Do you get confused by the way First Train jumps from module to
module?  Use the History button (or, in Windows 95, the history
Option) to get back to where you were.  It will keep track of jumps
even between different help files and take you back to where you were
at the click of a button.  Resize the History window for a better view
of the topic titles.  Your Web browser also contains a History feature
that offers the same flexibility with the Internet.  Help with Windows
Help History is available from First Train offlines Pre-trip shape-up
section.

The underlined letters in the menu items in Windows programs represent
'hotkeys' for activating that menu item.  The hotkey is usually, but
not always, activated by pressing and holding Alt and tapping the key
corresponding to the underscored letter or number.  If youre getting
mouse-weary or in need of a little more performance from Windows, the
time spent memorizing hotkeys for your most commonly used Windows
applications will almost always repay itself in time saved over the
long run.

There are literally thousands of BBS' now connected to the Internet
that you could previously only reach via long-distance telephone.
Whether your interests run toward etymology or erotica, youll find
something of interest.  The TELNET Resources Page of First Train
online offers links for software you can use to connect with these
BBS'.  Many of them use a graphical Windows interface.

If you want to avoid a lot of extra work, and extra learning, during
your first few weeks on the Internet, try to avoid adding too many
bookmark/hotlist items to your browser.  In the rush of excitement,
its too easy to accumulate an enormous list of bookmarks, most of
which you later discover were added only because you didnt know that
better resources existed.  In addition, once you have built a
substantial list of bookmarks youll have to learn how to manage and
organize them.

Youre not tied you your provider unless you want to be.  Its an easy
job to switch providers and quickly 'carbon copy' a change-of-address
message to everyone on your mailing list.  Some providers will even
forward your mail.  Never stick with a second-rate provider because
youre afraid of changing email addresses.

The greatest personal asset in working with the Internet is humility.
If you dont have it, the net will either force you to acquire it or
punish you for not having it.  Even more than patience, the ability to
tell the difference between your own errors and errors in the software
or hardware, and to respond appropriately, will greatly smooth your
ride.

"Dont get cocky."
-- Han Solo to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars --

Thinking of setting up a signature file for your Web browser and
newsreader?  Youll make your life a lot simpler if you use the same
signature file from Eudora or your regular email program for your
browser and your newsreader, especially if you want a standard
signature block for all your email and newsgroup postings.  One
signature means only one file to change when you want to update your
sig block.

Internet Relay Chat is an interesting way to pass the time on the
Internet while youre waiting for files to transfer or Web pages to
load.  Its not for everyone, but you might like to give it a try.
First Train offline includes an introduction to IRC which you should
find interesting if not enticing.

VRML 'virtual worlds' are a gorgeous, and fun, implementation of World
Wide Web technology, but before spending your time downloading the
software and testing it, be aware that none of the VRML extensions or
browsers weve tried work at more than a snails pace on anything less
than a 486DX2 with at least 12Mb of memory.

Adding signatures to your email is one way to personalize your mail,
but 'sig blocks' can be annoying after your recipient has seen them
three or four times.  If you use it for business purposes you might
want to have your sig on all your email, but if its for personal use
only, change it frequently or add it only to the first two or three
messages you send.

Most of the most popular FTP sites on the Internet have 'mirrors'.
These are sites that carry everything stored on the host site and
allow users a choice of sites to obtain certain types of files and
software.  Be aware that mirror sites arent always complete, and that
while they may try to update themselves with the home site every
night, many mirror sites may have only a fraction of the software, or
months-old version of the software on the home site.  Our usual
practice is to find the host site of a good archive first and then
looking for a closer, less busy site that mirrors the 'home' archive.

You can improve the look and feel of your Web browser in a number of
ways using the Preferences or View menu.  The location of the custom
options menu varies from browser to browser so you may have to hunt
for it.  Try to keep a record of your original settings in case you
dont like the new ones and cant remember the defaults.

Once you start downloading files from the Internet on a regular basis
it would be an excellent idea to make sure you make emergency system
backups and keep them up-to-date.  This will prevent a botched
software installation from destroying your Windows configuration and
wiping out hours of customization.  Youll find help with emergency
system backup in the PC Owners Survival Guide under the Disaster
Prevention section.

It doesnt pay to mess with your Internet connection software without
a backup.  Changing a single setting can prevent you from connecting
with your provider.  If you use Trumpet Winsock to connect, keep a
complete backup of a working Trumpet configuration.  If you use
Windows 95s 32-bit winsock, always test new settings with a new
connection, not by modifying one that works.

Do you sometimes get 'stuck' online and dont know how to log off?
Some providers will automatically discontinue the connection after a
certain period of inactivity.  Some dont.  And sometimes its hard
for the host computer to tell if you are inactive.  If you get 'stuck'
online and cant log out properly, try reconnecting and abort the
reconnection.  The attempt to reconnect should force your modem to
hang up.  If this doesnt work, you may have to power off your whole
computer to restart.

