Welcome Aboard

Ever since computer technology was invented in the late 1940s it has been surrounded by jargon. Some of this special technical language is very useful. It can make it easier for computer professionals to communicate precisely with each other. But this jargon has also made it very difficult for ordinary people to understand and use computers. Computers are discussed with strange words and seemingly meaningless acronyms--RAM, CPU, CD-ROM, MByte, GUI, and so on. They then appear to be far too complicated for ordinary people to make sense of.

The hype about the Internet, the Web and the Information Superhighway has only made things worse. We see ``web addresses'' appearing on everything from business cards to breakfast cereal boxes. We have been told that a revolution is underway (leading to the Information Society--whatever that is), but it sometimes seems that nobody over the age of about 15 is eligible to join in.

This book is dedicated to the idea that that is all nonsense. There may well be a revolution in progress, but everybody is invited, and you don't need a college degree before you start.

Cars, televisions and the international telephone network are all extremely complex technologies, but that does not mean that they can be used only by trained experts. The Internet is not as easy to use as those more established technologies--yet. But it is getting easier to use all the time. Better still, as more people use it, it becomes easier and more useful to each new person who gets connected.

The book explains, step-by-step, and in ordinary language, what the Internet is, what it can do--and what it can't do. I will not be able to avoid jargon completely, though I do try to use as little as possible. Where I have to use it, each technical term will be explained carefully when it is first introduced. I show you how to go about getting ``on'' the Internet, and how to then use it effectively and enjoyably. I also tell you about some dangers of the Internet and how to avoid them.

I encourage you to read the whole book through before you try to get connected to the Internet at all. Then keep it close by as you follow the step by step hints and instructions. If you do this, you'll be confidently and effectively using the Internet much faster than you might ever have thought possible!