Introduction

Introduction
There are two kinds of people who use the Internet: those who have cruised the Net before, and those who are just pulling away from the curb and are heading for the onramp.
If you're new to the Internet, thank you for purchasing this book. Now place it carefully on your bookshelf and get the original Internet Yellow Pages (or the Internet Golden Directory for those of you in the U.K.). Spend some time at biancaTroll's Smut Shack, abuse yourself on the Profanity and Insult Server, and shop for a hot date at the Virtual MeetMarket. It's important to purge yourself of the urges that attract you to the Out-of-Body Experiences site, and cause you to check on the fluid levels and temperatures of coffee pots around the Net.
You must get it out of your system. Go on. The rest of us will wait here for you.
Now, after you've had your fun experiencing the silly and seamy side of the Net from a tourist's perspective, you'll soon realize that there's a lot more to it than summaries of every episode of The Simpsons, along with biographies of the characters and broadcast schedules.
Remember: you, your employer, or your school are paying good money to access this stuff. Now it's time to roll up your sleeves do something useful with all this technology and information, because the Internet is filled with amazing material that can help you in your job, school, and hobbies. That's where this wonderful book comes in. That's why you bought a copy even if you're new to the Net--because you're just pretty darn smart.
Inside you'll find valuable links and descriptions to some of the best science, research, and technology resources available on the Internet. However, unlike a dull textbook, they're presented in a way that's entertaining and downright fun. (Face it, we must satisfy that silly side in all of us or be tempted to run for political office). And yet, the entries in this book are only the tip of this iceberg. On the Web pages listed here, you'll find links to hundreds of thousands of other Web pages and Internet resources.
Will this book change your life? Probably not. But whether you're an amateur photographer, nuclear physicist, educator, student, history buff, or armchair scientist, this book will open your eyes to the rich world of scientific, research, and technology-related resources that await your discovery.

Rick Stout
Morgan Davis

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