

Browse faster, more safely and more efficiently than with any other browser.
Firefox has advanced security features and a built-in popup protector that enables you to surf the internet more safely, reducing the chances that your browser will be hijacked by spyware, adware or malicious popups.
Firefox is fully customizable and has user-made add-on extensions to make browsing the Internet more efficient.
Rediscover the web! Download Firefox free today!


Parents, we're living in a brave, new world. The Internet impacts a child's world-view, and our ability to parent, more than any invention in modern times. Every family with children should have some form of Internet filtering and controls to protect their kids. In the past we've offered centralized server based filtering services, but as our network becomes more diversified it is no longer possible for us to do so
In an effort to keep you protected we spent time looking at the top client side filtering products out there and we found K9 Web Protection to be a great alternative to the Family Safe service. K9 Web Protection provides today's Internet Parent with essential tools for this critical challenge. K9 Web Protection is a FREE client-side Internet filtering and control solution for the home. K9 puts YOU in control of the Internet so you can protect your kids. K9 solutions are also available to businesses, schools, and other organizations for a fee.
We are not associated with K9 Web Protection and therefore do not offer any support for this product. If you have any issues with installation or need troubleshooting, please refer to K9 Web Protection support pages.


Office applications are an essential part of everyday life for many individuals. We use word processing to compose letters and memos, spreadsheet applications to balance ledgers and chart progress, and presentation managers to give a visual backdrop for meetings. For the individual or small business owner, most popular office programs are too expensive, or very difficult to use. Using stripped down versions of office software, the everyday user is limited in what they can accomplish without training and significant cost.
Open Office strives to change the way we look at our productivity applications. They provide a simple solution for most office software needs, all without costing an arm and a leg.
OpenOffice is a multi-platform office productivity suite. It includes the key desktop applications, such as a word processor, spreadsheet application, presentation manager, and drawing program, with a look and feel similar to other office programs.
Best of all, it's 100% free!

Dreading tax time again this year? I've been filing taxes for years, and, with the advent of the Internet, it has gotten much easier. Though they get a lot of bad press, the IRS really can help: www.irs.gov
First check out Free File for a list of links where you can prepare and e-file your tax return for free!
Got questions? There's something here for everyone, whether you're an employee, a farmer, in the military, a parent, self-employed, retired, or a student.
You can even check the status of that refund you're expecting!
The most popular tax program, www.turbotax.com, has several products you can purchase online or at your local store. The TurboTax Online version works great and makes each year easier by retaining your information from last year.
Finally, if you're just not a do-it-yourself type, or you have more advanced tax issues, consult your local tax professional. As a CPA, I know that a paid tax preparer can be money well spent. Their advanced understanding of the tax code usually results in increased deductions and more money in your pocket.

Looking for a customizable, secure, user-friendly web browser? Look no further than Mozilla Firefox. It's packed with features that Internet Explorer cannot touch. Tabbed browsing, user-made extensions, and proper support for web development (such as XHTML and CSS) are just a few things that leave Internet Explorer in the dust. Advanced security features and a built-in popup protector enables you to surf the internet more safely, reducing the chances that your browser will be hijacked by spyware, adware or malicious popups.
Rediscover the web! Download Firefox free today!
Got a file to send someone? Sending photos, music, or other large files has never been easier since I found YouSendIt.com. What a great product and it's FREE! No accounts to sign up for, nothing. Just go to YouSendIt.com. Type in the address you want to send it to. Browse to the file on your hard drive. Type in a comment if you want and hit SEND! It's easy, it's fast, and it's free.
Free long distance telephone calls over the Internet using a computer. Sound far fetched? This time it is actually NOT “too good to be true.” With Skype, you can make computer to computer “phone calls” worldwide for FREE. And this is not the voice chat technology that came about a few years ago. The sound quality exceeds that of most cell phones and there is no delay or static. It is as simple as downloading the Skype software, plugging in a headset, and connecting to your friends and family within the Skype network. Skype also has an alternative for those whose friends and family may not be the most computer savvy. It’s called SkypeOut and it allows you to dial any landline or mobile phone across the world. SkypeOut does come with a fee, but where else can you call internationally for less than $0.03/minute? To find out more about this technology, visit www.skype.com.
Summertime is upon us and many of you are planning a vacation or small get-a-way. Regardless of whether it will be in your home state or across the country directions are always part of the planning process. Google Maps has created a method of getting directions and locations of local restaurants and businesses that is user friendly. But if you get stumped, they have a 'tour guide' that gives hints on how to find what your looking for. You have the option of map or satellite view, single word or phrase search, and step-by-step directions of how to get to your destination. Make this year's get-a-way better by having your destination mapped out and the local hot-spot restaurants marked. Go with Google!
Chances are the majority of the email messages you receive are junk-emails, or spam (not the jelly packed meat). Spam floods email inboxes with offers for “Finding a Significant Other”, special rates only available to you, and the ever popular “Enlargement” emails that we all wish we didn’t have to deal with. While laws have been passed to control spammers, it is still widely practiced and completely out of control. But there is a way to help keep your inbox clean.
Semo.net’s Postini email filtering is a web-based program that filters your email account allowing valid email into your inbox and spam into a web accessible box of its own. This valuable service keeps most of the spam from ever getting to your inbox and is available to you for only $10 per year. To find out more, visit our Postini page.

