Internet in a Nutshell (Nutshell computer guides) Book

Valerie Quercia has packed a phenomenal amount of information into one modest-sized volume. While Internet in a Nutshell, doesn't even attempt to tell you everything there is to know about the Internet, it does provide a guide to finding just about anything on the Net. In just eight well-organized and concise sections, Quercia takes you through information that would otherwise take up half a bookshelf. The first part, on getting oriented, provides a quick overview of the online world. Specifics begin in part 2, which discusses how to use Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Additionally, this section covers guides to add-on programs, tips on file management, and quick references to commands and shortcuts. The five chapters of part 3 are devoted to online research and information. These chapters include information on servers and protocols, a listing of some of the top reference sites, a discussion of directories versus search engines, advice on finding information on people and places and reference material on using Telnet to access libraries and other research sources. Part 4 delves into e-mail and news. The e-mail section discusses everything from working with e-mail addresses to handling junk e-mail and file attachments. The chapter on mailing lists offers a taste of what's available and shows how to find, use, and thrive on lists on any interest. After a discussion of Usenet--including a rundown of the naming scheme and a review of netiquette--Quercia goes into the specifics of using Netscape Messenger, Netscape Collabra, Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE) Internet Mail, and MSIE Internet News. Part 5 addresses information about file handling, from a chart of file types and extensions to how to use FTP and various file compression and archiving programs. The sixth part deals with browser helper applications, plug-ins, and ActiveX controls, while part 7 offers an information-rich guide to Web authoring, HTML codes, color names and values, HTML characters, and such enhancements as GIF images, Java, and animation and audio files. A crash course in Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and IRC command reference chart round out this densely packed but easy-to-read reference work.Read More