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In the "Old Fart's" series is targeted to computer neophytes, particularly those in the over-50 age bracket who are learning computer skills for the first time. However, Aaron Rosenzweig is such an entertaining writer that Internet users of any age and category will find this book a pleasurable and informative read.
As Aaron says, "If you are someone who has used the World Wide Web before but feel like you can never get it to work right, or you just feel like the Web is the world's greatest mystery, this book is for you. . . The truth is that most of the people who use the Internet operate in a fog. Typically, people do a few very small things, which they find to work by trial and error. . . Most of the book is filled with content which explains why the Web behaves the way it does and teaches you how to fully utilize it. After reading this book, the World Wide Web will longer be scary. It will be fun!"
Actually, reading this book is fun. Aaron has the enviable ability to cram a ton of information coherently into a relatively few words (which allows him to cover an amazing amount of ground in his books), and at the same time make it enjoyable to read.
"Internet Searches" begins at the beginning, with Chapter One discussing "What Is The Internet?" and how to pick a good Internet Service provider (ISP), the basics of email, the World Wide Web, newsgroups or USENET, and the six types of Internet connections: dial-up, DSL, cable, ISDN, satellite, and wireless. That's one of the things I love about reading Aaron's books. He notices a lot of stuff that I don't. It never occurred to me before that there are as many as six types of Internet hookups, although I knew about all of them individually. Aaron concisely but the clearly outlines the advantages and shortcomings of each alternative.
Chapter 2 is entitled "What Kind Of Computer Do I Need?" Aaron is of course a Mac person, so Macintosh gets first billing (as it should!). I was also amused to note that Windows PCs are allotted three paragraphs occupying a third of a page, while Linux PCs rate 21/4 pages -- however that's largely because Linux requires more expository introduction than the Mac or the PC.
Chapter 3 is called "What Is A Web Browser?" Covered are Internet Explorer, Netscape, Apple's Safari, Mozilla, Firebird, Camino, Opera, Konquerer, OmniWeb, and iCab. Safari gets the largest and most thorough treatment, but all of the browsers' strong and weak points are discussed
I did note that one of the criticisms of Firebird, which is the fastest browser I've used, that it didn't support tabbed browsing, is now out of date. The current version of Firebird supports tabs. Browsers represent a moving target for authors and reviewers.
In Chapter Four we get down to the main focus of "The Old Fart's Guide To Internet Searches" with "What Is A Search Engine?" There is a discussion of the history of Web search engine technology, followed by detailed descriptions of several of the more popular search engines, beginning with Google, which has become virtually a generic for Internet users. Also outlined are the venerable AltaVista, a brief mention of AlltheWeb, a lengthy overview of the 10 channels of Apple's Mac OS search engine, Sherlock, the meta-search engine Vivismo which compiles results from many search engines into a single report, the graphical meta-search tool KartOO, and the natural language supporting BrainBoost.
Now with the preliminaries of the way, we get down to the nitty gritty in Chapter 5, "How Do I Find What I'm Looking For?" Aaron says a that: "This is the most crucial chapter in the book because here is where you learn proven methods for mining information out of the World Wide Web. "
The tutorials are structured in a "case study" format rather than just giving abstract instructions about how to use search engines. Google gets the lion's share of attention, but Aaron notes that if you are looking for certain types of information, it can be advantageous not to use Google. For instance, Yahoo!'s Finance site will likely be a more satisfactory source of current financial news and information.
There are separate tutorials on how to:
Find a book
Find a recipe
Find movie listings
Find TV listings
Find electronics and computers
Find an acronym
Find software
Fine reviews (on anything)
Find a newspaper
Find things to do on the weekend
Find a vacation spot
Find driving directions
Find a Yellow Pages listing
In configuring a Web searches, Aaron explains how to "think like a programmer," to take control of Google to help you find it information more efficiently. This is much less scary than it sounds, and presented in plain, easy to understand English with plenty of illustrations. He also briefly discusses using the for-fee "Google Answers" Web Research service.
Chapter 6, "Internet Pitfalls," addresses certain aspects of life on the Internet that new users may be apprehensive about. Topics covered are "how your loved ones use the Web," "don't be fooled by a hoax," "respecting copyrights," and "fake websites" (which may be fronts for identity theft).
Chapter 7 is "The Old Fart's Guide To Forums" which explains how to use this book's eponymous Web forums.
The final Chapter 8 is a list of useful Web sites. There are also a Glossary of Internet-related terms, and an Index.
The Old Fart's Guide To Internet Searches is laid out in the same attractive format as the Old Fart's Guide To The Macintosh, with wide margins containing frequent marginal notes outboard of the main text columns, and lots of easy on the eyes white space. The print is also reasonably large.
If you're new to computing in the Internet, or know someone who is, of any age, but particularly middle-aged or older, this will be an excellent choice of a manual to get you/them up to speed online. At $19.95 plus shipping, it's a good value that will pay for itself quickly in helping minimize frustration and improving your online experience and enjoyment.
The Old Fart's Guide to Internet Searches
by Aaron Rosenzweig
Price: $19.95
Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: Cocoa Nuts Technology; (January, 2004)
ISBN: 0974218839
http://www.cocoanutstech.com/
The Old Fart's Guide to Internet Searches is available from Amazon.com at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0974218839/
Charles W. Moore
Tags: Reviews ď Book Reviews ď MooresViews ď