Do you own or manage a business and seem to have problems keeping your computer network up with the daily change in technology? You know there has to be a better way, but money and time prevent you from making it as efficient as possible. Well for less than the cost it would take to hire one person you could have an entire staff of Information Technology professionals at your disposal. We here at semo.net are making the same IT Team that keeps us going available to you. Not only will you have man power available to you, but we also will provide a lot of the same services you currently are paying for bundled in to one affordable price. To find out more about these services and many other great features check out the PDF document we have prepared for you.Need Adobe Acrobat Reader? Get it Here.

It's that time of year again when shopping for the best Christmas gifts at the best prices is widespread. However, there are many of us that prefer to steer clear of the foot traffic and the grief over the last remaining "Tickle Me, Dancing, Bake Me a Cake Elmo" on the shelf at the local retailers and purchase most of our items online. While online retail will certainly continue to grow more popular, there are still those who are weary about giving out their credit card and personal information on the Internet. Believe it or not, shopping online is actually more secure than giving your credit card to the waitress at the end of a meal. To help ease your mind about making online purchases, the Federal Trade Commission has posted holiday shopping tips and “do’s and don’ts” for the holiday season. Shop safely and Happy Holidays from your Southeast Missouri Online Community!
Is your computer running slowly? Does your browser startup to a page other than
your homepage? Concerned about your online privacy? Think you are protected?
Don’t be so sure. I have long been a supporter of Ad-Aware, but I stumbled
upon a program called GIANT
AntiSpyware and ran it. To my utter astonishment,
it found nearly 350 instances of spyware/malware that Ad-Aware DID NOT find (one
of which recorded all data entered into online forms and sent it to the creator).
In addition, it protects your computer from unknown threats by watching for specific
characteristics of program behavior and will (if you opt to) send the information
about the new threat back to the company to be included in future definitions.
*** GIANT Software has been sold to Microsoft and the product is no longer available ***
Google has a new tool that is awesome, Google Desktop. Simply put it is the power of Google for your desktop. I have it installed here at the office and on my system at home. If you have ever had to search for an email in Outlook, a document you can’t remember where you saved, or a web site you found once but can't find again then you know how time consuming it can be and usually to no avail. Google's Desktop app works just like the original Google indexing your entire hard drive. Every file on your system is indexed which means that at the click of the search button you will find what you’re looking for in seconds instead of minutes. You are able to tell it to ignore certain folder so if you have sensitive data in those folders it will not be indexed. This application is currently a beta version which means it is in a stage of development prior to a "final" public release, but so far I love it.


Did you know that every 12 minutes a woman in America dies of breast cancer? We can help fund free mammograms to women in need by going to http://www.thebreastcancersite.com and clicking on "Fund Free Mammograms" button. The free mammograms are paid for by site sponsors and provided to women in need through the efforts of the National Breast Cancer Foundation (http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org). Breast cancer is not only a cancer for women, men also are diagnosed and die from it. Early detection puts the five-year survival rate above 95%. By clicking on the 'Fund Free Mammogram" button you could be saving someone's life.

Most of us have been affected by cancer at some point. Whether it be a parent, relative, yourself or a friend, cancer is an unforgiving and devastating disease. The Lance Armstrong foundation is there to support, educate and raise money to help fight cancer. Eleven million yellow wristbands have been sold, and they still sell in major quantities. Almost everywhere I go I see people wearing them. People wear them because they have been affected by this disease in some way. I proudly wear mine. I had the chance to meet Lance Armstrong while he passed through Poplar Bluff. I was able to talk to him about the foundation and his victories on and off the bike. Believe me, this is one individual who is a tremendous asset to the cancer community. 
On September 2 1969, computer scientists linked up two huge machines by a 15 foot cable and sent information across the cable. Thus the Internet was born! This early form of the Internet was known as the Arpanet. The Arpanet was originally designed as a project for the defense department to provide a communications network that would still be functional even if some of the sites were destroyed by a nuclear attack. (This was during the cold war era) Over the past 35 years, the Internet has had its positive and negative points. However the overall benefit the Internet has provided to society has been enormous.

