Putting the Internet to Work for You

Let’s take a look at what this site can offer you. In a nutshell, our purpose in writing this site is to offer you a guide through the maze of commercial, cultural, and technical issues surrounding the use of the Internet.
Together, we’ll explore the tremendous number of valuable resources now available on the Internet, including many that you won’t find anywhere else at any price. We don’t shy away from nuts-and-bolts technical information; you’ll learn everything you need to know about working with Internet mailing lists and Usenet newsgroups. You can even watch over our shoulders as we use the FTP file transfer program to download press releases from companies on the Net and then sign up for, and participate in, a mailing list that discusses the Internet’s commercialization.
This site is for anyone who wants to make his or her business more efficient and profitable. Whether you’re a home-based startup or a Fortune 500 company, a computer-savvy network administrator, or a marketing VP who has never gone online before, there’s something in this site that can either make you money or help you save it.
You don’t need to be a computer expert, you don’t need to have ever even logged in to the Internet or connected to a specific information service — though we’re willing to bet that you’ve encountered the Net at some point and just didn’t realize it. Our goal here is to present a vision of the Internet and how businesses can work within the community and technologies thereon in a positive manner.
On the other hand if you are already an expert on all these topics, there’s a lot in this site that you’ll find valuable and thought-provoking too. From novel ways to build your client base with e-mail to how Usenet can help you identify what your competitors are up to, this site will prove helpful for all.
We’ve organized this site to help you learn about the business face of the Internet with minimal fuss. Our hope is that you read it straight through, but if there are particular sections that sound exciting, feel free to flip directly to them! Also make sure you browse through the various appendixes for a list of Internet access providers; guides to Web and Gopher setup, configuration, and use; a map of what countries are hooked into the Internet; and an explanation of how you can create a Usenet newsgroup for your own uses.