4 My New-to-Net Friends
Index to Training in
Basic Computer and Internet Skills

Several years ago I intended to start some basic tips and training articles in this section. I got distracted with other projects. Now I'm coming back to this with a plan to add an article/page each week. It will follow my outline for a private mentoring course in starting your own small web business from a web site. Obviously, we need to start with some really basic things. I don't want to take for granted you know some things and find we've lost because we didn't cover some apparently minor but crucial thing.

Computer Skills Lessons
Your Computer's Hardware and Components
Set Up a Computer and Peripherals
Installing a Linux Operating System
Keyboarding Skills and Tips
Computer Troubleshooting


Basic Email Lessons
Email How-tos (this page)
How to set up your Email software and configure it
Email Etiquette and Rules
Email Security



My own Linux Discovery Series:
Index of New-to-Net

What Led me to Want Linux? How to choose a Distro

Come, Tour My Candy Store! Exploring Mandrake 9.1, my first Linux System (this page)

My Computer Tsunami how one mistake led to another!

Choosing Your Online Small Business Model

You may be seriously thinking about doing some kind of online business work to earn some money. Or perhaps to do some Christian ministry. But what options exactly are out there? What do you need to know and do to make a living online, or to help others?

I can give you a broad picture of the choices and the stages you need to move through to set yourself up as a business you can run from your computer at home.

Here are a few pages to get you started;
The Most Important Requirements
Discover YOUR Passion (brainstorming)
Looking over the Business Models
The SiteSell models

Warning about Get Rich Quick Schemes

There are plentiful warnings about falling for Get Rich Quick schemes for making money fast. Here's one article by Doug Williams who has some sensible warnings on these and particularly 3rd Rate Traffic Exchanges.


What's this SPAM?

Unsolicited email is any email you send to someone that didn't agree to receive it! The following actions all constitute unsolicited email (spam):

-Sending mail to purchased bulk-email lists, whether on-line or on a CD-ROM, and whether or not they are described as opportunity seekers' or opt-in, particularly where the only contact address listed is their email address.

  - Sending mail to email addresses harvested from web sites.

  - Sending more than one confirmation email in response to a single FFA posting, whether by autoresponder or directly.

  - Adding email addresses to an auto-responder where the person has not specifically asked to be added to your autoresponder (and you may need to prove that they did ask).

  - Adding email addresses to a database, newletter or mailing list where the person has not specifically asked to be added (and you may need to prove that they did ask).

The best way to avoid spam complaints is:

  - Also include as many contact details as you feel comfortable with, at the minimum your name and/or company name but preferably also a contact phone number and post office box address. (For safety I do not recommend putting your residential address in an email).

  - Wherever possible personalize your communications, particularly if you have the person's name. And never address an email to a stranger as 'Dear Friend.'

  - Always, always, always include a method whereby the person can decline to receive any further emails from you.