In an online discussion forum, you see the odd phrase "This health care bill debate has jumped the shark. I'm outta here!" You have seen this expression in an email as well. But what exactly does it mean to 'jump the shark'? Well, friends, 'jumping the shark' and its sister expression 'nuking the fridge' are both negative colloquialisms. About.com explains the shark jumping expression here...
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According to the Webby Awards, there are several pivotal events that influenced the last 10 years of Internet culture. These moments include: the IPO of Google, the opening of Facebook to the general public, the end of Napster, the start of YouTube, and several other Internet events. Doug Gross of CNN.com takes us on a quick tour of these 10 big Internet moments of the last decade...
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So you are new to computer gaming and P2P downloading. You've heard about 'port forwarding', and how it can dramatically speed up your Internet connection. But what exactly is port forwarding? And how can you get step-by-step help in programming port forwards? About.com explains port forwarding here...

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You see the local advertisements offering VoIP phone service for $20 a month. Long distance calls are almost free, and you're curious enough to research it more. So what exactly is Voice over IP? About.com explains VoIP basics, and how to get started using it....(photo by Photographer's Choice / Getty Images)

At the conceptual level, hacking is pretty straightforward. To attack personal computers through modems, for example, a hacker will start by scanning for vulnerable systems. They may use "demon dialers" or "wardialers" to make repetitive phone calls to modems on the public Internet. To find DSL or cable openings, hackers will use port-scanner programs that repeatedly "ping" IP addresses of networked systems to see if there are openings. Then, hackers will do all sorts of things next...
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Keyloggers are robot spies. Either employed by hackers, or by a suspicious spouse or parent, a keylogger trojan is a small bit of software that observes what you type on your keyboard. It records your passwords, email text, and your private messaging. Theft, or punishment, will often follow next. About.com explains keylogger trojans here...

People usually ask this when they get an invitation to start a Gmail account.  Many users who have Hotmail/MSN Live mail or Yahoo Mail don't see the immediate value of switching to the Gmail free service.  But, truth be told, Gmail is probably the best free webmail service today.  There are several very useful things about Gmail. Marziah Karch explains Gmail here...

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"Emotional icons" are odd little heiroglyphs used in email and digital messaging. Emoticons started with the classic 1982 smiley :-), and their use has now grown across the planet to become a daily part of digital culture. You can use your keyboard to create skateboarders, Elvis, Homer Simpson, or vampires. You can show love, flirtation, pouts, and glee. And with over 250 emoticons to choose from, you can convey many other stylistic messages...

With all the newspaper, TV, magazine, and Internet warnings out there, it's astonishing that so many people still fall victim to the many high-tech con games. There are several email and web pages scams that will fool you into typing your private information. "Phishing scams" are very convincing to the untrained, but with just a little bit of guidance, you can easily spot when you are getting scammed online. Check out Jeremy's phishing article, and the Phishing IQ test here... (photo by Getty Images)

Most people rush through configuring their wireless home network. They forget simple things like: changing the administrator password, the default SSID, and setting fixed IP addresses. Have you taken the time to lock down your wireless network? About.com gives you 10 Wireless Network Security Suggestions here...

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