The Straightforward Internet: Your Simplified Guide to Exploring Everything from Basics to Social Media to the Deep Web

by Terry Lynne Hale

The Straightforward Internet cuts through the complex digital universe that is cyberspace, and simplifies information that the reader can quickly absorb and apply, if they choose to. Geared for Gen-Exers and anyone who has been reluctant to embrace all that the Internet offers, it also speaks to the technologically competent reader that understands how fluid the digital universe is and wants to stay on top of it. Plus, there's information for everyone that falls between these categories. For background fun, occasional references to the original Back to the Future movie touches on the experiences of Marty & Doc. Beginning with BASICS such as an explanation of the Internet's origin, to how it works, to downloading and uploading content, to how we travel via dial-up, DSL or satellite, this book's basic section also covers email, instant messaging, Netiquette, fact-checking, avoiding viruses, computers and peripherals, how to protect those investments and more. INTERMEDIATE exploration covers understanding your computer's operating system, social engineering and phishing, differences between paid and organic search engine results, understanding Cloud storage, Social Media, blogging, online dating, fun and hidden Internet games like Easter Egg Hunts, naughty niche sites, Internet auctions, payment gateways, Catfishing and more. Moving on to more ADVANCED data The Straightforward Internet explains ZIP utilities, PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) Virtual Private Networks (VPN) and when to use them, the Deep Web and its history, how to get there, what is there to do on the Deep Web, Darknet shopping, understanding the escrow system, legal risks, introduction and economics of Bitcoin, associated Deep Web lingo, and more. The Straightforward Internet also provides a Glossary, website links of interest, end notes, and an index. Since the Internet's arrival in our collective consciousness, human attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. We must communicate swiftly and succinctly to hold one another's attention. This book packs a lot of critical information into a fairly small package, delivering something for (nearly) everyone. Expertise surely exists beyond mine but it's often accompanied by an inability to express itself in everyday language so the majority can comprehend it.

110 pages, Paperback

Published February 4, 2017

About the author

Terry Lynne Hale is a Kansas City freelance writer and author whose first book, Ageless Internet, won the 2012 Indie Excellence Award. Her business experience provided ample opportunity for writing and marketing. Terry has three featured Squidoo lenses (now Hub Pages) and is a Diamond Ezine Articles expert author. Her freelancing work includes corporate and training manuals, blog posts, press releases, and web content. She lives with her husband and their rescued cat, Stinker, whose name reflects her willful personality.

Terry Lynne's latest book (edited by Victoria Hale and published February 3, 2017) is called The Straightforward Internet: Your Simplified Guide to Exploring Everything from Basics to Social Media to The Deep Web.

Reviews

[Lynda Dickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a simplified guide to cyberspace, aimed at GenXers or anyone who has been reluctant to embrace all that the Internet offers, from simple email all the way to the dark side of the deep web. It begins with an introduction to basic terms and concepts, including email, instant messaging, netiquette, viruses, scams, emojis, and texting language. It moves on to intermediate topics such as hardware, antivirus software, search engines, cloud storage, social media, virtual Easter eggs (loved this section!), naughty niche sites, catfishing, and Internet auctions. Then we learn about more advanced tools: zip utilities, encryption, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), and the deep web. It finishes with a glossary and a comprehensive list of sites of interest.

Throughout, the author uses analogies to the Back to the Future movie to explain concepts in simple terms. She also provides images, hyperlinks to useful sites and further reading, as well as footnotes hyperlinked to the reference section.

There are a few formatting and editing issues, but not enough to detract from the subject matter. The deep web section was all new to me, but I think the book could do without the "Naughty Niche Sites" section. I felt compelled to check some of them out and wish I hadn't. Seriously, do NOT google them. Okay, you did, didn't you? Don't say I didn't warn you.

The perfect gift for that someone you know who struggles with technology - we all have one!

I received this book in return for an honest review.

Full blog post (28 August): https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.co...

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terry Lynne Hale's “The Straightforward Internet” is exactly as it is described – a simplified guide to everything from the basics to bitcoins. For a book that admits to being unable to go too in-depth with certain subjects, it's a great little guide that packs in a lot of information. It's well-structured, taking you through from the very beginnings of what the internet is, past more complex subjects like social media and sending zip files, and into the more unknown aspects of the deep web. And there's a great glossary at the end to help you out beyond that first read!

The colloquial and engaging tone used throughout “The Straightforward Internet” really helps you to connect to the subject. For me, this really made it easier to understand the subjects I hadn't understood before but also kept me entertained during the parts where I felt pretty knowledgeable about. The regular references to the Back to the Future franchise were amusing and helped some of the more technical aspects feel familiar.

Bar some occasional formatting or grammatical errors, the only thing I questioned with “The Straightforward Internet” was the naming of specific websites with illegal or controversial content. While there was a brief, two line disclaimer warning of the questionable legality or potentially dangerous content within the sites listed, I didn't understand why it was necessary to name specific pro-anorexic or suicide websites. There is a multitude of these kinds of sites on the internet so I do understand why it was necessary to make reference to them but disagree with the idea that specific ones needed to be named. They don't need the traffic.

Overall though, Terry Lynne Hale's simple guide to “The Straightforward Internet” is engaging and entertaining. There is a logical progression from subject to subject, allowing the reader to build their knowledge without getting overwhelmed or confused. Most importantly, it is an internet guide that is easy to learn from and has some functionality even beyond that first read through.

[Donna Milley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon and quite frankly miss seeing those commercials. So it is no wonder I loved seeing that referenced with the first few pages of this book. I am not a millennial so I didn't grow up with the internet from brith. The primary goal of the book is to share with us the Internet of things (IoT) and realize its use all around us in our every day life. The book also teaches us the ways to take part in it. I love that is starts at the VERY beginning like explaining what a PC is, includes a list of appreciations common in emails, how to search for productive answers on Google, what the cloud is, all the way to creating a Facebook page or blog, to the definition of Catfishing. She even goes on further in the book to explain the aforementioned Kevin Bacon game for those not currently in the know. You would think reading (and maybe even writing) about the Internet would be boring but Ms. Hale does the unthinkable. She keeps you interested from the first word to the last. Thus I gave this book a four star rating.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book The Straightforward Internet: Your Simplified Guide To Exploring Everything From Basics To Social Media To The Deep Web by Terry Lynne Hale and Victoria Hale, is an entertaining and enjoyable read. Unlike most manuals concerning the Internet, Straightforward speaks plainly to the reader, no matter their experience, and is hardly dry or boring. It is also very topical for such a manual, covering topics that are always in the media, like social media, and the controversial, such as bitcoin and the infamous Dark Web. No matter how often you use the Internet, you will be surprised at just how much this manual can teach you, especially since it is done in such a wildly engaging manner. The quotes and references to Back To The Future are a nice touch, and especially endearing.

[Katie Kline · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Straightforward Internet is a perfect tour of cyberspace for beginners. Written in a conversational tone, this reference guide reads like a good friend is getting you up to speed on all things related to the internet. At a high level, the author uses real-life analogies to usher the reader into the digital age. Topics covered include how to find information, socialize, send messages and participate in an online auction; it even forays into fundamental of the deep web. The book touches on the intersection of digital and physical space – software and hardware – to dabble in email email etiquette and precautions for risky activities one might encounter while surfing. Reference this guide if you want to perform some task on the internet but don’t know where to start.