The Rough Guide to the Internet 2004

INTRODUCTION

READ ME

Hooking up to the Internet isn’t such a big deal these days. So why do you need a book to get online? Or more to the point, why do you need one if you’re already there?

You don’t, of course. In fact, most people just start clicking and worry about the consequences later. That’s why they catch viruses, get scammed (p.172), unwittingly install "spyware" and wonder why their computers keep crashing. It’s why so few know how to get the best from a search engine, take part in online discussions, collect their email on the road, set up a second account, maintain their privacy or avoid junk email. And why most people’s time is spent sifting through rubbish websites instead of going straight to the best. You can do it the hard way too – if you don’t mind wasting half your life.

Or you can do it the smart way and leave the hard work to us. We’ve spent years test-driving software, sorting through sites, torturing search engines and figuring out what works best. You’ll find the latest results distilled into this small book, plus tips on how to do everything from scoring a free email address to building an online photo gallery.

If you only read one chapter, make it "Find it". Know it back-to-front and you’ll have the Net around your little finger. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you become an expert.

The fact that we find ourselves flipping through this book from time to time suggests that it’s as much a desktop reference for old-timers as a beginner’s guide. So we hope you’ll keep a dog-eared copy by your computer for many years to come. That said, things change, so keep your eyes peeled for each new edition.

Best wishes and bon voyage!

51 THINGS TO DO WITH THIS BOOK

There s more stuff on the Internet than you could explore in a lifetime. So where do you start? Here, in no particular order, are 51 ways to idle away your hours online.

1. Look yourself up on the Web 2. Find an aerial photo of your house 3. Tune in to foreign radio 4. Get fresh with the US president 5. Go undercover 6. Surf like Roadrunner 7. Flirt with a stranger 8. Land a cushy job 9. Cast a voodoo spell 10. Join a kooky cult 11. Kick butt 12. Build a blog 13. Find out if you re hot or not 14. Bid for a bargain 15. Host an online party 16. Find out how much you re worth 17. Send a fax 18. Confirm that you re mad 19. Plot an exotic adventure 20. Cast doubt on your ancestry 21. Become a whiz with nuclear arms 22. Cheat your way through college 23. Stock up on frilly bras 24. Keep up with your hometown gossip 25. Re-ignite an old flame 26. Cook up a treat 27. Toilet-train your cat 28. Secretly watch sport at work 29. Nab your crushed one 30. Prove you were right 31. Track down a killer novel 32. Build your own computer 33. Seek legal advice 34. Get news as it happens 35. Watch a live police chase 36. Clone a companion 37. Start your own magazine 38. Sort out your weeds 39. Show off your baby snaps 40. Consult a mad scientist 41. Turn your home into a wireless hotspot 42. Indulge in hypochondria 43. Send a postcard from Timbuktu 44. Take a closer look at beer 45. Start an argument 46. Sit in on a live gig 47. Master your own music CD 48. Make your first billion 49. Then spend it on a submarine 50. Email a smoochy tune 51.