This is a great place to begin if you are new to the Internet or if you need a refresher. What is the Internet? How does it work? How can I use a browser to access information on the World Wide Web?
The Internet has been compared to a flea market: a lot of junk, a few cool things, and some real treasures. The problem is finding the worthwhile information while minimizing the amount of time spent sifting through the junk. The key tools in this process are Web directories, search engines, and metasearch tools.
Overview
Electronic Mail
Mailing Lists
Discussion Groups
Instant Messaging
Online Chat
Blogging (Web logging)
Jargon, Emoticons, Acronyms, and Abbreviations
Netiquette
Web 2.0
Now that you found the information you wanted, how do you know if it is any good?
The Internet has been compared to a flea market: a lot of junk, a few cool things, and some real treasures. The problem is finding the worthwhile information while minimizing the amount of time spent sifting through the junk. The key tools in this process are Web directories, search engines, and metasearch tools.
Overview
Directories - General
The key features of web directories are that (1) sites are organized into categories, so they are easy to browse, and (2) human beings look at the sites to determine if they are good and to decide the categories to place them. The sites listed below are general directories: they include sites on all kinds of topics.
These directories include sites that are strictly for health, medicine, biomedical research and education, health care, and wellness. Don't look for sports scores with these tools, but they are incredibly useful when looking for health information.
Search Engines
Search engines are maintained by computer programs, with minimal human intervention. Search engines search a wider range of web sites than directories, but there are fewer quality-control mechanisms.
MetaSearch Tools
Metasearch tools search the other search tools...one-stop-searching the web.
More Information about Search Tools and How They Work