Blogs, Wikis, Facebook, and More : Everything You Want to Know about Using Today's Internet but Are Afraid to Ask

For both internet gurus and online novices, this handy mini-encyclopedia explores the useful and interesting sites--big and small, popular and obscure--that make up today's internet community. With social media, streaming video, apps, cyber security, and clouds, today's internet is changing fast, and an explosion of new hardware, from smart phones to tablets to GPS devices, adds a new layer of complexity. To help navigate it all, this book explains each website and online application through step-by-step screen shots with details of what each does, why it should be used, how to get started, and special features. Grouped by type, dozens of alternative URLs are offered that cover similar online territory, but with their own unique takes. Newly updated and expanded, this guidebook teaches how to evaluate hardware and apps, launch a blog, explore the virtual world of Second Life, improve network security, and use tags and bookmarks to navigate news and social networking sites like a pro. Even expert surfers will find little-known tips to better use the sites they visit every day.

Terry Burrows is the author of more than 50 books, including How to Read Music and TXT TLK.