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1. Computer and Internet Basics
2. This Site
3. PDF Documents

1. Computer Basics

You are viewing this internet site on a computer. The computer program used to view internet sites is called a browser. Across the top of the screen is the browser menu bar. The rest of the screen shows the internet site you are visiting. Think of the screen like the page of a book, but the pages to do not turn over, they roll down the screen. This is called scrolling. On pages where there is more information remaining at the bottom of the screen, a vertical bar appears on the right edge of the screen with a grey button in it. Move the page up and down the screen by moving the grey button up and down the vertical bar.

You do this by using the mouse. The mouse is the small hand-held device which operates the pointer on the screen. When you move the mouse, the pointer moves around the screen. This pointer allows you to operate this internet site. To move the grey button up and down the vertical bar, place the pointer over the button, click the left mouse button and hold it down while moving the mouse.

Some of the words and pictures on the screen are links. These are like shortcuts to other pages in the site. Most text links are underlined and in a different colour, but not all. When the pointer is over a link, the pointer usually turns into a small hand. To operate the link, place the pointer over it and click the left mouse button, then let it go. A new page will open on the screen. When you are finished with the new page and want to return to the previous page, click the back button in the browser menu bar in the top left corner of the screen.

To stop a page closing or opening, or any activity that may be happening in the browser, click the stop button in the menu bar. To add an internet site to the browsers list of your favourite sites, click the favourites or bookmarks button in the menu bar. To search the page for a particular word or words, click the search button in the browser menu bar. To print the opage, click the print button. And to return to your browser's pre-set home page, click the home button in the browser menu bar.

2. This site.

The Department of Housing internet site starts with a home page. This is like the front cover of a book but also contains the contents listing of the site down the left hand column of the screen. This is the navigation menu with links that take you to most pages in the site. This menu is available on most pages in the site. Place the mouse pointer over one of the links and click it to go to that page. Some of the links have pop-up menus that appear when the pointer is placed over them. These contain more links to other pages in that section of the internet site.

There is a smaller menu bar across the top of the page as well. The first one is HOME, the link that return you to the home page from anywhere in the site. The others are LANGUAGES for people speaking languages other than English; PRIVACY which explains how the Departmnet recognises your rights to privacy and confidentiality; JOBS which shows what employment opportunities are currently available at the Department, FEEDBACK where you can send your comments to us; and SITE MAP that gives a simple list of all the pages in the site.

There are more links in the column down the right side of the page. In the top right corner is a search function that allows you to type in the subject you are looking for. Click the "go" button to open a list of options that contain that information. Below the Search function are links to some of the Department's key business areas; and links to other sites promoted by the Department.

Clicking on any of the links on the home page will take you to that page in the site. Most often you will use the navigation menu on the left side of the screen. This menu shows the major services offered by the Department. Click on an item in the navigation menu or the pop-up menus that appear, and you will go to that page.

Many pages in the site have other links in the text that can take you to other pages of interest, or other places in the same page, or open PDF documents.

3. PDF documents.

In some places in the site you will be invited to download information in PDF format by clicking on a link. In the body text, this link will usually be accompanied by this image:

A Portable Document File (pdf) is a universal format document widely used on the Internet to transmit complex publications with their original layout. To read a pdf file you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. Many new computers and programs are sold with Adobe Acrobat Reader included. If you don't already have a copy, click here to get a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader. Once it is installed, just click on the Internet link as normal and Acrobat will automatically open the pdf document. Right-click on the link and you can "save as" to your computer's hard drive to keep a copy of the PDF on your computer permanently.

If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer, when you click on the PDF download link the PDF document will open automatically in your browser window. If not, you should go to the Adobe Internet site by clicking on the link above and download a free copy. It is used increasingly on the Internet and is a useful program to have on your computer.