Internet in a Nutshell

by Valerie Quercia

Published 7 October 1997
Internet in a Nutshell is a quick-moving guide to the Internet that goes beyond the "hype" and right to the heart of the matter: how to get the Internet to work for you. This is a second-generation Internet book for readers who have already taken a spin around the Internet and now want to learn the shortcuts. In the tradition of the bestselling books Java in a Nutshell and WebMaster in a Nutshell, Internet in a Nutshell starts with a quick, tour of the Internet, focusing on the technology that makes it work. It then dives into details on using the popular browsers, including their associated mail and news readers. Even the most seasoned Web surfer will find new tips on using their favorite browser. As with most tools, Internet software is useless if you don't know what to do with it. Internet in a Nutshell gives complete, concise coverage of how to find information on the Internet, with comparisons of the most popular search engines and how to use them to their best advantage. At the core, the Internet is about sharing information, which is often stored in discrete files. The book covers the various file types that are used across the Internet.
It covers FTP, the file transfer protocol that is used today primarily for transferring downloadable programs and source code. It discusses how to deal with sending and receiving files over email, both through attachments and more traditional means, and how to deal with compressed files. This is the Internet book for readers who don't think they need a book to use the Internet.