FREE STUFF JULY 2010

FREE STUFF ONLINE
7/13/2010

Why is there Freeware (free software) available on the Internet and can it be trusted?
Why: The entire concept of the Internet was created as a free software idea. It was designed to share information between learning centers and benefit mankind. It linked them and allowed the transfer of ideas and data between these centers. The term freeware was coined in 1984 for software for which the author did not wish to use traditional methods of distribution because of their cost. Current use of the term freeware is used for software that is normally fully functional for an unlimited time with no cost, monetary or otherwise. It may sound strange, but there are many people who are more intrigued by solving problems then selling things. Their reward is recognition by their peers and having an improved tool.

TRUST: There are many sites that collect these programs and store them for easy download. These sites test the software and many have reviews not only by their staff, but by average users. They can generally be trusted and will report problems with the programs. Pop up ads that offer free software should NOT be trusted, they are probably spyware or viruses.

Trusted Site for Downloads:
http://downloadsquad.com/ Downloads with opinions on quality
http://softpedia.com/ List of free and share ware
http://www.tucows.com/downloads/Windows Old favorite for free stuff
http://www.download.com/ A good download site

These sites normally break down the lists by types of programs, (Utilities, Photo, Business, etc). Then it is up to you to select the software that fits your needs. Here are the web addresses that I've found useful.

Photo and Media:
http://picasa.google.com/intl/en/ A free photo album and photo editing program
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ The finest Music editing program available. Allows note by note editing and assembly. It allow multi-track editing and music creation.

Utilities:
http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/ Browser that is somewhat safer then i.e.
http://www.google.com/chrome?hl=en&brand=CHMI One of the fastest Browsers.
http://www.opera.com/download/ Opera has many unique browser features and is also fairly fast.
http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptdirprn.asp  Print files with details and controls
http://m8software.com/clipboards/freeclip/freeclip.htm Allows many items in the clipboard at one time.
http://www.freedownloadmanager.org/downloads/mouse_recorder_software/ Allows you to record the computer screen moves as a movie. (AVI)

Business:
http://www.openoffice.org/ Complete Office Suite. Includes Word, Excel, Presentations, and Drawing
http://www.go2pdf.com/product.html A PDF Converter.

For information on free software online, check out this site (it may take a while to load):
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1864655,00.asp


FREE STUFF (NOT SOFTWARE) ONLINE
July, 2010

Not surprisingly, the Internet is the best place to find free stuff. Of course, the amount of scams is also high, and there is always the risk that ordering free stuff will also bring a lot of spam, or even identity theft, your way. So, where do you go to find the best free stuff on the Internet? There are two main categories: free stuff from the general public and free stuff from commercial companies.

FREE STUFF FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC
People are giving away perfectly good things. Maybe they’re moving and need to offload heavy furniture. Maybe they’re just generous. Whatever the reason, if you’re fast, you can claim it.

Craigslist: http://chicago.craigslist.org
Under "For Sale", click on "Free". Just like when you purchase on craigslist, no membership is necessary, just reply to the poster to make arrangements to claim the merchandise.

Freecycle: www.freecycle.org
Click on "Browse Groups", then Illinois
The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 4,834 groups with 7,341,000 members across the globe. It's an entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer (them's good people). Membership is free. In order to view the offers – or post an offer – you must be a member and join a regional group. The default is for all new offers to be sent to your email address. You can change that so you only view the offers at the website. When you find an item of interest, reply to the post and wait for a response with information on how to obtain the merchandise.

FreeNapkin: www.freenapkin.com
Click on "Illinois"
You must you become a registered user (quick and free), then you can list any item around the house on your account. Then when your item is claimed, just ask the claimer to leave you a positive feedback. Once you are a registered member of freenapkin, your status is both a donator/claimer but you are not obligated to donate or to claim, though you can do either any time. You can arrange to pick up the merchandise or pay to have it shipped to you.

eBay: www.ebay.com
Sign in to your account, then click on "Classifieds" for local offers.

FREE STUFF FROM COMMERCIAL COMPANIES
Companies give out samples of their products all the time, it's a very effective marketing strategy. If you like their products there is a good chance you will buy from them in the future. You can spend your days browsing the websites of individual companies hoping for a freebie, or use one of the following sites that compile lists of free offers:

Hey It's Free: www.heyitsfree.net
Totally Free Stuff!: www.totallyfreestuff.com

FINALLY, there are many other items free online. For example:
Recipes Craft Patterns Books Newspapers
TV Programs Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Maps, INFORMATION!
All you have to do is use a Search Engine like Google to find a wealth of STUFF!