Q. I’m using Windows XP and need to resize some photos for emailing. Can you recommend a good program to do that, one that’s easy to use?

A. Since you’re using Windows XP, everything you need is just a mouse-click away. XP has a little-known feature that will resize your photos automatically, before emailing. To enable auto-resizing, right-click the image file you want to send, then select Send To > Mail Recipient. From the dialog box that appears, select “Make all my pictures smaller.” Your default email program will open, ready, willing and able to send a resized photo.

Q. Can you explain what “cybersquatting” means?

A. It’s pejorative term, usually justified, used to describe the practice of registering and claiming rights to Internet domain names that are then offered (at an inflated price) to the person or company that owns the trademark or would otherwise have an interest in the name. In other words, one person’s capitalism is another person’s extortion. For example, if somebody registered the domain name "billgates.com," then invited Mr. Gates to pay $15 million to purchase the domain, that would be considered cybersquatting. And that would be very wrong. Very tempting, but very wrong.

Q. I keep losing my place when I click a link on a Web page. For example, once I finish looking at a Web page, I can’t seem to get back to the page I was on originally. There’s got to be an easy way to do this. Any suggestions, Mr. M?

A. Newer browsers such as Internet Explorer 7, Firefox and Opera use what’s called a tabbed interface, so when you click a link to visit a site, that site opens in a new tab or window that can easily be closed, returning you to your original location.

If you’re using an older browser, such as IE 6, right-click the link you're interested in and select “Open in New Window.” Another browser window will open and the new page will be displayed. As an alternative, in some browsers you can hold down the SHIFT key while clicking a link. Regardless of the approach you choose, when you're finished viewing the second page, close its window by using the X in the upper right-hand corner and you'll be back to your original page.

Q. Is there a way to alphabetize Favorites in Internet Explorer?

A. There sure is. Simply open Internet Explorer, then click Favorites on the Menu Bar at the top of your screen. When your list of Favorites appears, right click-any one of them, then click Sort by Name. Be sure to click Favorites located on the Menu Bar, at the very top of your Internet Explorer window. This will not work if you use the Favorites button on the toolbar.

Mr. Modem's Sites of the Week:

Bad Book Covers
While you may not be able to judge a book by its cover, you can certainly judge its cover. Scroll through this amusing collection of extraordinarily dreadful book covers. (Mercifully, none of my books made the cut. Whew!)
http://tinyurl.com/64c7tx

My Favorite Word
The perfect site for philologists worldwide. Scroll through the submissions of word enthusiasts who share their favorite words. Each word is accompanied by a definition, as well as a little anecdote about the word, its etiology, or its special meaning to the contributor.
www.myfavoriteword.com

Today in History
While these types of today-in-history sites abound on the Web, this one, courtesy of the Library of Congress, updates every day with a new article. Stop by daily to read about historical events in American history that occurred on a given calendar date.
http://tinyurl.com/5o844d

For plain-English answers to your questions by email, plus useful PC tips, subscribe to Mr. Modem’s Weekly Newsletter. For information, visit www.MrModem.com.