Once again another phone call with Raymond McNally of RTDWebsolutions prompts me to tell you about a prime piece of "real estate" on your own computer, the HOME PAGE of your own internet browser!

When you click HOME where is it taking you?

Mega-giants online would love to persuade you to have their site loading each time you go HOME, but is that an efficient way to use it? No, it is not.

Your own HOME PAGE should take you to the numerous links YOU need and use, at the click of your mouse.

By that I mean, if you have numerous startpage programs, affiliate program links, online banking links, website stats, administrative functions for your own website, etc., that you routinely check on - instead of filing them under your FAVORITES (and having to remember what stands for what), create one single HOME PAGE that can take you anywhere you need to be - all with the click of your own mouse!

Picture this - you open your browser or click HOME during the day and you are automatically at a page that is useful - for YOU!

And it's simple to set up! Even someone with zero website building capabilities can have their own personalized homepage up and running in no time using something as simple as NOTEPAD on your own computer.

You do NOT have to upload it either - unless you have your own domain and would enjoy accessing your list anywhere in the world anytime - just consider burying it deep inside your website and password protecting it first. Truly, this puppy can just sit on your own hard drive and can be modified as needed instantly!

Here's how to do it...

First, open WINDOWS EXPLORER, head to your C DRIVE, and create a new folder on your own C drive (up under FILE). Call this new folder HOMEPAGE. Close Windows Explorer.

Then:

1. Click open NOTEPAD

Note: Since certain codes do not lend themselves to article writing, please remove the * in the examples below and type SHIFT/COMMA to open a link and SHIFT/PERIOD when closing your link.

Also, where I have typed ENTER, you will type *BR* again substituting the appropriate keys for the * to create a hard return.

2. Type *B* Startpage Programs */B* ENTER

This creates a bolded heading called Startpage Programs, your first category.

Now, gather all your startpage program urls and copy and paste them one by one under this category. Be sure to type ENTER (see above) after each line of code to ensure they are one below the other.

Also, please note that you can easily add the NEW WINDOW "target" to each of your links. Just before the closing * (see above) of each of your links, insert:

one typed SPACE and then "target=_blank"

Now each time you click a link, it will open in a new window for you.

Here's a sample link:

*a href="http://www.mystartpagelink.com" target=_blank"* MyStartPage */a*

On your HOME page, you'll see a clickable link called MyStartPage.

You must insert some sort of name after the URL and close the a href reference with the */a* code to complete the link.

So, after getting your startpages organized...

3. Type *B* Affiliate Programs */B* ENTER

Again, go out and gather together all the programs you check on a regular or even infrequent basis. Enter the links given to you by that particular program, one by one, again inserting the NEW WINDOW code into each of your links, and typing the code for ENTER after each affiliate url.

4. Repeat the above as many times as needed to create the categories you personally need for things you routinely check on.

5. When you are through, SAVE the file to your C Drive inside the HOMEPAGE folder you initially created. Be sure to give your newly created page an HTM extension, for example: homepage.htm

Now, open your browser and click on TOOLS (sorry Netscape users will have to find their setting for the startpage on their own *smile!*).

The window pops open and the first thing you'll see under the GENERAL tab is "Home page."

In the address bar type in:

file://C:/HOMEPAGE/homepage.htm

Click APPLY. Voila! you are finished!

You can add and delete programs and headings at will anytime just by reopening this htm page into NOTEPAD, making your changes, and selecting SAVE. That's it, it really is simple.

Now whenever you choose to "GO HOME," your own browswer will open to something YOU need, your own organized page to work from! Enjoy!