Web Address Shortcuts

Q: I've heard there is an easier way to get to Web sites without typing in those long addresses. What's the secret?

A: Here are two quick shortcuts to save you time, cut down on typing errors, and help you get where you want to go.

Skip the Protocol

Most browsers (including Netscape, Internet Explorer, and Lynx) assume "http://", so you can skip that part when typing a Web address. Newspapers and magazines (including Windows on Computing) now generally do the same when listing Web addresses in print.

Find a Business Quick

If you are looking for a commercial Web site but do not know the exact Web address, you may still be able to find it. To complete an address, most browsers will add "www" to the beginning and ".com/" to the end of whatever you type in the "Go To" or "Open Location" window. For example:

Type "uswest" to get http://www.uswest.com/
Type "boeing" to get http://www.boeing.com/
Type "drsolomon" to get http://www.drsolomon.com/

However, if the site you want does not use "www" as part of its domain name, then you will get an error message.

University of Washington Computing & Communications
Windows on Computing, No. 20, Autumn 1997
newsltr@cac.washington.edu