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Please note this was written in 1998 - some of the info may be out of date!This primer introduces concepts and skills necessary for understanding and using the Internet (or World Wide Web) via public-access at the New York Public Library with Netscape Navigator browser software.Most topics are fundamental and will apply to a wide range of users. If you are reading a printout of this page, you can find it on the Web at http://www.geocities.com/rgoya/internetintro.htm COPYRIGHT © 1998 by Randall Alan Goya [email protected] |
Searching the InternetSearch engines offer an interface to databases of millions of web pages which have been organized by keywords. To find web pages about a specific topic, enter keywords (or phrases in quotes -eg. "searching the internet") in tthe search field, then click on the submit button next to the search field, usually labelled something like Search or Go. The search engine will return a list of links to relevant pages.To conduct a search, click on the Net Search button. There are many search engines and directories (such as Yahoo). As you learn about the differences
among the various search services, you can go directly to a specific one by entering its URL like any other web page. Personally, I usually start with Google. There are many providers of free email accounts. I used Hotmail for years - it can get veeerrryyy slow when it's busy. Now I use Yahoo! Mail You can establish multiple email accounts with different providers. Many services on the Web require you to provide a valid email address for identification, and often to send you registration information. There is also an email-to-fax interface. News Groups and Mailing ListsNews Groups are ongoing discussions about thousands of topics. There are groups for job listings and for posting your resumé - and also about almost anything you can imagine. Google Groups provides a good interface to news groups and more information about how to participate in them (an email account may be required to post to a news group).Mailing lists are topic-specific newsletters delivered to you by email. You must subscribe to them, and usually you can contribute to them. Subscribe to some lists at Cool List - or try a search for "mailing list" ! Free WebsitesTo become a true netizen, you will want to create your own Home Page. There are many providers of free Web Sites. You can have several interlinked pages - usually an index, which describes what can be found on the other pages, perhaps a personal vanity page all about you, your resumé, plus anything else that interests you (your hobbies, religion, politics, writing, art, photos, etc.) Some providers of free websites prohibit commercial use, others permit it.Two of the largest online communities providing free web sites are GeoCities and Tripod. Join one of them, and you don't even have to know HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) to create your web page(s)! My Home Page is at GeoCities - netSperience. |
| previous lesson: Introducing the Internet |
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