Alan's View Of The Net
Thanks for stopping in. I work for SoVerNet, an Internet Service Provider
(ISP) in Bellows Falls, Vermont, , and spend a lot
of time on the Internet with a fast connection, so I've gotten to know my
way around a bit. I've tried to create a page that is a good starting
place, and has some interesting links.
If you have never used the web before, here are the basics.
The web
works by specifying certain text or images as links. This text is a link. If you select that link
it will lead you to a page that just sends you back here. If you haven't
used a link, try it. Links can connect to any page on any server in the
world. The link above points to a page that is right next to the one
you're reading on the same server, but other links on this page point to
other documents or files on other servers all over the world. Sometimes a
link won't work because a file on a distant server has been moved or
renamed, or sometimes the server a file is on is down for maintenance. If
a link doesn't work, either try it again later or see if you can figure
out a new address for what you are after.
Choose this link for more info on searching the net.
The hardest part about using the World Wide Web is figuring out where
to begin. Once you have some favorite places it will become much easier.
Most browsers have a way for you to "bookmark" favorite
places so you can come back to them. Many home pages (mine included) are
basically annotated bookmark lists from the author. I use my home page as
a place to keep my favorite links as well as links I am currently
exploring and links I recommend to others. Most of the web is just lists
of links, or lists of lists of links, etc. If you find a page
interesting, add it to your bookmarks list (or favorite places list, or
whatever your browser calls it) so you can find it again next time you
are browsing.
If you are new to surfing the web you should first learn about Search Engines. These are how you will be able to find what you are looking for on the web. Search engines catalog the text of millions of web pages. By searching on combinations of words you can find URLs (http type addresses) that m
ight relate to what you are looking for. The search engine may have last visited the site months ago, so the sites they suggest may not always work or the page may have changed since the search engine last visited it. There are many different search engines, typically you will find one you like to use and learn to use it better than the others. My personal favorite is Alta
Vista, although I used to find Lycos to be the most useful.
An alternative to starting with a search engine site is to start at a
site that tries to be a catalog to everything on the web. The most famous of these is http://www.yahoo.com. For many folks this type of site provides a "front door" to the web that can lead to hours of exploring.
Be sure to book mark several of these as they are all excellent jumping off places for exploring.
Some sites I enjoy are...
Here's a link to info on the Leonid Meteor
Shower (courtesy of Sky & Telescope
Magazine) A meteor shower that peaks around 11/16-18 each year, and has
the
potential to be tremendous once every 33 years, and the peak is expected
in 1998 or 99 (so start watching it now so you'll know about it when it
counts)
If you're into learning about how the Internet works, where it came from, where it's going or why it isn't working at any given moment, you may find some of these worth exploring.
If you are into exploring lists I have a couple more.
Laurie
Anderson put a great list of URLs on her
recent Tour Shirt, definitely worth checking some of them out.
And my list of Random Links, no telling what you'll
find here. I throw everything there till I figure out what to do with it.
Family & Friend's Pages
If you want to see what I look like, here's a picture
Don't have a finger client? Use SoVerNet's finger gateway to finger
anyone anywhere. Enter info in the form of name@somewhere.com or
user@somehost.somewhere.com (You have to have at least a good guess of who
you are looking for where though.)
Also handy is SYSADMIN TOOLZ for web based finger, ping, nslookup, and traceroute.
This page last updated 10/10/97
