Move over daily newspaper, personalized content is here
By Rick Castellini,
Special to PRIME
I like to use a customized web page (portal) as my home page (first page that shows up when I start my Internet session).
The two most popular and free services I recommend for creating a customized web news site are Google (www.google.com/ig) and Yahoo (my.yahoo.com). Imagine firing up your web browser and seeing a web page that you created with content that you are interested in that gets updated continuously and doesn't cost a dime...bringing all the information that is important to you together in one place is extremely liberating and time saving.
Both services require that you register and setup a user name and password. Once you register, you can customize your page to include weather information, comics, stock portfolios, TV listings, sports news and scores, news from industries or topics that you choose.
In addition, content from almost any other web site can be added to your page. Both services are free and give you the flexibility to add, subtract and edit any type of data that you choose.
After you sign in, first look for the "X" in the upper right hand corner of each content box. This "X" lets you close (remove) that section from your page.
Once you close all the sections you don't want, look for the "edit" button on the sections you kept to add, change or customize content for that area (add or subtract headlines or information for that topic area).
Next, click on the Add Content option to add additional topics to your customized page.
Use that Change Layout to customize colors, number of columns and more.
Lastly, both services let you drag and drop sections to arrange the order and position of your custom content.
One other way you can really add a personal touch to your custom home page (online newspaper) is by adding your own favorite content. The best way to do this is add Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds to your page. Read my RSS tips for more information about this great service offered by almost all web sites here: http://helpmerick.com/rss-what-it-can-do-for-you.htm
Once you put all this work in to create a custom web page of information, make sure you change your browser's home page to your new custom page (these steps will work in both Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer):
1. Bring up your new custom page
2. Click Tools > Options from the menus
3. Click "Use Current" under the home page box.
4. Click Apply and OK at the bottom of the page
To see this power in action and see these steps demonstrated, visit my video tip explaining this powerful way to take advantage of the web here: http://tinyurl.com/HMRnews
Once you start using your newly created, personalized web portal (home page), you will find yourself reading it throughout the day and find that you know more about the news than can be told in your once per day updated newspaper. Heck, you might even cancel your newspaper subscription!
Rick Castellini is an author, computer consultant, and hosts a computer radio show from Colorado. Visit his web site at www.HelpMeRick.com for new tips every week and sign up for his free weekly email newsletter. You can also follow Rick on Twitter @HelpMeRick
