server or Left on the server to designate
the storage status of messages after they
are delivered from the server to your local hard disk. The
default is Removed from the server. 
You can decide how often to check mail with the options Every or
Never. Selecting Every and providing a
number of minutes in the adjacent field provides the interval
between checks. The default is Every with 10
minutes specified. 
On UNIX, you can specify either a POP3 or Movemail mail system.
Choosing POP3 enables the POP field,
allowing you to enter a server and user name. Choosing Movemail
enables the Movemail items, allowing you
to select a built-in or external application, and to use a Browse
button to specify the location of the Movemail
application. 
In the News section of this panel, you must specify a news server
to interact with Usenet newsgroups. If you don't
know the name of your news server, contact the service or
administrator providing you with your Internet connection.
Text in the News (NNTP) Server field designates the host name for
the default news server. 
The News Directory text field details the location of newsgroup
subscription and information files. A news file is
maintained for each news server you connect to (not on Macintosh;
news files are in the System
Folder|Preferences|Netscape folder). 
The last field on this panel, Get 100 Messages at a Time, can be
replaced with a number (up to 3500) that limits
how many news messages are initially transferred, in a single
block, from the news server. The larger the number, the
longer it takes to complete the transfer of each block of
messages. Mail and News Preferences |Identity 
In the Mail section of this panel, enter your name and email
address in their respective fields so others can easily identify
you and reply to your mail. You can also specify a reply-to
address to get email replies at an address other than where
you send mail from. This information accompanies each
correspondence you send. 
Text in the Your Name field provides your name to recipients of
your email. 
Text in the Your Email field provides your email address (full
address including the @ symbol) to recipients of
your email. 
Text in the Reply-to Address fields gives you the option to
provide an alternative email address for receiving
replies to your email. 
The Your Organization field allows you to add your company name. 
The Signature File field shows the name of a file containing a
signature you can append to your mailings and
news postings. You can create a signature file in a text editor.
Once you have such a file, click Browse to select
it. On Windows, you can leave the field blank to indicate no
signature file. On Macintosh, choose one of two
radio buttons None or File to indicate your use of a signature
file. Mail and News Preferences |Organization 
Mail and news messages can be organized by threading (list
messages of the same topic together). If you choose to
thread messages, replies to a particular message are listed
following the original. By default, mail messages are not
threaded and news messages are threaded. Without threading,
replies are listed in the order received. You can also
choose how you wish to sort mail and news. 
Click in the Remember Mail Password check box to prevent Netscape
from requesting your password each
time you open the Mail window. 
You can sort your mail and news by date, message number, subject,
or sender. Both mail and news are sorted by date
by default. 
Network Preferences |Cache 
The Memory Cache field (on Windows and UNIX) specifies the size
in kilobytes of the memory cache. Press
the Clear Memory Cache Now button to empty the cache immediately.
The default is 600K on Windows,
3000K on UNIX. On Macintosh, specify memory in the application's
Get Info box. 
The Disk Cache field (Cache Size on Macintosh) specifies the size
in kilobytes of the disk cache. On Windows
and UNIX, the default is 5000K. On Macintosh, the default is 1M
(1000K), the size of available disk space is
displayed, and you can use buttons to adjust the cache size.
Press the Clear Disk Cache Now button to empty
the cache immediately. 
The Disk Cache Directory field (Cache Directory on Macintosh)
specifies the disk cache location. On
Macintosh, click Browse to select a new location. 
Select one of three radio buttons to specify how Netscape checks
the network for document revisions (so that
you're brought an updated page from a network server rather than
a potentially stale page stored in the cache).
The default choice, Once per Session, checks for page revisions
only once during the time you start and quit the
application. Choosing Every Time repeatedly checks for changes
when you request a page, at the cost of
slower performance. Choosing Never performs no verifications,
thus a page available in cache is always brought
from cache. 
Netscape performs cache maintenance when you exit the
applications. If you find that exiting takes longer than you
wish, you might remedy the problem by reducing the size of the
disk cache. 
If you find that pages that should be in cache are taking longer
to appear than they should, make sure the Verify
Documents (Check Documents on Macintosh) button is not set to
Every Time. The verification requires a network
connection that takes time. 
Note that you can always obtain document revisions by pressing
the Reload button. Netscape checks the network
server and, if the page is unchanged, a copy is retrieved from
the cache. If the page has changed, a copy is transmitted
from the network server. If you press the Reload button while
holding down the Shift key (Option key on Macintosh),
Netscape always retrieves a copy from the network server without
regard to the cache. 
Network Preferences |Connections 
The text and each image on a page are distinct files. Netscape
opens a connection to an Internet server to bring each of
these files to your screen. Netscape can display a page's text
and multiple image files simultaneously by opening more
than one connection to a server. By specifying a larger number of
connections, you are specifying more simultaneous
connections, which can also slow down the speed of each
individual connection. 
The Number of Connections (Connections on Macintosh) field
specifies the maximum number of network
connections. The default is 4. 
