OK, so just what is the world wide web and the information superhighway anyway? Well, the internet is sort of an all-encompassing system for electronic distribution of information, whether it be electronic mail (email), chat rooms, on-line encyclopedias, etc. Software is available for almost any computer system, some of the packages cost money and some are free. If you are reading this document you have already discovered the wonders of the world wide web. The web has all kinds of facets to it: education, advertisments, artwork, general communication of all sorts.

Here are some good books to check out. These include general topics, as well as specific books on companies like AOL and GeoCities. There are hundreds more, so keep watching places like Amazon.com or Book Area to find the best prices.

• The Internet for Dummies is probably the best book with which to start.
• 1001 Best Websites for Educators by Timothy Hopkins is a good resource for teachers.
• Creating GeoCities Websites by Ben Sawyer and Dave Greely
• Websites for Musicians by Gary Hustwit
• AOL Wired in a Week: Master the Internet in 10 Minutes a Day (With CD-ROM) by Regina Lewis

COMMERCIAL SERVICES

So you have got a lot of options these days. Many local telephone companies are offering deals where you have unlimited internet access for around $20 a month. Try Bell (Atlantic, South, etc.) and see what kind of deals you can get. Obviously a lot of people are also using commercial services such as America On Line or Compuserv to log on. Charges are about the same as the local companies can offer. Generally you have webspace with these commercial companies, too. So if you want to set up your own homepage, you already have the space in which to design it. The companies will also provide background images, templates, and tutorials to help with the set up. Just do a search for "web page" and you should be able to find out how to create your own page.

FREE ACCOUNTS

Internet Service Providers such as AOL and BellSouth include webspace to put up your own website as part of their package. You will need to find out how to set up the site with their tools and materials. Do a keyword search for "Personal Publisher" on AOL.

You can also sign up for a free account at sites including:

• Yahoo <http://ww.yahoo.com>
• Tripod < http://www.tripod.lycos.com/>
• Angelfire <http://angelfire.lycos.com/index2.shtml>
• Fortune City <http://www.fortunecity.com/>
• Homestead <http://www.homestead.com/>
• GeoCities <http://www.geocities.com>

Just be careful--many of these services will require those annoying pop-up banners in exchange for their free service.

Back to TeleTalk

Return to WOW/EM

Go to the Menu

Copyright September 1996,
updated February 2004.
Kristine H. Burns,
Florida International University
Questions? Contact me.