The Everyday Internet All-in-One Desk Reference

What’s in This Book, Anyway?

You are invited to dip into this book wherever you please or consult the Table of Contents or Index to find a topic that interests you. Either way, you will discover things about the Internet that you didn’t know. This book was written in the spirit of the Internet itself. It is meant to be an adventure for the people who read it. Here is a bare outline of what you’ll find in this book.

Book I: Getting Started

Book I is meant to help you get going on the Internet.

In case you’re curious about the technical aspects of the Internet, Chapter 1 explains in layman’s terms how the Internet works, what an IP address is, how to read a Web-page address, and what goes on behind the scenes when you open a Web page. In Chapter 2, you find out how to select an Internet service provider and what the different modems are, and in Chapter 3, you get instructions for connecting your computer to the Internet.

Chapter 4 looks at a subject that seems to be on everyone’s mind these days: how to protect your privacy and security while you’re on the Internet. It explains how to protect your computer from viruses and spyware, what a firewall is, how to update Windows XP, and how to keep yourself from being a victim of identity theft. Chapter 5 detours into America Online and explains to AOL subscribers how to use that program on the Internet. Chapter 6 explains how to use plug-ins — companion programs such as Acrobat Reader, Flash Player, and Windows Media Player — that you need to make the most out of the Internet experience. In Chapter 7, I tell you how to make exploring the Internet a safe and rewarding experience for children. This chapter describes many Web sites for children, as well as Web sites for moms and dads looking for advice about parenting.

Book II: Exploring the Internet

Book II shows you how to use a Web browser and how to be an Internet researcher, or better yet, an Internet detective. It explains how you can reach into all corners of the Internet to find the information you need.

Chapter 1 describes the basics of browsing, how to bookmark Web sites so that you can revisit them, and how to engage in “social bookmarking” (shar­ing bookmarks with others). Chapter 2 explains how to customize the Internet Explorer browser as well as another browser, Mozilla, which I strongly suggest you check out.

Chapter 3 is the first of three chapters that explain how to conduct research over the Internet. It explains how search engines work and compares differ­ent search engines, their strengths, and their weaknesses. It also advises you on choosing a search engine and explains how to craft a thorough but pene­trating search of the Internet. Chapter 4 looks at some specialty search engines designed for searching different areas of the Internet. It also explains how to search for images, audio, and video and tells you how to get help on the Internet from other researchers — you know, the human kind. In Chapter 5, I point you to online encyclopedias and other references and show you how to look up people, addresses, and telephone numbers on the Internet.

Chapter 6 examines how to get the latest news, where the online newspapers are, and how to get the news from abroad. It introduces an exciting new technology for staying on the top of the news — aggregators, which are soft­ware programs that gather news from different sources, including blogs, in one place so that you have all your favorite news sources at your fingertips.

Book III: E-Mailing

Book III explains more than a mere mortal needs to know about e-mailing, as well as how to protect yourself against spam, the junk e-mail that infests so many mailboxes.

Chapter 1 compares the merits of software and Web-based e-mail programs. It looks behind the scenes at how e-mailing works and tells you how to compress files to make sending them easier. Chapters 2, 3, and 4, respec­tively, describe how to handle e-mail with Outlook 2003, Outlook Express, and Yahoo! Mail. Not only do you find out how to send and receive e-mail and files, but you also discover how to organize e-mail so that you can always find the message you are looking for. To keep your inbox from getting too crowded, I show you how to send e-mail straight to different folders as soon as it arrives.

Chapter 5 explains strategies for stopping spam once and for all. It looks at how spammers get e-mail addresses, the preventative measures you can take against spam, and antispam software.

Book IV: Quick Communicating

Book IV examines all the different ways that you can communicate quickly with friends and strangers on the Internet.

Chapter 1 delves into AOL Instant Messenger, MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, and ICQ. It explains how to use these programs and maintain your privacy at the same time. Chapter 2 explains what blogs are, what makes for a good blog, and how to create a blog of your own. In Chapter 3, I look at two ways to exercise your ideas and obsessions on the Internet — mailing lists and message boards.