When countries get together with their greatest athletes to compete for the gold, silver, or bronze we all get to participate in 'The Olympics'. The Summer Games of 2004 are underway in Greece this month, the Olympic flame entered Greece on Wednesday, August 11 and will reach the Stadium on Friday, August 13.
The competitions range from aquatics to wrestling and many things in-between. To keep up to date on who is winning and what sports are being played you can go to the official Olympic website http://www.athens2004.com/en/. You can also get biographies of the athletes, coaches, and animals (the horses) that participate.
Check it out, see how athletes are doing in some of your favorite summer sports...all the while saying "Go USA!!".

If you are a poet or like to craft a song Then lend me your attention and follow along I can help your lyrics with one small tip Flow more sweetly via the silicon chip
RhymeZone.com is an online tool That decreases the work for the rhyming fool Just type in your word like, say, "canary" And view 222 results from the dictionary
Yes I used it to write this verse Or else my rhymes would have been much worse If you think rhyming is for the birds? Use it for synonyms, antonyms and related words
So direct your browser by one short click And type in the textbox any word you pick You'll be amazed at the words RhymeZone displays And the ease of crafting a lyrical phrase

Since we live in the “Bible Belt”, I thought some users might appreciate a site that can help to better understand the Bible's Words. One of my favorite sites is biblegateway.com. There you can easily search through 18 different versions of the Bible, free of charge. You can search by keyword or look-up a specific verse. They even have online Audio Bibles so you can have the Bible read to you through your computer speakers while you relax. You will also find some handy study tools including links to Strongs Concordance so you can look up the original word in Hebrew or Greek. This is a great resource for students, study groups, or just your daily reading.
www.biblegateway.com

Looking for some extra cash this spring? Thanks to a change in Missouri law,
millions of dollars will be coming to Missourians this year…but many of us may
not know it. The state of Missouri has created a website that you can search
through to verify if you or someone you know is a recipient of unclaimed funds.
The unclaimed funds account is currently holding $200 million in unclaimed assets,
all you have to do is log in to the following address, search, and claim your
funds http://www.sto.state.mo.us/ucp/ucp1.asp.
Or if you or someone you know has lived in another state you can go to the following
website to search: http://www.unclaimed.org/ You
can claim funds for your deceased loved ones or other family members if you have
the proper paperwork. Not everyone has unclaimed funds, but there are many that
do. You can search for friends, family, and your church. I, myself, located money
for an uncle, my cousin, a co-worker, and my church. Good luck!

I was listening to the radio and heard an advertisement for WePledge.com and it piqued my curiosity. A senator from Colorado, Wayne Allard, has sponsored a bill to remove the rights of federal judges to rule on the Pledge of Allegiance, the National Motto and the placement of the Ten Commandments in government buildings. A copy of the bill, which is very easy to understand, can be found online at the Congressional website. To date, neither of Missouri's two senators have chosen to co-sponsor the bill. The American Family Association has developed an easy method for you to send an email message to both Kit Bond and Jim Talent which will correctly format the message and give you a text box to add additional comments you might have. I cannot believe that our founding fathers ever suspected that the judicial system would one day be used to force a wedge between God and State. If voted for by a simple majority and signed by the President, a congressional act can protect our right to have the Pledge of Allegiance contain the words "under God", to keep the National motto of "In God We Trust" on our coinage and other places, and allow the Ten Commandments to be displayed in a governmental building. Please join me in urging our Senators to co-sponsor the bill.
Have you ever needed to convert US Dollars to Euro? Or needed to know the density of something? I find that onlineconversion.com is a great place to find out how many calories/second a toaster burns off by converting watts to calories. This is also a good place to convert your connect speed to see your average download. If you've ever wanted to know how many bits are in a terabit then this is the site to go check out.

