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What is the Internet?
The Internet is a network of computers connected to each other by high speed telephone lines. No one person or organization runs the Internet. Sections of the Internet are run by ISPs ( Internet Service Providers ) and Telcos ( telephone companies ) while other sections are run by government agencies, schools and business.
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What is spam and why don't I want any?
Spam is the misnomer for junk email. Anyone who's ever received any already knows why they don't want any. Spam also goes by the name UCE - unsolicited commercial email. Spam is one of the unfortunate side-effects of the commercialization of the Internet. Those who used the Net in the "good old days" (ie: just a few years ago) probably remember a spam-free Net. On the other hand, the commercialization of the Net has also brought a great deal of innovation.
To make matters worse, the longer you use your ISP, the more spam you're going to get. The reason: As you send e-mail, post in newsgroups, fill out registration forms, and so on, your name gets picked up by "spambots"—software programs that harvest e-mail addresses.
So how can you eradicate spam? Unfortunately, there is no sure fire way to eliminate 100% of junk email, but the following steps can help to reduce your exposure to junk email.
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Don't use your real name/email when using Usenet news and/or IRC. |
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Verify that sites you are posting personal information to have a stated privacy policy which allows you to remove your name from their mailing lists. Preferably, this would be an "opt-in" policy whereby you only receive email if you purposely opt into the receipt of email. |
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Never answer unsolicited e-mail. If you do, the spammer will know that the address works. You'll be bombarded with even more spam. |
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Sign up for a free Web-based e-mail account. Use this as your "throwaway" address in situations that could land you on a spammer's list. |
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Dump any junk e-mail at the SpamRecycling Center. The center forwards it to the authorities to check it for fraud. When you make your first "deposit," you can grab a coupon from one of the sponsors of the center (such as Omaha Steaks), and also download a free spam-blocking program from Bright Light. |
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Let SpamCop track junk e-mail back to its source. You paste the junk e-mail you received into a box, and SpamCop analyzes it to find out who sent it. Then SpamCop shoots a copy to the network administrator of the ISP the spammer is using, with a letter of complaint. (There's no charge for spam reports, but for a $15 subscription fee, you get an e-mail account with special filters.) Similar tools are available at Junkbusters and the Network Abuse Clearinghouse. |
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When you post in newsgroups, put words like NOSPAM in your return address: cbpappas@hiwaayNOSPAM.net, for example. People will figure this out when they see it, but spambots won't. |
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Ask your ISP how many people it has dedicated to fighting spam. A good rule of thumb is to have one staff member for every 200,000 subscribers. |
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If possible, use an educational or a government e-mail address (they end in .edu or .gov). Spammers tend to avoid these, according to Spambot beware. |
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Support such groups as CAUCE,the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email. This all-volunteer alliance helps design and lobby for legislation against spam. |
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The Federal Trade Commission has set up an online complaint form. |
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With any luck, if you use these tools, the only thing exploding from now on will be a spammer's ability to blow up your mailbox. Let me know what you think in the talkback below. |
| • | Use the latest spam filters. The ZDNet Software Library offers no-charge demo versions of spam-smackers like Spam Buster and SpamEater Pro. If you're using AOL, go to Keyword: mail controls to set up a filter. You can also try spam filtering software such as: |
SpamKiller SpamEater
Spamicide SpamHater
Lastly, check out these sites for more information on spam:
| • | Network Abuse Clearinghouse |
| • | JunkBusters |
| • | CAUCE, The Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email |
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Why do I need filtering software?
There are many types of filtering software available today. the most commonly used is email filter and a internet filter. The email filter helps in preventing the spread o spam and virusses .for a list of free email filters visit. http://download.com.com/3120-20-0.html?qt=email+filters&tg=dl-2001 The other maion type of flitr is the internet filter. These are widely used to keep the younger ones from viewing the obscene content the internet is fuill of. They all basically work the same way the program will view the content of the email or website before your eyes do. It determines whether or not to display the requested site or email. The email filter will send all emails to a specified folder that can later be checked and deleted. The Internet filter will prevent the user from visiting the questionable site.For a list of internet filetrs visit. http://home.cfl.rr.com/eaa/Parental.htm[ Back to Top ]
What's a DNS server?
When you use the Web or send an e-mail message, you use a domain name to do it. For example, the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) "http://www.howstuffworks.com" contains the domain name howstuffworks.com. So does this e-mail address: brain@howstuffworks.com. Every time you use a domain name, you use the Internet's DNS servers to translate the human-readable domain name into the machine-readable IP address. Human-readable names like "howstuffworks.com" are easy for people to remember, but they don't do machines any good. All of the machines use names called IP Addresses to refer to one another.[ Back to Top ]
What's ICANN and why do I need a .COM?
.com/.net/.org/.edu - what is all this? ICANN is the new non-profit corporation that is assuming responsibility from the U.S. Government for coordinating certain Internet technical functions, including the management of Internet domain name system. More information about ICANN can be found at http://www.icann.org. Every website has to end with a dot extension. Whatever it is .com/.net/.org/.edu./.us. In todays business market a website is almost necessary. Depending on your budget and the size of your business a website can be cheaper and more informative than a yellow page ad.
