Date: Sat, 08 Jul 1995 15:06:49 EST From: "Rob Slade, Social Convener to the Net" Subject: "Everybody's Guide to the Internet" by Gaffin BKEVBINT.RVW 950509 %A Adam Gaffin adamg@world.std.com %C 55 Hayward Street, Cambridge, MA 02142-1399 %D 1994 %G 0-262-57105-6 %I The MIT Press/Electronic Frontier Foundation %O U$14.95 curtin@mit.edu ask@eff.org %P 211 %T "Everybody's Guide to the Internet" "Everybody's Guide to the Internet", Adam Gaffin, 1994, 0-262-57105-6, U$14.95 Along with "Zen and the Art of the Internet" (cf. BKZENINT.RVW), Gaffin's "Big Dummie's Guide to the Internet" is a major online resource and net introduction. Because of trademark restrictions, the printed version does not use the "Dummie" name. In print, it shares with "Zen" small size and a "fast track" style. The original "Dummie's" appellation is ironically appropriate. Gaffin does not address the concepts of the Internet, but concentrates on the specific tools and applications, almost at a keystroke level. This makes it particularly appropriate for field-independent types who have no interest in the background, and just want to know which button to press. Unfortunately, this also presents a problem if the user is not on a UNIX shell system, as is used for many examples. The introductory chapters run over the basics of modems and providers without too much detail. Again, this restricts certain discussions. Gaffin, for example, states that a familiarity with the production of text files is essential, but doesn't say why, and doesn't talk about the related problem of text uploads. A quick and basic introduction, particularly suited to those who want to know how and *not* why. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995 BKEVBINT.RVW 950509 ============== ______________________ Vancouver ROBERTS@decus.ca | | /\ | | swiped Institute for Robert_Slade@sfu.ca | | __ | | __ | | from Research into Rob.Slade@f733.n153.z1/| | \ \ / / | | Mike User .fidonet.org| | /________\ | | Church Security Canada V7K 2G6 |____|_____][_____|____| @sfu.ca