Send your WebWorld queries to pcollins@irishtimes.com or by post to Padraig Collins, The Irish Times New Media, 4th Floor, Ballast House, Aston Quay, Dublin 2
I visit the Hunger Site (www.thehungersite.com) as often as I can as food gets donated to the needy by sponsoring companies when I do. The thing is that it will only register one visit per computer per day, but sometimes I forget to go to the site on days that I use the Internet. How can I make it so that my Internet connection automatically goes to the Hunger Site every time I log on? -- Brona, Co Carlow, via e-mail.
This is known as making a page your home page. Your home page at present is probably that of whatever Internet service provider you are using. But changing it to another site is easy to do, but there are different methods depending on which type of browser you use.
If you are using Microsoft's Internet Explorer: first go to the Hunger Site homepage. Then click on either "View" (if you are using Internet Explorer 4) or "Tools" (Internet Explorer 5) - both of which can be found near the top left corner of the menu bar. From there, click on "Internet Options". Select the "General" tab (it will usually open automatically on this anyway). Click the "Use Current" button under "Home Page" and then click "Apply". The Hunger Site will now open up automatically when you connect to the Internet.
If you are using Netscape Communicator 4: Click "Edit" on the menu bar. Select "Preferences" from the bottom of the pull-down menu. Select "Navigator" from the left hand panel (if it has not automatically opened to there). Click on the circle next to "Home Page" in the right side box. In this box, type the Hunger Site URL (ie. http:// www.thehungersite.com) in the text entry box. Click OK.
For Netscape 3: Click "Options" on the menu bar. Click "General Preferences". Select the "Appearance" tab. In the "Startup" section, click the "Home Page Location" button. In the "Startup" section, type the Hunger Site URL in the text entry box.
For AOL Web Browser: click into "Preferences". Change the Home Page location to our URL http://www.thehungersite.com.
That covers the browsers used by most people. For any not covered here, just follow the instructions in your booklet. They will all be as easy as the above are. If you want to make some other website your homepage, just follow the instructions as above, substituting the relevant URL (many people, for instance, make The Irish Times website (http://www.ireland.com) their homepage).
