Surf the Internet

Netiquette

Some basic rules for communicating via the internet through email, chat rooms, forums, message boards and the like include:

1. Use emoticons (smiley faces, etc.), sparingly, when trying to express a tone of voice ;) .

2. DO NOT TYPE IN ALL CAPS, it is considered yelling.

3. Be careful what you write as it is a permanent record and can be forwarded to others.

4. Don't blatantly promote your business through posts to forums and discussion groups as this is considered "spamming", and can in some cases get you banned from the groups.

5. Don't attach large files, over 50kb, without first getting permission from the recipient.

6. Use a spell checker if available.

Browse Faster

For a quick way to reach the website of a company or an organization is to type Go and the organization, for example you could type Go MSN into the address bar of your browser.  If there isn't a perfect match, you will get a list of possible matches to choose from.

Creating Bookmarks

If you'd like to keep a record of a page so that you can come back to it later, it is simple to bookmark it once it is on your screen.

In Explorer:  Press Ctrl and the D key to put it in your general favorites.  To file the bookmark in a specific folder, click on Favorites from the toolbar, then Add to Favorites, and pick or make a folder to place it in.

In Netscape:  Click on Bookmarks, then Add Bookmark.  If you have set up folders for your bookmarks you can click on File Bookmark to place it in a file.

Private Information

It is generally safe to provide your personal credit card and other information over the internet for purchases and such as long as it is being transmitted through a secure server which will be verified by the small yellow lock symbol in the bottom bar of your browser.  If you do not see the lock symbol your transmission will not be secure and could possibly be intercepted.  You should never give out your credit card numbers or passwords in emails or message services as they are not secure.

Searching the Web

It is actually not possible to search the entire web as it is currently estimated to contain over 1 billion documents and it is not indexed in any standard vocabulary (like a library catalog).  When you search the web you are accessing one of several databases or web pages that contains a selection of links to other web pages, organized in such a fashion that you can search through.

The main types of search directories include indexes, search engines and meta search engines.  Index sites, like Yahoo and SiteSifter, organize information within some type of category structure designed by a human which can lead to more selective resources.  Search engines, like Lycos, InfoSeek and AltaVista, send out spiders that catalog content in sites and work with much less human intervention.  Meta search engines, such as Dogpile and Metacrawler,  are similar to search engines except that they search multiple engines and combine the results into one page.

Children and the Internet

Because the internet opens up your home to the whole world, you should use caution and common sense when allowing your children access to the web.  Some sites that track and discuss the issue of children on the internet include CyberAngels, VTW Internet Parenting Guide, and SafeKids.

Spam

Spam is the popular term for unsolicited advertisements over the internet through email, discussion groups, forums and the like.  Generally, just deleting unwanted email is the best remedy but you can also look at the email for 'remove' instructions, respond to the email with 'remove' in the subject or for those annoying persistent spammers you can also write to their host or ISP by checking the checking the headers in their emails.

To open a link from the current page in a new window, place your cursor over the link: Right click and select "Open in new window".

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