| Acknowledgments | xi |
| Introduction | xiii |
| PART I: GETTING READY FOR YOUR ADVENTURE | |
| The chapters in this part of the book are filled with information that will help you get started on the Internet. You'll learn how the Internet works, and how you get to where you want to go, and you'll learn some of the terminology and jargon attached to Internet travel. | |
| CHAPTER 1: What's the Internet and How Do I Get There? | 3 |
| Hopping Around the Internet | 4 |
| Internet Addresses—Numbers and Names | 6 |
| Your Servers Await You | 6 |
| What's the Web? | 9 |
| Hypertext—More Than Just Text | 9 |
| Before the Web—Animals and Comic Books | 10 |
| Who's In Charge? | 11 |
| CHAPTER 2: What Do I Need to Get There? | 13 |
| Handling the Hardware Side | 13 |
| Telephone Modems | 14 |
| Cable Modems | 17 |
| Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) Devices | 19 |
| What's an ISP? | 20 |
| Choosing an ISP | 20 |
| Enabling ISP Configuration Settings | 21 |
| Sharing an Internet Connection on a Network | 24 |
| Enabling a Shared Connection with Software | 25 |
| Enabling a Shared Connection with Hardware | 27 |
| CHAPTER 3: Protecting Your Computer from Invaders | 29 |
| Barricade Your Computer with a Firewall | 30 |
| What's an Internet Attack? | 30 |
| How a Firewall Works | 31 |
| Software Firewalls | 33 |
| Windows XP Internet Connection Firewall | 34 |
| ZoneAlarm | 39 |
| BlackIce | 47 |
| Installing BlackIce | 47 |
| Using Firewall Log Files to Play Detective | 57 |
| Hardware Firewalls for Networks | 58 |
| How to Test Your Firewall | 59 |
| Inoculate Your Computer Against Viruses | 60 |
| What's a Virus and How Does It Work? | 61 |
| How Antivirus Software Works | 65 |
| Data Information Files | 67 |
| Getting the Most Out of Antivirus Software | 67 |
| Stupid Virus Hoaxes | 69 |
| CHAPTER 4: Kids and the Internet | 71 |
| Rules to Make (and with Luck, Enforce) | 72 |
| No-Privacy Zones | 72 |
| Treat Passwords Like State Secrets | 72 |
| Chat About Chat Rooms | 73 |
| Give Kids an Escape Hatch | 74 |
| Privacy? Is This a Democracy? | 75 |
| Internet Explorer Controls | 76 |
| How the Advisor Advises | 76 |
| Turn On the Controls | 77 |
| Set the Supervisor Password | 77 |
| Category Ratings | 77 |
| Do-It-Yourself Site Ratings | 78 |
| Set Basic Options for the Advisor | 79 |
| Advanced Settings for the Super Cautious | 81 |
| Put a Cop on the Beat | 81 |
| CyberPatrol | 82 |
| CyberSitter | 82 |
| Net Nanny | 83 |
| PART II: HIT THE ROAD | |
| The chapters in this part are filled with in-depth information about the tools available to you when you venture on to the Internet. You'll learn how to get the most out of your browser, using features that make Internet travel faster and easier. | |
| CHAPTER 5: Browsing the World | 87 |
| What Exactly Is a Browser? | 87 |
| Getting Around the Web | 88 |
| Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) | 88 |
| Links | 93 |
| Visiting Familiar Haunts | 95 |
| These Are a Few of My Favorite Sites | 96 |
| Links to Very Special Favorites | 100 |
| Checking Your Travel History | 102 |
| Cookies—Not for Munching | 105 |
| The Great Cookie Debate | 106 |
| Cookie Flavors | 110 |
| Controlling Cookies with Internet Explorer | 111 |
| Third-Party Software for Cookie Controls | 115 |
| CHAPTER 6: Searching for Information | 117 |
| What's a Search Engine? | 118 |
| Eewww-Spiders | 118 |
| Indexes (Indices?) | 119 |
| User Interface | 119 |
| Vroom Vroom—Start Your Search Engines | 120 |
| Internet Explorer Search Assistant | 120 |
