Like most websites, THE ABSOLUTELY sort of OFFICIAL BOB BENNETT WEBSITE has a layered, linked navigation scheme. Small pictures usually lead to larger ones - or new pages related to what is in the picture - when they're clicked on ... some words, phrases and references are highlighted with hypertext links (that's the acronym HTM or HTML that you see so often). These "links" lead to other pages on this site (and in some cases even to other websites).
For instance, Bob's latest album "The View From Here" was produced by Signpost Music. Most places where Signpost is mentioned, it leads to a hyperlink like this: Signpost Music. When you click on this link, your web browser "takes you there".
When in doubt, click on it and if you have any questions or suggestions, please e-mail us.
SCRAPBOOK PAGE
Think of this page as a visual Table Of Contents or Index for the Scrapbook. All the small pictures here are called "thumbnails". Each thumbnail leads to a larger image. The captions under these thumbnails are just quick, easy ID's ... when you view the larger images, you'll also get more detailed captions about each item.
There are a couple different ways to click on the thumbnails. The first is to merely "double-click" each image using the left button of your mouse. Most of the time when you do this (depending on your browser's settings), the Table Of Contents page will be replaced by a new page containing the larger image you selected. In order to return to the Scrapbook Table Of Contents, you merely click on the "back" button of your browser, or on the larger image (which in most cases is a link back to the scrapbook page). This is the easiest method and works especially well if you have DSL or broadband. It can be a little cumbersome for slow dial-up connections, though.
If you use Microsoft Internet Explorer and you want to keep your thumb (so to speak) at the Table Of Contents while looking at larger images, then "right-click" the thumbnail. A menu should pop up, you then scroll to the "Open Link In New Window". A new browser window should open with the larger image page in it. When finished viewing this new "larger image" page, simply close that window and the original Table Of Contents window should still be there waiting for you! This works well, in general, no matter what your connection, but can be especially helpful for slower dial-up connections.
ACROBAT READER (.PDF files) AND PLUG-INS
One other note. A few of the items on the Scrapbook Page and elsewhere on the website lead to files that can only be viewed through a program called Adobe Acrobat Reader. For you trivia fans, the file extension for these is .PDF, Acrobat's proprietary "Portable Document File". This sort of file works best when magazine articles and other text-heavy items are scanned and posted. Within the Acrobat Reader program, PDF pages can be enlarged so that reading text or inspecting detail is easier.
If Acrobat Reader is not installed on your computer (and you'll find that out fairly quickly if you click on one of the thumbnails that lead to a .PDF file and nothing helpful happens), you can download the latest version by going to the Acrobat website at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html. Simply follow the screens and you can download Acrobat Reader for free. When you install the program, it usually detects your web browser (whether you're using Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator) and it will operate as a plug-in. A plug-in is a program or utility that often also works independently, but at minimum is designed to work within your web browser). Some other examples of plug-ins are Macromedia Flash, Real Player, etc. Whenever we post files that utilize any of these programs, you can come to this page for some info and links that will get you started.
Although we'll always try to be as helpful and accurate as possible in giving help and advice, we do so with the following disclaimer: Please remember that anything you download and install is at your own risk and solely your responsibility. 99.9% of the time, you should be just fine. But in the untamed Wild West that is still the Internet, sometimes bad things can happen to good people. Stick to the major, identifiable websites and things ought to go just swell!
We always encourage Internet users to purchase, install and regularly update quality anti-virus software. Norton http://www.symantec.com and McAfee http://www.mcafee.com seem to be the Hertz and Avis of anti-virus protection.
AUDIO CLIPS
On the "Music" page, and elsewhere, you will see that some of the song titles are hyperlinks. click these and you will download a clip from the song. These clips are CD quality .WMA (Windows Media Audio files) and will automatically play in your Windows Media Player (and some others). If you have an old version you may be prompted to update your player. Go ahead and do this, the Media Player also plays many other file formats (including video), so it is worth having the latest version on your PC. Mac user? At the moment I don't think that Macs will be able to play .wma files, but you may want to check at www.microsoft.com and at www.apple.com for info on playing Windows Media on a Mac. In the future we may make these clips available in QuickTime or another Mac friendly format.