*** ANSWERMAN INTERNET EXTRA *** For the week of August 26, 1996. This is a weekly newsletter for the community of Internet users on America Online. It is brought to you by AnswerMan, AOL's area for those learning to use the Internet. Come see what's new at keyword ANSWERMAN. Got comments about this newsletter? We want to hear them! Send 'em to Kevin Savetz, "savetz@aol.com". ||| IN THIS ISSUE || | AnswerMan's Update -- Following the Unwritten Rules Upcoming AnswerMan Chats -- An hour every Sunday is good for the soul The End -- How to contact us or unsubscribe ||| ANSWERMAN'S UPDATE || Following the Unwritten Rules | People usually like things that are written down. A piece of paper with a set of rules, a contract, or a shopping list, are tangible. You can read it, carry it around with you, refer to it, re-read it in the bathroom, file it away and read it again. Written rules, in particular, are almost ubiquitous. "Lather, rinse, repeat," "55 Miles Per Hour speed limit," "No diving." Even America Online has a written list of rules, called the Terms of Service Agreement, to which its users must adhere. On the Internet, however, things sometimes aren't so clear. There are no strict written rules for Internet users. There's no terms of service agreement, no fine print instructions on the back of a bottle. Quite the contrary: the Internet is an evolving community. Its users have over the years generated "community standards" for behavior. But these standards are not explicit, are for the most part not written in any central location, and are subject to interpretation. For instance, a long-time rule for posting to Usenet: sending a message to one or two newsgroups is OK, but "spamming" Usenet with hundreds of copies of the same message is forbidden. There are no net police to enforce that rule, so quite frequently someone maliciously or accidentally sends a posting to dozens of newsgroups at once. The Internet community is self-policing, but there is little offended users can do other than complain to the person who created the postings, or to his Internet service provider. Though there are guidelines for etiquette on the Internet (called, appropriately, "netiquette"), these rules aren't as explicit as America Online's Terms of Service agreement. *It's up to each individual Internet user to ask himself if his activity detracts from the value of the Internet as a whole.* Posting a technical question or answer to a computer-oriented newsgroup is certainly appropriate. Asking about the effectiveness of a product in a consumer-oriented newsgroup is appropriate too... Posting an ad for your miracle thigh cream in that same newsgroup, however, is not. Those who choose not to follow the rules -- or use a modicum of common sense -- will find there mailboxes filled with angry letters from dozens (or hundreds) of other Internet users. The worst offenders may even lose their account. There are many other guidelines for behavior on the Internet -- most often, these rules make sense with experience. For instance, send private messages via e-mail, not on Usenet; if you subscribe to a mailing list, keep the instructions detailing how to unsubscribe later. When you do know the rules of the road, try to be compassionate to the new users ("newbies") who know less than you. You were there once, too. ||| UPCOMING ANSWERMAN CHATS || Chat live with AnswerMan in these hour-long sessions | Pick an interesting topic & bring your questions | How do you participate? Just log in a few minutes before the session is scheduled to begin, then go to Keyword: AM CHAT. (To go to a keyword, just pick KEYWORD from your GO TO menu.) Then press the button to enter the auditorium. If you miss a chat session, no problem. A transcript of each chat is posted the following day. Go to Keyword: AM CHAT then press the "What We've Talked About" button to get them. Learn to Create a Web Page - Sunday, September 1, 6PM ET Itching to create your own home page World Wide Web but don't have the faintest idea how? During this session, AnswerMan will take you on a crash course on the basics of HyperText Markup Language, creating a web page, uploading it to America Online, and getting the world to beat a path to your homepage. This is the fast track to your own spot in cyberspace. The Internet is ul than a trip to the library. You can research what cars are safest, download a copy of Alice in Wonderland, find out how to fix a leaky toilet and more. But for certain kinds of information, you're better off heading to the library. This hour, AnswerMan will show you how to make the Internet your personal research center. How to Find People in the Net - Sunday, September 15, 6PM ET There are a dozen different Web sites that can help you find the e-mail address or phone number of a long lost friend. But how can you make the most of them, and give yourself the best chance finding someone on the Internet? This hour, AnswerMan will share search strategies to effectively let your fingers do the walking on the Internet. Is the Internet Safe For Your Kids - Sunday, September 22, 6PM ET Sure, there are a slew of great resources for your kids on the Internet! But there is also garbage on the Net that you definitley don't want them to see! Despite this, you don't have to deprive your kids of the wonders of the Net. This hour, AnswerMan will give tips on keeping your child safe online, and will take questions and address concerns from parents. Get a job! Finding employment on the Net - Sunday, September 29, 6PM ET If you've been looking for work in all the wrong places, here's your chance to learn all about Internet sites that specialize in helping folks find gainful employment. You can explore free jobs databases, post your resume, or even attend an electronic job fair. AnswerMan will show you where these sites are, and will give hints on using the Net for your job search. ||| THE END || | That's all for this week. Please send any comments or suggestions about the AnswerMan Internet Extra to "Savetz" (from AOL,) or "savetz@aol.com" (from the Internet.) To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send an e-mail message -- To: LISTSERV@LISTSERV.AOL.COM Subject: UNSUBSCRIBE Body: UNSUBSCRIBE ANSWERMAN This newsletter copyright 1996 by America Online and Kevin Savetz. All rights reserved. Made from 100% recycled electrons.