Internet in a nutshell

In the tradition of the bestselling books Java in a Nutshell and WebMaster in a Nutshell, Internet in a Nutshell starts with a quick, tour of the Internet, focusing on the technology that makes it work. It then dives into details on using the popular browsers, including their associated mail and news readers. Even the most seasoned web surfer will find new tips on using their favorite browser.

As with most tools, Internet software is useless if you don't know what to do with it. Internet in a Nutshell gives complete, concise coverage of how to find information on the Internet, with comparisons of the most popular search engines and how to use them to their best advantage.

At the core, the Internet is about sharing information, which is often stored in discrete files. The book covers the various file types that are used across the Internet. It covers FTP, the file transfer protocol that is used today primarily for transferring downloadable programs and source code. It discusses how to deal with sending and receiving files over email, both through attachments and more traditional means, and how to deal with compressed files.

This is the Internet book for readers who don't think they need a book to use the Internet.

Table of contents :

Foreword

Preface

Part 1. Getting Oriented 1

Chapter 1: A Living Glossary of the Internet

The Internet, the Web, and Everything

The World's Fastest Internet Tour

Is That All There Is?

Part 2. Your Browser Inside Out

Chapter 2: Netscape Navigator

Navigator Illustrated

Tips, Tricks, and Hidden Stuff

Quick Reference to Navigator for Windows

Netscape Communicator Preferences

Chapter 3: Microsoft Internet Explorer

Tips, Tricks, and Hidden Stuff

Quick Reference to MSIE Browser Functions

Browser Options

Part 3. Finding Stuff

Chapter 4: Internet Addressing

Servers, Protocols, and Pathnames

Chapter 5: Landmark Sites and Other Resources

A Directory for Every Topic: Yahoo!

About the Internet

Government

Newspapers, Magazines, and Other Periodicals

Reference

Usenet News

Sports

Money

Museums

For Kids, Parents, Teachers (and the\& Rest of Us)

Colleges and Universities

Animals, Nature, and the Environment

Travel

Arts and Entertainment

What's New on the Net?

Chapter 6: Internet Directories and Search Engines

Directories Versus Search Engines

The Top Search Engines and Directories

Chapter 7: Finding People and Places

Where to Begin?

Finger: Finding Users on UNIX Systems

Chapter 8: Accessing Libraries and Other Resources with Telnet

Telnet Resources on the Internet

Telnet for Windows

Accessing a Library Catalog

Part 4. Email and News

Chapter 9: Why Email and News

Chapter 10: Email Strategies and Survival Tips

Email Addresses

An Email Primer

Tips for Email Users

Handling Spam (Junk Email)

About File Attachments

Chapter 11: Mailing Lists

From Aardvark Lovers to ZZ Top Fans

Finding the Right List

Mailing List Basics

Quick Reference to Common Mailing List Commands

Chapter 12: Getting Along in Usenet

Newsgroup Naming Scheme

Getting Oriented

DejaNews: A Usenet Search Engine

Chapter 13: Netscape Messenger and Collabra Discussions

A Look at Netscape Messenger and Collabra

Tips, Tricks, and Hidden Stuff

Messenger and Collabra Quick Reference

Chapter 14: MSIE Internet Mail

Internet Mail Components

Tips for Using Internet Mail

Quick Reference to Internet Mail

Internet Mail Options

Chapter 15: MSIE Internet News

Internet News Components

Getting the Most Out of Internet News

Quick Reference to Internet News

Internet News Options

Part 5. File Handling

Chapter 16: File Types and Extensions

Chapter 17: FTP and File Transfer

Accessing FTP Files Using a Web Browser

Before You Use FTP

Typical Anonymous FTP Session

A Friendlier FTP for Windows: WS_FTP

The .netrc File: Auto-login and Macro Definitions

FTP By Email

Chapter 18: FTP Command Reference

FTP Command-Line Options (UNIX)

FTP Commands

Chapter 19: File Compression and Archiving

Relevant File Formats

WinZip: File Compression/Archiving for Windows

UNIX File Compression and Archiving

Macintosh StuffIt Does It All

Part 6. Helpers and Plug-ins

Chapter 20: Helper Applications

Common Helper Apps for Windows

Configuring Navigator 4.0 to Use Helper Apps

Configuring MSIE 3.0 to Use Helper Apps

Chapter 21: Plug-ins and ActiveX Controls

Which Plug-ins or ActiveX Controls Do I Need?

Which Plug-Ins and ActiveX Controls Are Out There?

Part 7. Web Authoring

Chapter 22: Authoring for the Web

Getting on a Web Server

Creating and Editing HTML Documents

HTML Document Structure

Inside HTML

Chapter 23: HTML Tags and Attributes

HTML Tag and Attribute Descriptions

Chapter 24: Color Names and Values

Color Values

Color Names

Chapter 25: Character Entities

Chapter 26: GIFs, Applets, and Other Enhancements

Static GIF Images

GIF Animation

JavaScript

Java

CGI Scripts

Audio Files

Part 8. Internet Relay Chat

Chapter 27: It's About Chat

An IRC Crash Course

Chapter 28: IRC Command Reference

Glossary

Index