LET'S SURF THE WEB

By Dave Wallace

RIVER BENDER - April 1998

Ok, you've got your new PC. It has lots of megahertz and megabytes, a fast modem and you're ready to surf the Web. So what next? First you'll need a telephone line to your PC. If a jack is not nearby run an extension from another room. A telephone is also nice at the PC for trouble shooting with somebody over the phone. Next you'll need to subscribe to one of five Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the New Bern area at the going price of $19.95/mo. for full-time graphical access. The ISP will provide the necessary communications software on a diskette but sometimes problems crop up during installation so ask the ISP in advance how much help will be offered should you run into trouble. Follow the ISP's instructions very carefully.

You're now ready to dial out. More than likely, you'll have an icon on your screen to click for dialing, after which you'll enter your password. Once the connection is made, your "Browser" software will be active along with the ISP's Web Page likely displayed. All access to the Web is made through Browser software that's usually either Microsoft's "Explorer" or Netscape's "Navigator." This allows you to enter the ubiquitous "www.somesuch.com" addresses called "Uniform Resource Locators" or URLs to reach anywhere in the world. The Browser also allows you to establish bookmarks for interesting Web sites so you can return quickly to a site without having to remember the URL

What can you do on the World Wide Web? You can find practically anything in the world you'd like to know or see. People are using the Web for more things than could ever be described here. It is the most massive, readily available, worldwide collection of information that's ever existed and it is expanding exponentially. A few examples: Look up medical information, compare new products, search for people and genealogy information and research stocks. Read newspapers while downloading software, tax forms, pictures or music. Visit museums, towns, and quaint places and make your own travel reservations. Create your own Web page showing your genealogy and perhaps find missing links as it becomes viewed worldwide. Just imagine having a magic genie in your home that can answer practically any question you might ever ask and you've described the World Wide Web. Such information technology has never existed before. We're living in fast times. Don't miss out on the fun.

But how do you find all the answers on the Web? There lies the problem. The answers are in some computer in some library, university, government or a commercial or private Web page somewhere in the world. You just have to find where the information is located. Fortunately there exists many free "Search Engines" on the Web that are getting better all the time in finding exactly what you're looking for. Stay tuned and we'll discuss Search Engines on the World Wide Web next month.