The network buffer size determines the amount of data that can be
received in a network data transmission. Larger
buffers mean more data, but can also saturate the computer. 
The Network Buffer Size field specifies the number of kilobytes
allotted in memory for network data
transmissions. On Windows, the default is 32K. On Macintosh, the
default is 8K. 
Network Preferences |Proxies 
Ordinarily, the Netscape application does not require proxies to
interact with the network services of external sources.
However, in some network configurations the connection between
the Netscape application and a remote server is
blocked by a firewall. Firewalls protect information in internal
computer networks from external access. In doing so,
firewalls might limit Netscape's ability to exchange information
with external sources. 
To overcome this limitation, Netscape can interact with proxy
software. A proxy server sits atop a firewall and acts as a
conduit, providing a specific connection for each network service
protocol. If you are running Netscape on an internal
network from behind a firewall, you'll need from your system
administrator the names and associated port numbers for
the server running proxy software for each network service. Proxy
software retains the ability to communicate with
external sources, yet is trusted to communicate with the internal
network. Select No Proxies, Manual Proxy Configuration, or
Automatic Proxy Configuration to designate the conduit
between your computer and the Internet. Users with a direct
connection to the Internet should use the default, No
Proxies. To customize a proxy configuration, choose the manual
configuration and press the View button to display a
dialog box. If you have a configuration file designed expressly
for your proxy server, choose the automatic configuration
and provide the file's URL in the adjacent text field. 
A single computer can run multiple servers, each server
connection identified with a port number. A proxy server, like
an HTTP server or a FTP server, occupies a port. Typically, a
connection uses standardized port numbers for each
protocol (for example, HTTP = 80 and FTP = 21). However, unlike
common server protocols, the proxy server has no
default port. Netscape requires that for each proxy server you
specify in a Proxy text field, you also specify its port
number in the Port field. 
Text in each Proxy field designates the host name of each
protocol's proxy server. (Often, a single proxy server
handles the three major protocols: HTTP, FTP, and Gopher.) This
can also be a numeric IP address of the proxy
server. 
A number in each adjacent Port field identifies the port number
used by the proxy server. 
Text fields for proxies and ports are offered for FTP (File
Transfer Protocol), Gopher, HTTP (HyperText Transfer
Protocol), Security (Secure Sockets Layer protocol), WAIS (Wide
Area Information System), and SOCKS (firewall
bypass software). 
The text field No Proxy for:, available when viewing the Manual
Proxy Configuration dialog, lets you bypass the proxy
server for one or more specified local domains. For example, if
you specify 
HTTP Proxy: aserver.netscape.com Port: 8080 
No Proxy for: adomain,bdomain,netscape.com 
then all HTTP requests for the adomain, bdomain, and netscape.com
host servers go from Netscape directly to the
host (not using any proxy). All HTTP requests for other servers
go from Netscape through the proxy server aserver on
port 8080, then to the host. A proxy that runs on a host server
outside a firewall cannot connect to server inside the
firewall. To bypass the firewall's restriction, you must set the
No Proxy for field to include any internal server you're
using. If you use local hostnames without the domain name, you
should list them the same way. Multiple hostnames are
delimited by commas and the wildcard character (*) cannot be
used. Security Preferences |General 
At the top of this panel is a setting for JavaScript and, on
Windows, Java control. You can check the Disable
JavaScript check box to disallow the execution of JavaScript code
embedded in a page's HTML source. On
Windows, you can check the Disable Java check box to disallow the
automatic execution of Java applets. 
The ensuing security check boxes in the Security Alerts section
dictate whether you receive a notification dialog box
(popup alert) when entering a secure document space, leaving a
secure document space, viewing a document with a
mixed security status, or submitting a form with an insecure
submit process. 
If a check box is checked, the notification dialog can be issued;
otherwise, the dialog is bypassed. 
Each time you view a notification dialog, you can uncheck the
Show This Alert Next Time check box within the
dialog. If you uncheck the dialog's check box, the corresponding
check box in the Security|General panel is
automatically unchecked. To have the notification dialog shown
again, check the alert item in the panel. 
Security Preferences |Site Certificates 
Site certificates identify others on the Internet to you. For
example, when you submit information in a form, your site
certificate allows you to know the information that you send goes
to the certificate owner and no one else. 
You can obtain numerous site certificates. Each certificate
represents a site or certificate authority. With the certificate,
you can verify that the content of the certificate identifies the
persons with whom you wish to communicate. 
To view information about a particular site certificate or
certificate authority, select the certificate in the list and
press the
Edit Certificate button. You'll find information describing the
owner of the certificate, the issuer of the certificate, and
certificate identification. In addition, you can specify whether
to allow connections to sites certified by a particular
certificate authority and whether to issue warning messages
before sending information to such cites. 
A certificate is stored with your Netscape Navigator preferences.
If you connect to a site from another computer or
another account (using another user's files), your certificates
will not be available. 
The site certificates you obtain are listed in the panel. 
Choose from the Site Certificates pull-down menu to designate
which types of certificates are listed in the field