Then was the last time you spent a few minutes browsing your
providers list of USENET newsgroups?  There may be thousands, and new
ones start up almost every day.  Some of the more cryptic group names
might make more sense to you after a month or two online, and its not
uncommon to uncover a gem of a newsgroup months after you first heard
about it, not realizing that it was there all the time but that its
name or purpose wasnt clearly understood.

It is considered extremely bad form for dial-up customers without
exclusive leased lines to stay connected to their Internet provider
when they do not need the connection, even if the provider offers
unlimited access.  In the first place, its just plain sloppy.  In the
second place, it ties up a modem for someone else who might need it,
and this is a common problem during prime time evening hours.  Always
log off properly, and if youre not sure youve logged off, plug a
spare telephone into your modem line for use to check for the
tell-tale dial tone.

Thinking about installing a second phone line just for your modem?  It
might make a lot more sense when you consider that with the software
you got with your modem, you can also use your computer to send and
receive faxes and in many cases as an answering machine.  By the end
of 1996, millions of families will have two phone lines: one for
regular use and one for Internet and fax.

Concerned about all the time you or your children spend online when
there is so much else in life?  Think of it this way.  The Internet is
one of the safest imaginable ways to explore yourself and your
universe.  You need a certain amount of safe experience before you can
competently cope with the risks of reality.  Thats why you start your
driving lessons in a parking lot instead of on the freeway.  People
really do 'graduate' from the Internet.

Never settle for not knowing.  The Fact Finder Page of First Train
online includes forms for searching for all kinds of information on
the Internet, and it takes only minutes to learn how to use these
forms.  Once you master the basics of search forms, youll discover
its the rare question you cant find a quick answer for...but then
theres no guarantees about the quality of the answer!  After all,
anyone can put up a Web page.

Wondering how difficult it would be to have your own home page on the
World Wide Web?  For prices as low as $25 in some locales you can hire
local students to design one for you.  If you understand the basics of
word processing and have some FTP experience (and of course some
graphic skill helps too), you can probably design your first useful
Web page with about a day or so of study, trial and error.  The best
way to learn how Web pages are written?  Click View and select Source
from your browsers menu.

Tired of your old computer?  Dont make the mistake of trying to 'buy
ahead'.  It doesnt pay to buy more computer than you want right now
as a way to be ready for the future, not with computer prices falling
as rapidly as they still are.  By the time youre ready to use the
extra features you add to your new computer, you might be able to
purchase plug-in components AND pay for installation for less than the
options cost on a new computer today.  Buy what you need and upgrade
as you need it.

Thinking about upgrading your hardware?  Then remember the
two-component rule.  If you need more than two major components
upgraded (e.g.  more memory, a faster modem and a bigger hard disk),
buy a new computer and sell the old one.  Businesses in particular are
notorious for upgrading one component at a time until they wind up
with an obsolete computer with $1,000 or more of upgraded components
that they cant sell for anything other than spare parts.

The Internet is a sure-fire cure...not for software addiction but for
the heavy price you pay to support it.  If your kids are constantly
badgering you for video games or you cant seem to find enough on your
computer to keep you interested, learn how to download, install and
try out the thousands of programs available on the net.  Hot new
games, applications and utilities are released every day in limited
versions over the Internet, and kids in particular discover that
trying limited versions makes them more cautious and informed shoppers
when it comes to buying expensive full versions.

Its about time to think about adding your email address to your
return address labels, your Yellow Pages ad, your business card,
letterhead and fax cover sheets.  Just make sure that you dont
overprint, since you dont know for sure if your provider will survive
the coming rash of provid Internet service provider bankruptcies and
buyouts.  1996 is expected to be a brutal year for the momnpop
providers.

You dont have to be on the Web to read Web pages.  You can always use
the Save function under your browsers File menu to save the page to
disk and load it back into your browser when youre not online.  You
might not get the fancy graphics, but all the text will be there.
Dont forget...once youre able to read the text from a Web page, it
has been transferred from the remote computer to your computer, and
you can save it for later.

Often youll find that lengthy net activities can be done without
being babysat.  If your winsock software is properly configured, you
should be able to start a large file transfer, leave your computer
unattended, and expect it to disconnect from your provider
automatically somewhere between five and fifteen minutes after the
transaction is completed.  Be warned though that you will usually not
auto-disconnect from animated or soundtracked Web pages or chat
services such as IRC.

If youre not finding the kind of interaction you crave on the
Internet, you might want to invest in a subscription to a dedicated
online service.  For example, CompuServe and GEnie are well-known for
their special-interest forums, which are often much livelier than
their Internet counterparts, and many users find the social
environment much more intimate on America Online than on Internet chat
networks.

