Newbies often don't know these simple tactics exist and veterans often forget, but there are times when a couple of keystrokes can turn a potentially frustrating browsing situation into one of enjoyment.
Modifying Font Size
Some sites use large readable fonts while others use fonts that are so small one must use a magnifying glass to view it. Instead of adjusting the computer's screen resolution, a few simple keystrokes can increase or reduce the size of the web page fonts. Depressing the keys "Ctrl" and "+" simultaneously increases the web page's font size. Conversely, depressing "Ctrl" and "-" reduces the font size.
Keep in mind however this trick only works on text size. The size of the images remains the same.
Searching for Hard to Find Text
On busy websites, it's sometimes difficult to find certain information. It's not that the information is not on the web page; it's just that some web pages either have lots of text or are visually busy thus making it difficult to locate specific information. For example, some education and business websites are guilty of offering so much information about the establishment that it's difficult to locate the mailing address.
A quick way to find the sought after text is to depress the "Ctrl" and "F" keys simultaneously to evoke the "Find" function. Once the Find window is open, insert the keywords or text in the search box and click "Next." The web browser will highlight the search words.
For surfers using the Firefox web browser, the Find functions contains the option to "Highlight all" which makes it visually easier to see each instance of the searched for text.
Enable the Status Bar
The status bar feature is especially important when opening emails from unfamiliar senders. With the option enabled, readers can view the landing page for hypertext links. In other words, by holding the mouse over the hypertext link, without clicking it, the web address of the link will display in the status bar.
Unscrupulous spammers and scammers who send bulk phishing emails rely on the fact that the recipient wont notice the URL of the fake or scam website. To enable this feature, click "Status Bar" which is located under the "View" menu option on the web browser window.
Browser Full Screen View
Every once in a while, a web page is best viewed on a full screen. Whether playing an online game or more screen real estate is needed to enhance the web page display, there are times when a full screen is needed.
Depressing the F11 function key is all it takes to gain a full screen view of a web page. Depressing the key one more time returns the page back to its original size.
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