Basics

• Internet 
  http://rc.dimes.org/alternet/main/internet/net-intro.htm

  The site presents basic information about the Internet, the World Wide Web, web browsers and adding favorites.

• Internet 101- Welcome To Internet 101
  http://www.internet101.org

  A good, colorful and basic site that has been around since 1997 (with updates), Internet 101 includes the history of the Internet, as well as information on browsers, email, viruses and searching. Material is more general than how-to.

• Internet for Beginners: Internet Terminology
  http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/internetglossary/Glossary_of_Internet_Terminology_and_Acronyms.htm

  A well organized tutorial for beginners which covers three topics: How Big is the Internet? What Are The Good Search Engines? Are "Internet" and "World Wide Web" the same thing?

• net.TUTOR : Getting Started on the Web
  http://liblearn.osu.edu/tutor/

  net.TUTOR provides a quick (15-30 minute) introduction to basic web skills. This website also includes activities and mini-quizzes. 

•  A Basic Introduction to Internet Explorer
  http://www.newbie.org/internet_explorer/ 
  This tutorial covers all the basics of Internet Explorer. There are sections on browsing, favorites, setting a  home page, and other useful features.  

• Skills 2000 IT Tour: WWW
  http://www.actden.com/skills2k/www.htm

  This colorful and animated.website offers a great introduction to the World Wide Web. It is organized in a slide-like presentation, offering information in easily digestible baby bites.

• The Web At - A - Glance 
  http://www.learnthenet.com/english/web/000www.htm

  Learn all about the World Wide Web with this tutorial.  

Email

• About Email
  http://email.about.com/

  General information page about electronic mail with links on using and troubleshooting certain email program, links and information concerning popular email functions and novelties, and tips on security and etiquette.

• E-Mail At-A-Glance 
  http://www.learnthenet.com/english/email/000mail.htm

  This tutorial presents comprehensive information about email.

• Harness E-Mail: How It Works
  http://www.learnthenet.com/english/html/20how.htm

  A brief, simple but useful description of how email technically works, explaining such acronyms such as POP and MIME, with links to further information on related topics.

• Using Yahoo Mail
  http://help.yahoo.com/tutorials/mail/mail/mail_basics1.html

  This tutorial introduces and explains the most common features of Yahoo! Mail.

Searching for Information: Tools and Strategies

• Searching the Web (Camden County, NJ, Library)
  http://reference.camden.lib.nj.us/classes/garwood/searching

  This is a well-organized site, with lots of tips and tricks for searching. It presents advantages and disadvantages of all the major search tools.

• Search Engine Showdown: The Users' Guide to Web Searching
  http://www.notess.com/search/

  The Users' Guide includes such items as: Features of the Web Search Engines, Statistics, Search Strategies and Reviews. Google is terrific, but you may find one you like better.

• A Bare Bones Guide to Search Engines
  http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/bones/bones.shtml

  This tutorial from the University of South Carolina Library compares common search engines. It includes 20 different mini tutorials on a variety of subjects.

Evaluating Web Sites

• Authority: Is the author or publisher of the site a known authority or trustworthy organization?
• Objectivity: Is the information free from bias or, if not, is the point of view clear?
• Currency: Is there a creation date? If not recent, has the site been updated? Do all the links still work?
• Design/Organization: Is the site easy to navigate? Is the information concise and without excessive graphics? Are the spelling and grammar correct?
• Content: Are the information sources identified? Can the data be verified? Are the links useful?

These guides are created and maintained by Queens Library's Cyber Center Staff.