Those without a Macintosh computer can now experience one of the all around best digital jukebox players in the world on their Windows XP or Windows 2000 based computers. iTunes is one the most feature rich jukeboxes available and the best part is it's free of charge! Some of it's features include the ability to import your entire CD collection to your computer, the capability to easily and conviently burn cd's (http://www.apple.com/itunes/burn.html) in an audio format so you can play them on your standard cd player, "smart playlists" (http://www.apple.com/itunes/smartplaylists.html), and last but certainly not least you gain access to purchase and download music from the Apple iTunes Music Store. Apple's iTunes Music Store contains hundreds of thousands of songs from major music companies that are just 99 cents a song. So go grab a copy of Apple's iTunes (http://www.apple.com/itunes) music jukebox today and start your own digital music revolution!

Several months ago we told you about the Missouri No Call list which prevents telemarketers from calling you. Well, this October the Federal Trade Commission is going to release a nation wide No Call list. The list will be available in September to telemarketers and other sales organizations, who will be required to clean their call lists with the 'No Call' list every 90 days. In October, the FTC will begin enforcing the list, assessing violators with a fine of up to $11,000 per violation. You can pre-register now at http://www.donotcall.gov. Registration is free so sign up today!
The sport where YOU are the search engine.Geocaching is an entertaining adventure game for GPS (Global Positioning System) users. Participating in a cache hunt is a good way to take advantage of the wonderful features and capability of a GPS unit. The term cache hunt could also be described as a treasure hunt. The basic idea is to have individuals and organizations set up caches all over the world and share the locations of these caches on the internet. GPS users can then use the location coordinates to find the caches. Though Geocaching was designed for GPS users, it is not required to do some hunts. Once found, a cache may provide the visitor with a wide variety of rewards. All the visitor is asked to do is if they get something they should try to leave something for the cache. Geocaching provides a great opportunity to get out and visit some very scenic parks and areas that most people don't even know exist. So get out there and start hunting.
If you're like me, you're always hunting for new music. You can scour for hours and still not find that sound you're looking for in your collection. Well, I've got a suggestion for you, look outside of your collection and take a peek at the Shoutcast Directory! Here you will find a directory of free, streaming radio stations of almost any genre you can think of. In the mood for some Latin, ska, symphonic or bluegrass music? How about pop, rap, or jazz? No problem! From Asian to urban, they have it all. Enjoy! 
Ad-Aware combats these programs by scanning your computers hard drive and registry and allowing you to choose what you want to remove. Ad-Aware is free for personal use, but they do have a Plus version that will auto-update itself to keep you safe from any new Spyware programs that emerge for a small fee. It has been featured as a download of the day on "The Screen Savers" on Tech TV, and has received many other good reviews from several other sources. Many who have installed this program and removed all the suspicious files it finds have seen increased performance in their Internet connection and computer stability almost immediately. To learn more about Spyware check out Google.

Knowledge: Familiarity, awareness, or understanding gained through experience or study. This is one of the definitions of knowledge. You start at an early age and work your way through 12 years of education then onto college. Then you graduate and realize that there are many things that you didn't learn in school. This is where SoYouWanna.com comes in as a tool for continuing your education. Their motto is a website that teaches you how to do all the things nobody taught you in school. Ever wonder just what it takes to change your name? Maybe you are interested in learning how to play Chess or Mahjong? Want to register a Trademark? It's all here. SoYouWanna.com
Have you ever overheard someone say, "I upgraded my cpu to a Pentium 4 processor with a speed of 2.0 gigahertz", and all you could think was, "Giga-what?". Well there is a place where the technologically impaired can go to better understand computer related terms and how those gadgets work. "WhatIs.com" is an Information Technology encyclopedia full of todays latest techno-terms and Internet lingo. Just visit "WhatIs.com" to find out answers to questions ranging from "What is RAM?" to "Why is my friend always typing LOL?".
Ever settle back into your favorite chair ready for some quiet time with a book, movie, or show, only to have a telemarketer call? You try to politely refuse, but they persist until you hang up on them. But now you can reduce the chances of unwanted calls by registering your name and phone number on the Missouri No Call website. Telemarketers can be heavily fined for calling a number on the No Call list. There is no cost to get on the list: just fill out the form on their website. Then you can return to that book or movie and relax, knowing it is a lot less likely you'll be disturbed by a telemarketer.
I've found that the Internet offers a quick, free way to stay in touch with friends and family through instant messaging. My sister uses AOL messenger and I use MSN messenger. Some of my other friends use ICQ and Yahoo messenger. I don't want to have to run all of those different programs on my computer, that's where trillian is a bit of ingenious freeware that offers all of your messenger lists in one. MSN, AOL, Yahoo, ICQ, and IRC messengers all in one quick simple package. The software is from Cerulean Studios. I don't have to worry about my friends having a different service than I do because with Trillian I have all my lists in one.


