The Internet for Dummies Quick Reference, 8th edition

Read a
sample chapter
(may load
slowly)

By John R. Levine, Arnold Reinhold and Margaret Levine Young.
May 2002, 196 pages, US$14.99. C$29.99, £12.99, ISBN 0-7645-1645-0.

The most important thing about the Internet for Dummies Quick Reference, 8th edition, is its amazing plastic ring binding. At last -- an Internet reference that'll lay flat on your desk! Other books about the Internet have plenty of useful info, but you have to learn to type with one hand while holding them open with the other. This can seriously increase your stress level and has actually been shown to increase bad cholesterol levels in laboratory rats by 20 points.

Ok, our content is pretty good too. We've crammed a lot of up-to-date information into 200 pages. We try to explain the stuff you really need to know, while leaving out the gobbledygook. We write for you, someone who wants to use and enjoy the Internet, not to become an expert in arcane computer jargon.

The material is carefully organized and well indexed and features an extensive Glossary. We do our best to write clearly and our hard-nosed editors nail us on every ambiguity. You will have to put up with our warped sense of humor, tho.

We think this is the perfect book to take along in your Road Warrior Kit along with your Internet-equipped laptop, palm top, or brain insert. The book is small, light and thorough, and the lay flat binding is perfect for airline tray tables. Take a few extras to give to friends and business contacts as well.

What's new?

• A new "Big Picture" section that provides a graphic overview of the Internet
• An updated introductory section telling you how to get on the Net, including high speed DSL phone lines and cable modems
• Lots more on the fine art of web browsing using America Online, Netscape, and Internet Explorer
• A chapter on using Web search tools to find all sorts of information
• On-line shopping 'till your fingers drop
• Online music and MP3 files
• A whole section on online chat, featuring Windows Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, America Online, ICQ, and IRC
• The latest info on e-mail security, PGP, creating your own Web page, starting an on-line business and more

Table of Contents

The Big Picture: The Internet

Part I: Getting to Know the Internet
What Is the Internet?
What's So Great about the Internet?
What Services Does the Internet Provide?
Will the Internet Take All Your Free Time?

Part II: Getting Started
Hooking up to the Internet with Broadband
Hooking Up to the Internet Cheap
Hooking Up to the Internet by Dial-Up
Investing in a Computer for Internet Access
Modems
Selecting an Internet Service Provider (ISP)
Software for Internet Access

Part III: Electronic Mail
ABCs of E-Mail: Etiquette, Caveats, Finding Addresses, Headers, etc.
Acronyms, Smileys, and Emoticons
Addresses
America Online and CompuServe Addresses
Attachments
Using America Online (AOL)
Using Eudora (Windows and Mac)
Using Netscape Mail
Using OS X Mail (Mac)
Using Outlook Express (Windows and Mac)
Using Pine (Linux and UNIX)

Part IV: Usenet Newsgroups
Frequently Asked Questions
Google Groups and Usenet Indexers
Newsgroup Names
Newsgroup Netiquette
Posting Your First Article
Ramping up your Own Newsgroup
Reading Newsgroups at Google Groups
Reading Newsgroups with a Newsreader
Reading Newsgroups with America Online
Reading Newsgroups with Netscape
Reading Newsgroups with Outlook Express
Reading Newsgroups with Other Newsreaders

Part V: Mailing Lists
Addresses Used with Mailing Lists
Finding a Mailing List
Getting On and Off a Mailing List
Open and Closed Mailing Lists
Receiving Digested Mailing Lists
Sending Messages to a Mailing List
Sending Special Requests to Mailing Lists
Starting your Own Mailing List
Using Filters to Sort Your Mailing List Messages

Part VI: The World Wide Web
ABC's of the Web
Bookmark or Save?
Finding Your Way around the Web
Kids, Porn and the Web
Plug-Ins, Helper Programs, and ActiveX Controls
Privacy, Security, and Cookies
Problems and Error Messages
Uniform Resource Locators (URLs)
Using AOL to Browse the Web
Using Internet Explorer to Browse the Web
Using Netscape Navigator to Browse the Web

Part VII: Finding and Using Resources on the Internet
Directories, Search Engines, and Portals
Excellent Surfing Ideas
Free, Free, Free!
Information Sources: CIA, Encyclopedia Britannica and more
Magazines and Literature
Newspapers
Selling Online
Shareware and Freeware Software
Shopping Online from A to Z
Should You Give Out Your Credit Card number Over the Internet?
Telephone Directories
Uncompressing and Decoding Retrieved Files
Viruses

Part VIII: Live Online Communication
Chatting Online
America Online (AOL) Chat Rooms
AOL Instant Messenger (AIM)
ICQ
Internet Relay Chat (IRC)
MUDs and MOOs
Voice and Video over the Net
Web-Based Chat
Windows Messenger
Yahoo Messenger

Part XI: Advanced Topics
Encryption and Internet Security
Java and Network Computers
Internet Radio and TV
Creating Your Own Web Home Page
Starting a Business on the Web

Part X: Classic Internet
FTP
Telnet and SSH

Appendix: Internet Country Codes

Glossary: Techie Talk

Index