Getting Started on the internet

If you are thinking about getting yourself or your organization online, you might want to have some background on how the Internet got here, and where it may be headed.

As you start browsing online, you will run into words and terms which might be unfamiliar. The Internet Glossary and the Internet Language Dictionary should help clear up some of the confusion.

If you don't have an email account yet, there are several ways of getting one. If you have access to the Web at school, at work, or at a local library or community center, you can get a free email account through Hotmail, Juno, and Yahoo Mail, as well as through these Free Email Services in Other Languages.

If you would like to get your own email account at home or at work, you need to find someone to connect you to the Internet. There are thousands of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) around the world, most of them listed in The List -- The Definitive ISP Buyer's Guide. Your ISP should provide most of the software you'll need for using the Web, but for a wide range of software you can also look into Sofware download sites. Another option to consider for Internet service is a local Free-Net or Community Network if there is one in your area.

To get online, try your local library or internet cafe. More and more, companies are taking advantage of wireless high speed connections to offer "hotspots" around town. Visit the HotSpot List to find a hotspot nearest to you.

For the nuts and bolts of building a Website, you can start with A Beginner's Guide to HTML and An Introduction to HTML. Guides in other languages are also available. For example, see The French Guide to HTML.

Once you have created a website, you can start Promoting a Nonprofit or Public Sector Organization Online, and you can also use this guide for The Virtual Activist.