I don't care how much of a PC guru you are—no matter how much you know about writing complex batch files, how fast you are at whipping up intricate designs in AutoCAD, or how easily you can get an apparently dead hard drive up and running with data intact, if you aren't on the Internet you probably have that feeling, deep down inside, that you're about as hip as a 360K floppy disk.
January 8, 1997
Most computer users these days who aren't on the Internet are frothing at the mouth to get on. But once you finally do scheme your way into some kind of access, the Internet can give you a lethal variation of writer's block. There's so much to do, but exactly what is it, and how do you go about doing it?
The Instant Internet Guide offers concise yet detailed information that covers the gamut of things you can do on the net. There is a chapter covering each main aspect of the Internet, such as E-Mail, news, and finding files. Each chapter starts out by letting you know how that part of the net works and what it's useful for. Then it goes into details of programs and tools that can make it easy for you to take advantage of that part of cyberspace, where to find them, and solid instructions on how to use them. It also includes liberal dashes of pointers to specific resources on the net such as ftp and archie servers, without wasting too much of the book on it. Instead, the authors give easy and clear directions on where you can go to find much more exhaustive lists of resources on the net itself, such as lists of thousands of ftp sites.
The strength of the book is that it is straight to the point. The chapters themselves cover the essentials: getting onto the Internet, E-Mail, News, Telnet, ftp, Archie/Gopher/Veronica/WorldWide Web, and a concise guide to the essential UNIX commands. The appendix gives details on how to find and choose an Internet account provider, then you're done. No blathering on about the information superhighway, attempts to predict the future shape of the on-line industry, or other ramblings to fill pages. The book tells you exactly what you need to know without extra flab.
