The PC Doctors Web Tutor

Welcome to the PC DoctorsNET Web Tutor

The PCDoctors Web Tutor was created to provide you with a single source of information for all of your Internet and Web questions. We hope it will prove to be a valuable asset to both the new user and the seasoned Web surfer alike. Again, Thank You for joining the PCDoctors family of subscribers.

Handbooks, Guides and Tutorials
E-Mail
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

World Wide Web (WWW)
Searching the Internet
Usenet News
Other Internet Resources

Usenet News
Internet Software
Internet Relay Chat (IRC)

Internet & Web Handbooks, Guides and Tutorials

The Internet was founded in 1969 by the United States Department of Defenses Advanced Research Projects Agency, (DOD) & (ARPA), as a global communications network. Today it is comprised of people in every corner of the world using computers for the exchange of information. The Internet is growing and changing everyday at an ever increasing pace. Now is the time to climb aboard and enjoy this very fast ride to the future.

The World Wide Web (WWW) is the graphical interface to the Internet. It has received so much attention that many new users think the WWW is the Internet. The Internet is actually the global network that the WWW lives on. The Internet actually includes many other valuable resources such as e-mail, telnet, gopher, and Usenet News.

Check out Win Treese's Internet Index for both a humorous and a serious look at Internet statistics.

Find some great Internet introductions in the tutorials listed below to really find out whats going on behind the scenes.

	The InterNIC's 15 Minute Series The InterNIC has provided some brief lessons that you should be able to get through in 15 minutes or less.
	Explore the Net A complete reference site for newcomers to the Web.
	Family Guide to Cyberspace Silicon Valley's leading newspaper, the San Jose Mercury News, provides this site as a resource for families just getting started on the Web.
	Learn the Net Billed as "the friendliest guide to the Internet".
	AQN Netiquette Our guide on how to be pleasant on the Net.

E-mail

Electronic Mail (e-mail for short) may not be flashy, but most Internet old-timers know that e-mail is the most useful tool of this global network. Anyone, anywhere, with an Internet address can communicate with other Internet or online service users.

	The Beginner's Guide to Effective E-mail If you're a new user, check this out!
	A Guide to the Eudora Mail Package An online user's guide for Eudora Mail.
	Qualcomm Software's Eudora E-Mail Page The place to download Eudora Freeware, order Eudora Pro or learn about new products.
	Netfind Use this resource to search for someone's e-mail address!
	How to UUencode a Binary File Required reading if you plan to send a binary file via e-mail.
	The MIME FAQ Frequently asked questions and their answers about MIME protocol.
	Emoticons :^) Expressing moods in your e-mails.
	The Inter-Network Mail Guide Do you need to send mail between networks such as the Internet, AOL, Prodigy, Compuserve, or Delphi? If so, this is required reading.
	Pegasus Mail One of the most feature-rich mail clients available, Pegasus has multiple e-mail account support, mail filtering, and much much more all for free!

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

FTP is an Internet tool which allows you to download popular computer games, large data files, and freeware\ shareware software packages. FTP also lets you upload files from your computer to an Internet server. Because of it's speed and ease of use, FTP is very popular among Web surfers.

	Download WS-FTP32 (Windows 95) WS_FTP Professional is a Windows based file transfer client application that you use to transfer files between your local PC and another, remote computer system connected via a modem and telephone lines or by a local-area network.
	Download WS-FTP For Windows 3.x
	Download Fetch An FTP Site for Fetch (FTP) for Mac.
	The FTP Interface An intro to FTP along with helpful FAQ's and a huge list of FTP sites.
	Download CuteFTP for Windows 95 CuteFTP is a Windows-based Internet application that allows novice users to utilize the capabilities of FTP without having to know all the details of the protocol itself. It simplifies FTP by offering a user-friendly, graphical interface instead of cumbersome command-line utility.
	Download CuteFTP for Windows 3.x

Usenet News

Usenet News is the equivalent of a discussion group or "bulletin board system" (BBS). With Usenet News you can keep track of the latest gossip about your favorite TV sitcom, discuss your sports heroes with other fans or find out what printer you should buy for your home PC. Newsgroups cover every imaginable topic (and some you can't imagine) -- some will help you with your work and others are simply for entertainment.