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What's the difference between various Internet access methods?
There are numerous questions that must be answered when you are considering an Internet connection. Is this personal or business? What is your budget? Where are you located? How much traffic will you be processing? These are some of the kinds of questions that Primeview can help you answer.
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can also be a great source of information when considering your Internet connection. Ultimately, these are the companies that will connect you to the Net. For a listing of ISPs, please check these resources:
| • | California and Nevada Internet Service Providers Organized by Service Area |
| • | ISPs.com |
| • | The List |
| • | Providers of Commercial Internet Access (POCIA) |
Regarding connection types, following is a quick and dirty list of some of the most popular ways of connecting the the Internet, along with approximate cost, pros and cons:
| TYPE | DESCRIPTION | RELATIVE COST | PROS/CONS |
| 56k |
A dial-up modem connects by sending signals through your phone lines. Due to technological and legal restrictions, the maximum dial-up speed is 52 kbps (kilobits per second), though that speed is rarely reached, even with a 56 kbps modem. |
0.0$ - 19.95 per month |
Pros: its cheap and sometimes free. Cons: really slow |
| T1 |
A point to point T1 Internet connection provides you with robust bandwidth for running Internet applications and high volume access requirements. Point to Point T1 service provides your business with 24X7X365 dedicated access to the Internet a speed of 1.54 Mbps |
100.00$ - 500.00$ |
Pros: Fast and reliable for big networks Cons: expensive,a nd your gonna need a tech to setup the network. |
| ISDN |
Integrated Services Digital Network) - Two various speed - 64kB and 128kB. Fast, quality, digital connection by the help of ISDN modem. |
250.00$ - 900.00$ depending on servcie plan |
Pros: Fast and reliable for big networks Cons: expensive,a nd your gonna need a tech to setup the network. |
| Wireless |
using transceiver and receiver for wireless connection - great advantages is independence on telephone . Generally higher transmission speed compared to phone connection. High price for purchase connection devices . High Internet charge for usage. Payment on basis data transferred . From restriction distance and sometimes direction to transceiver provider connection. |
34.95$ - 59.95$ a month |
Pros: You can have a connection wherever you go. Cons: a lil slower than a dsl connection and sevice can dropout during bad weather or surrounded nby high terrain. |
| DSL |
A DSL line is an "always-on" connection provided through your phone line. It uses different frequencies and can thus bypass the 52 kbps limit. DSL speeds vary depending on the package but are typically around 384 kbps for download and 128 kbps for upload. |
34.95$ - 59.95$ a month |
Pros: dedicated connection, affordable. Cons: |
| Cable Modem |
A cable modem is similar to a DSL line but it is provided via the same coaxial cable that provides Cable Television service. Cable Modem speeds vary depending on the provider and the number of users in the neighborhood, but typically max out at 1450 kbps for download and 225 kbps for upload. |
34.95$ - 59.95$ a month |
Pros: frequently very fast and responsive, low cost. Cons: shared medium, can be slow depending on number of users connecting, somewhat insecure. |
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What's FTP?
File Transfer Protocol, or FTP, is an Internet protocol which allows for easy transfer of files between computers.
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Which is better - Mac or PC (or Linux)?
It seems this holy war has been brewing since the first Mac rolled off the assembly lines in Cupertino. And really, for no good reason. Just like people, Macs and PCs (and now Linux boxes) are neither better or worse - they're just different. Each platform has it's own advantages and disadvantages, depending on your perspective. It used to be that one platform was easier for doing certain tasks but these days, for the most part, you can achieve whatever you need to on any major platform - PC, Mac or Unix. The most important thing to consider is Internet support, which is now ubiquitous and application support. Once you know that the applications you need to use are available on a particular platform, it's really up to your own personal preference. As of today (circa late 1999), the PC enjoys the widest application support base but major applications (ie: graphics and office productivity) are available for both PC and Mac. Additionally, Unix has enjoyed a tremendous growth surge over the last year, thanks to Linux. Linux is a flavor of Unix that is extremely user friendly (as far as Unix variants go) and is currently enjoying exceptional growth.
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What is TCP/IP and why is it important?
Since the internet is built on many different types of computer equipment, there needs to be a common language that everyone speaks. TCP/IP is the communications method with which all these different computers speak. TCP/IP defines standards for communications, file transfer and host connectivity. If a computer can run the TCP/IP protocol, the computer can communicate with other computers on the internet.
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What is a Domain Name?
A domain name is a Web site's address on the World Wide Web. Examples of this are primeview.com, microsoft.com, compaq.com or sun.com. The .com extension stands for commercial business. Other domain name suffix's that are loosely adhered to inlcude .net for networks, .edu for education, .org for organization and .mil for military use. Each domain name is assigned to a TCP/IP address so it can be resolved by domain name servers.