With the recent events in the news, one might wonder how many airplanes are in the sky at any given time. Well, at FlightView.com, you can see just that. Updated about every 6 minutes, it shows the number of flights in the air at that given time as well as highlighting the incoming flights into a random major airport. It gives a good idea of just how many flights go into any given airport at any one time. Along with the current commercial air traffic, you can also get information about a specific flight including when it departed and its approximate in-flight position or its arrival time. Take a look and you might be surprised.
Some estimate that 95% of all virus are communicated by email. Poplar Bluff Internet had been looking for over a year for a good solution for protecting our customers from Email Viruses. It was important to have a solution that didn't delete the message but just held it in a web Message Center so that the virus could not get to your inbox. This way you can still read all the messages you get without a problem of infection. At ISPCon2000 in November at San Jose, we found a company called Postini. After months of negotiations, we finally came to an agreement for semo.net to provide their services to our customers...and not just for filtering Virus Protection, but also for SPAM/Junk email.One of our technical support representatives wondered how accurate the virus protection was. He forced 50 different email viruses to be emailed to his own account and Postini caught all 50. He's sold 110% on this service. I have been using the service for over 3 months during our testing phase and have been very impressed. Just this week alone I've been protected from 7 virus emails.We took an online survey earlier in the year and 76% of over 3000 customers who filled out our survey said they wanted email virus protection. We try to focus on what our customers think is important. You can find out more and sign-up for the service at: http://semo.net/helpdesk/postini Be Safe! Be Filtered!





Want to know what up and coming events are scheduled at the Black River Coliseum? Check out BlackRiverColiseum.com and order tickets or see what view you will have from your seats. This informative site has all the information you need to plan your night out. There is also a full service fitness center. You can check the hours as well as the scheduled fitness classes all with the click of a button.
Need something for your computer or digital camera fast? PCConnection.com to the rescue! One time, I needed some extra RAM and I ordered it at 1:30am and 9 hours later (at 10:30 am) I had my package delivered to my door by AirBorne Express. You can order as late as 2am and STILL get your order the next day. You can get almost any item: Hardware or Software. When it comes to quick-deliveries, I can't tell you how many times they have saved me.


www.ubid.com is an online auction. It has everything from antiques to computers to pokémon cards. The thing that is very different here from most places online is that here you bid on the item you want instead of paying the full price. This way you can usually get what you are looking for at a lower price. I have purchased many products from ubid and have received extraordinary service. I have received all my purchases at the expected time. The bidding is totally secure so if you are not sure about buying things online there is no worry here. Also, they usually have more than one of the product. So you have more of a chance of getting it at a lower price. Once again, www.ubid.com has great service at a great price and I would recommend it over www.ebay.com.
Being a less talkative person, I tend to communicate mainly via email or other computer related means. Therefore, I don't have much use for a long distance calling plan. However, when instances do arise where phone communication is needed, I have found DialPad a useful tool. Using my computer, I'm able to call people, local or long-distance, for free. Whether it be calling home to say I'll be working late, reaching a friend in Doniphan who's not online at the time, or catching up with a friend in South Dakota, DialPad proves worthy not only because it's free, but also (being the geek I am) because I can stay online, using my computer's microphone and speakers as a phone.

With the holidays upon us you may be looking for that perfect recipe, greeting card or song lyric to entertain your friends and relatives. You will find all of this and more at Christmas.com along with multiple ways to keep the children busy while they are at home from school for the joyous season. For the kids you'll find an arcade, games to play and pages that can be printed out for the children to color. When planning to entertain a group you may find the "Office Party Etiquette" or "Party Planning Tips" to be very helpful. I hope that you enjoy this site and may your holiday be merry.
Christmas is coming up fast, and while we all know that giving is better than receiving, getting is still great. :) But are you not getting the presents you *really* want? Try a new service called WishBox. It's an online universal gift registry, where you can create a list of things you want for your birthday, Christmas, or any occasion. You can even surf the web and have it automatically add links to the items you want. Then anyone can look up your WishBox and find out what to get you -- and it's 100% free!




Tired of search engines listing everything but what your looking for? Well why not Ask Jeeves. The Ask Jeeves knowledgebase allows you to type in questions rather than the key words most search engines use. Ask Jeeves contains links to more than 7 million answers. So, want to know why the sky is blue? Just 'Ask Jeeves'.