	The Newsgroup Finder Type in a keyword and it tells you what newsgroups fit your interests.
	DejaNews Research Service A search engine for Usenet News.
	Anchorman A complete listing of all Usenet groups!
	Where is the archive for newsgroup X? Find the archives for almost all newsgroups here.
	How to Create a New Usenet Newsgroup When you're really sure the Net needs another newsgroup.
	WinVn This Windows-based newsreader includes a simple encoder/decoder.
	List of Usenet FAQs A complete listing of ALL Usenet FAQs....all in one place.

Internet Relay Chat (IRC)

You're invited to the biggest cocktail party of all! It's the IRC party where people break off into groups and discuss their interests. To enjoy the party you will need to attach to an IRC server (You can connect to one from the server list below) and also an IRC client (the mIRC link below can provide that).

	mIRC How to download, set up and use the Windows IRC program, mIRC.
	The Official Undernet Server List The comprehensive list of IRC servers around the world!
	Undernet IRC Undernet is an Internet Relay Chat (IRC). It was set up as an alternative to EFnet IRC.
	Global Chat Global Chat is the first easy-to-use real-time chat software that can be used from the World Wide Web
	IRC & MUDs All kinds of things that are more fun than they sound.
	Internet Relay Chat FAQ The frequently asked questions/answers about IRC.

World Wide Web (WWW)

The World Wide Web -- or Web -- is the single "hottest" way to see what's on the Internet. The Web combines text with graphics, audio and video. Using a web browser such as Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, WebSurfer™, or Mosaic, you’ll find the Web is the perfect place to begin exploring the Internet. Point and click on "hypertext links" (highlighted words, phrases, buttons or graphics) and you'll find yourself moving from one Web page to another -- often moving from one computer to another around the world! That's where the metaphor of "surfing the Net" comes from.

	Entering the World Wide Web: Guide to Cyberspace 6.1 All you need to know about the Web.
	Web page authoring and publishing with FrontPage 97 Find out how you can create and maintain your own Web page with ease!

Searching the Internet

Searching for information on the Internet is often a challenge. As the WWW has gained popularity, Search engines and directories have become sophisticated and comprehensive. Many search engines and directories are available online, but some are better than others. We have placed the best tools from these categories below.

	AltaVista
	Excite
	Yahoo!
	WebCrawler
	Lycos
	Infoseek
	Magellan
	Four11
	Yellow Pages
	Savvy Search

Before the WWW became an integral part of the Internet, searching for information was done with a menu-based system called "Gopher." Many information archives have not been converted to WWW format, but they are still available on the Internet. To search these archives, you need to use the tools listed below.

	WSArchie (Windows 95) WSArchie is a 32-bit Archie client that acts as a front-end to Archie servers to extract information. Archie servers hold databases for millions of files available through FTP and are accessible through an Archie client.
	What is Gopher? Gopher is not a rodent -- it's a menu-based system for exploring Internet resources.
	The Veronica FAQ Veronica allows you to search all Gopher sites for files directories and other resources.
	How to Compose Veronica Queries The inside scoop on building effective queries in Veronica.
	Jughead A database of Gopher links.

Internet Software

The Internet is a goldmine of software that you can download to your computer. Much of this software is "shareware," which means that you download it, try it out and if you decide to keep it, pay a small fee to the software author.

	The Virtual Software Library The most powerful tool for searching for shareware and freeware on the Internet.
	Stroud's Consummate Winsock Applications List More Winsock applications.
	Jumbo 94,238 Shareware & Freeware Programs
	Tucows The BEST Internet software for Windows 95, Windows 3.1, Mac & OS/2
	CSUSM Windows World A shareware software library for Windows users -- brought to you by California State University San Marcos.
	The Ultimate Collection of Winsock Software! Add-on applications for Windows users.
	ZD Net Software Library Top rated shareware picked by people you trust.

Other Internet Resources

Telnet
Telnet is a terminal emulation protocol that allows you to log into other computer systems on the Internet. Windows 95 has built-in Telnet software, but Windows 3.x does not. If you need Telnet software, try one of the links below to download it.

	EWAN EWAN, the terminal Emulator-Without-A-(good)-Name, is popular among the Internet's Telnet users because it's freeware
	WinTel WinTel is a fine Windows-based shareware communications package that now includes WinTel-Dialup for BBS use, plus WinTel-Telnet and WinTel-FTP for Internet communications.