I didn't answer. I was already munching on a cookie. Rayzer popped a music CD into his computer, turned up his speakers. and began tapping on the desk with his pencil to the tune of Ghost in the Machine. We sat there for the next few minutes, contently munching cookies and drinking milk while listening to the music.
"So have you figured out how to use the web browser to view HTMl files?" Rayzer asked as he put down his glass. I had to stifle my laughter. He looked so funny with a white mustache. He looked at me anxiously as I began to tremble and choke from laughter. "Spinner, you OK?" He rubbed me on my back, and I regained my composure.
"Fine," I croaked, and I washed the fur around my head. We arachnids are clean creatures. Besides, I didn't want Rayzer laughing at me.
"So how do you use Internet Explorer to view HTML files," I asked. "Isn't the program just to see web pages." "Yes, normally, it'll show web pages, but with helper programs called plug-ins, it can show you the HTMl source code that creates the web page."
I blinked and looked at Rayzer blankly. Sometimes he can be a real techno-geek.
"Hmm, maybe I should show you." He started up Internet Explorer and then pointed to the View pull-down menu at the top of the screen.
"Well that's OK," I said, then pointed out to him that the web page was already on the computer. "How is it going to be able to get the HTML code for a web page that isn't on this computer?"
"Because, if you are looking at it with a web browser, you have a copy of the HTML code file on your computer, even if it came from some other computer on the Internet. When you surf the web, Internet Explorer asks the other computer for a copy of the HTML source file. When it receives the file, Internet Explorer saves it to a special folder called Temporary Internet Files in your Windows folder on your C hard drive. That way, if you return to the same web page later, or several pages you visit use the same graphics file, Internet Explorer doesn't have to waste time asking another computer to resend the same files. So when you're surfing, you don't have to wait for Internet Explorer to down-load files so much, and you save Internet resources."
Rayzer pointed to a graphic on the web page. "This is another useful trick," he said. He put his pointer on the image and clicked and held down the mouse button. He dragged the pointer, still holding down the mouse button, to his Riner Pages work folder and then let go. A copy of the graphics file showed up in the Riner Pages folder. "Since you have a copy of the image on your machine anyways, you can create a copy in any folder you want. But," he warned me, looking stern in his white milk mustache, "remember that you can't take people's property without permission. Any graphics someone creates is his or her property, and you can't take it without first getting permission from the creater, or unless it's in the public domain. Being in the public domain means that the creator has already given permission for anyone to use it." "I know," I said. "Alexa told me about that, and how you asked me if I could come here to help you. Besides, I already read the notes on good computer citizenship."
I climbed down off his shoulder and waddled to the computer. It was time to go home. The milk and cookies Rayzer had fed me was making me sleepy. I wondered if I could convince Alexa that I should take the evening off. Being her company's spokespider and Rayzer's helper was hard work.
