Both newsgroups and listservs, however, can be dangerous time wasters. Too often you find yourself flooded by opinionated drivel, and suddenly, you're eavesdropping on the world. I went to Deja News, a site that indexes and lets you search newsgroup messages. When I typed in "business," I got back a list of newsgroups to which I could subscribe. Misc .entrepreneurs, for example, offered such gems as how to make a fortune in vending machines. Alt.business.import-export was just as bad, with people announcing their intention to sell products in Iran and then asking if anyone knows what Iranians might want to buy.
You're often better off checking into those discussions only when you have a specific question to be answered. But perhaps the most important thing about a listserv may be the means of getting off it. When you subscribe, save the message that tells you how to unsubscribe: usually you simply send a message back to the server, saying "unsubscribe," followed by the listserv name and your E-mail address.
Boot Up and See Me Sometime
It comes down to this: either you jump into the data stream and swim, or you quickly get out of shape. Information-technology specialist Kubilus, who also wrote an American Management Association report detailing executives' Internet use, spends about an hour a day browsing the Internet to keep up with Web developments.
You might plan to regularly visit 5 to 10 Web sites that you've bookmarked as good sources of industry information. And why not bookmark and pop into your competitors' Web sites regularly?
Ultimately, if you make the effort and incorporate the Web into your business life, you'll see the benefits of being plugged in. If you don't yet have your own company Web site, that will soon follow, and before long you'll be conducting everything from three-way video teleconferences to on-line fire sales. C'mon. Dip your toes in. The water's fine.
Russ Baker is a writer based in New York City. His work has appeared in Worth, George, New York, and other publications. Reporting assistance on tips and bookmarks provided by Joshua Beaton, Leslie Brokaw, Christopher Caggiano, Susan Greco, Phaedra Hise, Michelle Keyo, Joshua Macht, Martha Mangelsdorf, and Kascha Piotrzkowski.
Web Tips
RANDOM SEARCH TIPS. Before using a search engine to try to find information on something, try typing the term for that subject into the browser entry field. With wine, for example, type www.wine.com. You may find some surprisingly useful information that way.
AVOID GENERAL-BUSINESS NEWSGROUPS AND LISTSERVS. Look for very specific topics and organizations. Word of mouth is the best way to find good newsgroups.
THE CACHE THAT REFRESHES. Think you're looking at a page that ought to have been updated recently? You may be looking at a cached version. If you're using a Netscape browser, click on Options, then Network Preferences, then Cache. You can click on Clear Memory Cache and then Clear Disk Cache. The newest page will load up. (On Internet Explorer 4.0, you can do the same thing by going to the tool bar and clicking on View, then Options, then General, and then Settings.) A clogged cache can slow down your Web browser.
KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS. Many of the keyboard shortcuts that can save time with your word-processing software can also be used on your Web browser. Both Netscape and Internet Explorer let you use Ctrl-F to find, Ctrl-P to print, Ctrl-B to see bookmarks, and Crtl-D to add a bookmark. Some shortcuts are specific to the type of browser you have. Click on Help in Netscape or Internet Explorer and then look for "keyboard shortcuts" in the handbook or index.
THE BIG FREEZE. To keep your browser from getting stuck downloading, get a faster modem connection. Since that isn't an option for some people, the next best option is to close all other applications you won't be needing, before you go on-line.
BOOKMARK MAINTENANCE. It's one thing to bookmark your favorite Web pages; it's another to actually be able to use those bookmarks to access those pages. Don't be afraid to delete bookmarks you don't use anymore. Also, make folders within the bookmark menu, organized by broad topic, and then store individual bookmarks within those folders. Subdirectories of those folders are a must if you've got a lot to keep track of. Most browsers have a "sort" or "organize" function that will automatically alphabetize your bookmarks.
WHY WE CARE ABOUT BOOLEAN SEARCHES. You should care deeply about Boolean searches because they allow you to find an exact string of words, like an exact company name or a phrase. You can request Web pages containing both x AND y, as opposed to documents with either x OR y. It's a great tool for limiting searches. You can find an easy-to-understand table with Boolean search commands at www.inc.com/searchindex/help.html.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT ALL THOSE OPEN WINDOWS. They're usually used by Web sites so you don't leave the site completely. When you click on a link that would take you away from the host site, it actually launches another window. When you close the window you went to, the previous site is right there waiting for you.
THE POWER OF THE RIGHT CLICK. Many Web surfers underestimate the power of the right-button mouse click. When you're using a Netscape browser and you really want to move through pages quickly, sometimes it's easiest just to click the right button and navigate from the pop-up window. Try right-clicking your mouse when your cursor is positioned over a link, an image, or just somewhere on the page, and you'll be exposed to a whole new world of possibilities. The choices that you get when you right-click using Internet Explorer are more limited for navigational help than those on Netscape, but you do get some shortcuts nonetheless. (On a Macintosh, just hold your mouse button down.)
