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Thursday, September 28, 2000
We complain when individuals place so-called "Trojan horse" viruses into files that come in our e-mail, because these files create potential threats to our well-being and the well-being of our computers. But what if the Trojan horse has been planted to protect the well-being of the creator?
That seems to be the case with Bare Naked Ladies. This group of musicians has taken their fight for intellectual property protection into their own hands by implanting subversive messages into files of their songs now found on the Net via Napster. Subversive, that is, if you're a Napster fan -- because the messages break up the flow of the song as you listen by, in essence, saying, 'Ha-ha. Now stop stealing my music and buy my album.' This move represents a new weapon that artists can use to remove the incentive for their fans to download their music for free instead of buying it.
I applaud the group for trying to retain control of its intellectual property. Yet it may be unleashing new battles and even new ways for fans to capitalize on their fame. I wouldn't be surprised if some creative individuals find ways to manipulate the audio so the messages say rude things about the group or their fans. They may have even created a new aftermarket for rare audio -- much the way the Beatles did in the '60s when they recorded holiday greeting messages for their Fan Club on vinyl. Today those original vinyl pressings are worth a mint. Most likely, though, some dedicated Napster fans will simply remove the messages and post completed songs alongside the blemished tunes.
The Ladies' response by disfiguring their own work reminds me of Dean Martin, who never completed a song on TV without chuckling or otherwise sabotaging the possibility of recording the song from start to finish. According to lore, Martin said, "You want the complete song? Buy the record."
Q: I've repeatedly tried to rearrange my desktop to make it easier to use. Yet the icons keep moving back to the left side of the screen. How can I make them stay where I want them?
Have a question for David Radin? Contact him at his Web site
A: Windows is simply auto-arranging your icons for you. You can turn off this feature easily. First, right-click on an empty spot on your desktop. Then, select [Arrange Icons] from the menu that appears. This will pop-up a new menu which has a check mark next to the [Auto Arrange] option. Click on this option to turn off the check mark. Now you should be able to drag your icons to new places on your desktop -- and they will not suddenly move back.
Q: On many of the MS-Word documents that I create, the last few lines push onto a second page. How do I best make them fit on a single page?
A: The easiest way is to use the "Shrink to Fit" feature. First create your entire document. Then, when it has exactly the text that you want in your final version, click on the "Print Preview" icon. (It looks like a page with a magnifying glass.) This will change your view to emulate your printed output. It also will display a new toolbar. Click on the [Shrink to Fit] icon, which shows three pages with a bent arrow at the top right corner.
If you want more control over the way your page looks, either select all your text and decrease the size by one (or even 1/2 increment), or decrease the size of the bottom margin by selecting [File], then [Page Setup...].
David Radin is host of the nationally syndicated radio show "Internet Insider," a local version of which is aired on KDKA AM 1020 at noon Saturdays.
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