Viruses Are a Menace 

Though being online is a cool thing, viruses make is somewhat un-cool. Rather than get stuck with viruses which can be devastating, it is better that you be prepared beforehand with an anti-virus software. You can choose from Norton Antivirus, McAfee, Trend Micro or Avast. (We have purposely not given web links here so that you can start using the Internet to search them!). Be careful of what you choose to download, as many viruses are hidden in downloaded files.

Some more tools for Internet use:

• Adobe Acrobat Reader: this is software which allows you to covert Word files into PDF which is an easy to read format and reduces the file size considerably. The benefit is that this file format tends to keep viruses out as well.
• Macromedia Flash Player and Shockwave Player are two different players required to pay digital multimedia files which use a technology commonly known as FLASH. This is a must-have plug-in.
• Apple QuickTime or Windows Media Player for which viewing movies and 3D content.
• Real Audio Player or iTunes for listening to music

• WINZIP: for putting large files in a single folder and then 'zipping' it and sending it to other recipients as well as uploading it to file folders
• BitTorrent is used for downloading large files such as full feature films or whole music albums. This is something to take a look at once you are more comfortable online.

The above list is not exhaustive and you can get a whole lot of plug-ins when you search for them.

Security is Important

Most web sites will ask you to create an account by providing information about yourself before you can use their services. Create a password which is not easy to guess. Some common passwords are the name of pets, the city you live in, children's name and your own date of birth. Avoid these as far as possible and use a combination of letters and numbers in your password for greater level of protection.

Conclusion

The Internet is a vast pool of information, but it is easy to navigate. We are confident that you will be quite well informed once you have been through this tutorial!