Everywhere you turn, you can find traces of the Internet. Household products, business cards, radio shows, and movie credits list their Web site address sites (starting with www and usually ending with dot com ) and their e-mail addresses. The Internet is a new communications technology that is affecting our lives on a scale as significant as the telephone and television. Some people believe that when it comes to disseminating information, the Internet is the most significant invention since the printing press. If you use a telephone, write letters, read a newspaper or magazine, or do business or any kind of research, the Internet can radically alter your worldview.

When the first edition of The Internet For Dummies debuted in 1994, a typical Internet user was a student who connected from college or a technical worker who had access through work. The World Wide Web was so new that it had only a few hundred pages. Now, the Internet includes a hundred million people, connecting on their own nickel from computers at home, along with students ranging from elementary school to adult education.

The 8th Edition of this perpetual favorite focuses on the parts of the Internet that are of the most interest to typical users, such as

• The World Wide Web and how to find things there, including how to use Netscape and Internet Explorer



• Ins and outs of sending and receiving electronic mail (e-mail)



• Ways (and means) to shop and chat online



• An inside scoop on publishing your own home page



• The real deal about downloading from the Internet

The Internet For Dummies, 8th Edition describes what you actually do to become an Internaut (someone who navigates the Internet with skill)  how to get started, what you really need to know, and where to go for help  all in easy-to-understand terms and a helpful, friendly, fun-loving tone that'll make your Internet travels a real treat!