Internet for Beginners

Many of us use our office email to send and receive personal messages. It's harmless to check in with spouse and friends, right? Well, actually: no - you shouldn't use work email to trade personal messages. About.com explains how we should all keep our work and personal emailboxes completely separate...

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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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If you have highspeed internet, and can afford the bandwidth, then you definitely want to try streaming internet radio. Unlike the boring local stations you might be used used to, internet radio offers thousands of more music choices. You will hear other languages from other countries and discover artists you didn't know existed. And perhaps best of all: many of these stations have minimal to no verbal advertising. Here they are: The Best Internet Radio Stations of 2012...

Would you let an 8-year-old have your credit card? Well, that's basically the situation when you let kids play with your iPhone or iPad. You see, 'in-app' purchasing has become the sneaky standard with 'freemium' app software. If you don't pay attention, you'll rack up hundreds of dollars from your kids trying out in-app software. Here is how you can prevent this unpleasant invoice experience...

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Twitter is micro-blogging. Using short bursts of 140 characters or less, people share links, personal news,  local news, advice, and even philosophy. You follow people's  'tweets' for as long as they are interesting, and then unfollow them when they get boring. It's actually an interesting way to keep updated on your friends, your favorite celebrites, and knowledge gurus from around the world. About.com explains more about Twitter here...

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. The trojan records your passwords, email text, and your private messaging. Theft, or punishment, will often follow next. About.com explains keylogger trojans here...

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In online jargon, 'flaming' means attacking or insulting someone online. Someone who purposely posts mean public comments about you is known as a 'flamer'. If the flamer is a repeat offender who delights in attacking others, then we upgrade that person to being called a 'troll'. Read more about flaming and trolling here...

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NSFW is a warning added to an email subject line. If you are at the office, pay note to this warning as it will  save you embarrassment.  Sexual pictures, explicit videos, inappropriate content:  the NSFW warning works like this...

Most of us either use IM, or know about IM. Instant messaging is one 'high-velocity' tool by which we can beam photos, spreadsheets, hyperlinks, and simple notes to other people's computers. Faster than email, with elements of chat, IM has become a valuable business and social tool. But how exactly does instant messaging work? Brandon De Hoyos has put together a splendid illustrated guide to explain how IM works here.

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The Web is a splendid environment for amateur artists. In this example:  a young musician converts modern pop music into a timeless blues ballad.  His talent is resonating across the Web, and his video views have gone from a lowly 15,000 to over 200,000  in one day.  Check out Noah's rendition of LMFAO's 'Sexy and I Know It' on Youtube.