| Finding the Right Words | 126 |
| Using Directories | 130 |
| Send a Ferret | 131 |
| CHAPTER 7: That's Entertainment | 133 |
| What Do I Need? | 134 |
| Not for the Connection-Speed Impaired | 134 |
| Nuts and Bolts—The Hardware | 134 |
| Software | 137 |
| Listen Up! | 138 |
| Whistle While You Work | 138 |
| Take Me Out to the Ballgame | 139 |
| Technical Tips for Internet Broadcasts | 139 |
| Do-It-Yourself Media | 140 |
| Copying Music Tracks | 141 |
| Using the Media Library | 142 |
| Creating Playlists | 142 |
| Downloading MP3 Music | 143 |
| Downloading Music—Read the Fine Print | 144 |
| CHAPTER 8: Shopping Online | 147 |
| Safe Shopping | 147 |
| What Makes a Server Secure? | 149 |
| Encryption—a Ticket for Secure Travel | 150 |
| Finding Online Stores | 151 |
| Visiting Your Favorite Merchants | 151 |
| Online-Only Merchants | 152 |
| Portals to Shopping Malls | 153 |
| Caveat Emptor | 154 |
| Tips and Tricks for Online Shopping | 155 |
| Profiles | 156 |
| Automatic E-mail | 156 |
| Ship-To Address Lists | 156 |
| Credit Card Numbers | 157 |
| Other Ways to Spend Money Online | 158 |
| Travel | 158 |
| Online Auctions—Garage Sales on the Web | 160 |
| CHAPTER 9: The Interactive Internet | 163 |
| Shazam! My Desktop Is a Web Server | 163 |
| How Can a Desktop Become a Web Server? | 164 |
| Enable Active Desktop | 164 |
| Add Web Pages to Your Desktop | 167 |
| Collect the Web Page Addresses You Need | 167 |
| Bring It On Down | 168 |
| Did That Web Page Change? | 171 |
| Synchronize Desktop Web Pages Manually | 172 |
| PART III: INTERNET SOCIALIZING | |
| The last part of the book is about all the tools and features that let you communicate with other Internet users. You'll learn how to get the most out of e-mail, chat rooms, online games, and real-time exchange of messages. This is the fun stuff! | |
| CHAPTER 10: Managing E-Mail | 179 |
| Will the Real You Please Sign In? | 179 |
| Technical Stuff You Need to Know | 180 |
| Outlook Express Mail Accounts | 181 |
| Eudora Mail Personalities | 182 |
| Web-Based Mailboxes at Your ISP | 185 |
| Have a Dual Identity? | 185 |
| Sending and Receiving E-Mail | 188 |
| Headers | 188 |
| Address Groups | 190 |
| Attachments | 192 |
| E-Mail Etiquette | 193 |
| Forwarding Mail—The Scourge of the Internet | 194 |
| Terminally Cute Message Formats | 194 |
| Terminally Clever Signatures | 195 |
| Down With Receipts! | 195 |
| Dealing with Those %%#$ Spammers | 196 |
| CHAPTER 11: Join the Clubs | 199 |
| Mailing Lists | 200 |
| Newsletters | 200 |
| Discussion Lists | 201 |
| Finding Lists | 204 |
| Organize Your Mailing Lists | 204 |
| Newsgroups | 214 |
| What and Where Are Newsgroups? | 214 |
| Newsgroup Names—Confusing but Logical | 215 |
| Using Outlook Express as a Newsreader | 215 |
| Web Site Forum | 222 |
| CHAPTER 12: Hangin' Out on the Internet | 225 |
| Chat Online | 225 |
| Dangling Conversations | 225 |
| Who's Who? | 226 |
| What Did He Say? | 227 |
| Finding Chat Rooms | 228 |
| Instant Messages | 231 |
| Microsoft Instant Messaging | 231 |
| Yahoo! Messenger | 247 |
| AOL IM for Non-AOLers | 248 |
| NetMeeting | 248 |
| Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Meeting | 249 |
| Share Software | 251 |
| Chat During the Meeting | 252 |
| CHAPTER 13: Virtual Playgrounds | 255 |
| Finding Games | 255 |
| Windows XP Internet Games | 256 |
| Game Sites | 259 |
| Outfit Your Computer for Games | 261 |
| Video | 261 |
| Browser Plug-Ins | 261 |
| APPENDIX: Create a Company Web Site | 265 |
| INDEX | 275 |