Chapter 4 looks at a much-neglected tool for researchers. It explains how to conduct research in newsgroups and subscribe to newsgroups with Outlook Express. Chapter 5 delves into the easiest way to connect and manage a group of likeminded people on the Internet — create a Yahoo! group. In Chapter 6, I explain how to chat on the IRC with people all around the world and how to create your own chat room.

Chapter 7 explains how you, too, can be a Web-site developer, and how you can do it on the cheap with online Web-site-creation tools. You also find out how to submit your Web site to search engines and make it more likely to appear in Internet searches. Chapter 8 explores the new online phenomenon of social networking. It describes Meetup.com, Upcoming.org, and other Web sites and services where you can make new friends and reunite with old ones.
Chapter 9 looks at what I think is the best deal on the Internet — free tele­phone calling anywhere in the world with Skype.

Book V: Your Personal Finances

Book V is all about improving your personal finances and making the bank­ing chores go more smoothly. Chapter 1 explains how to research different types of investments, get the latest financial news, and choose a broker. In Chapter 2, I describe how to maintain an online investment portfolio and be able to tell minute by minute how well or poorly your investments are doing. Chapter 3 looks at online banking — getting checking account balances online, paying bills online, and shopping for credit cards online.

Book VI: Bargain Shopping

Book VI is devoted to the idea that if you want it, you can find it on the Internet at a good price. For that matter, if you want it but can’t afford it, you can at least find it on the Internet and dream about purchasing it one of these days.

Chapter 1 points you to some shopping search engines and Web sites that specialize in comparison shopping, as well as online catalogs, stores for bar­gain hunters, and consumer-report Web sites. In Chapter 2, I briefly take you to some online auction houses, and then you go to the granddaddy of auc­tion houses, eBay, where you discover how to search for, bid on, and buy items. Chapter 3 looks into using PayPal, an excellent service for paying for items you purchased over the Internet. Finally, Chapter 4 presents a huge shopping bazaar of Web sites that sell items online. The Web sites are cate­gorized so that you can find stores that interest you.

Book VII: Selling on the Internet

Book VII looks at how you can be the first on your block to be an online seller.

Chapter 1 explains everything you need to know to sell items successfully on eBay. It shows how to price items, make them attractive to buyers, manage an online auction, and close out a sale. Chapter 2 offers guidance for people who are thinking of selling items or services on the Internet. It explores how to find a market and set up an online store. Chapter 3 is a hands-on chapter with advice for packing the items you sold and buying postal services over the Internet.

Book VIII: Hobbies and Pastimes

Book VIII explains how to pursue different hobbies and exercise different pastimes on the Internet. I’m warning you: Some of the Web sites listed in Book VIII are addicting.

Chapter 1 is for people who like to play games — online video games, card games, and arcade-style games. You discover fantasy sports Web sites, as well as some unusual games begat by the Internet, such as the Geocaching. Chapter 2 is for travelers, armchair travelers, and adventurers of all stripes and varieties. It looks at how to plan a vacation and book airline tickets, hotels, and rental cars. You also find out where to go on the Internet to get travel advice.
Chapter 4 describes how to turn your lowly computer into an entertainment console. You find out how to view Internet movies, rent a DVD online, get your local television listings, play Internet radio, and find a book online. In Chapter 5, the focus is on music. You discover some Web sites for music lovers, look at online music stores, and survey services for sharing music files with others over the Internet. Chapter 6 takes you on a tour of iTunes, as you find out how to buy music from this online store, play and organize your music with iTunes software, and burn CDs. Chapter 6 shows amateur genealogists some of the many different Web sites and services they can use to search for their ancestors online.

Appendixes

Just when you thought you’d had enough torture, I tacked on three appen­dices and a glossary to the end of this book.
Appendix A explains how to register with and sign in to Yahoo! so that you can take advantage of Yahoo!’s many online services. Appendix B describes how to get a .NET passport so that you can play games online at the MSN Game Zone or open a Hotmail account. Appendix C explains how to sign up for a Google account.
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