My Guide to the Interweb & eMail

I've considered writing this little guide for a while and finally decided I'd start working on it. It's meant to give an overview of a few random tips and tricks both in regards to the internet as a whole and to email. I won't bore you any more with the details but just blurt it out:

1. Email can be a substitute for "snail mail" but that doesn't mean it's the same thing. The thing about email is that it's much more conversational than traditional "snail mail" which is written more like prose. Emails can be short, one line even, or they can be long. The key with email is that they almost always require a response of some sort. If the email is long, you could write back a long 'letter' email when you have a chance, and in the mean time just send them a short reply noting that you'll get back to them later. If the email was short, send a quick reply, if one's required, or acknowledge the email in a more traditional way like a phone call or in person.
   
2. "Forwards" seldom speak truthiness. Of the 10 or more FWDs you may receive in a month most if not all of them are complete and utter lies! That's right that little girl in Kansas doesn't have cancer, the Gap is not interested in giving you free clothes, and on and on and on. But if you'd like to be sure of their truthiness before pressing the DELETE button then go to About.com's Hoax section and search for the specific hoax you've just received.
   
3. You're going to break the computer! You're computer will have errors, it will freeze up, it will do things that are completely inexplicable. Don't worry... computers although great are made by humans and contain errors. Give it a restart, if the problem persists you may have to re-install some software... give your braniac nephew a call and have him lend a hand.
   
4. I found the best deal on Expedia. Expedia and Travelocity sometimes have good deals... check them out. But the latest advancement of the internet is called 'meta' search engines or in English, search engines that search search engines. Kayak.com is a great meta search engine for travel that will help you to find the best travel deals on the web and a recent feature they added includes searches of Expedia.com, Travelocity.com, and Hotwire.com. Other features that will help you, but require simple registration, include searching with flexible dates and times.
   
5. If I put pictures on the internet my identity will be stolen. If people want your identity they'll get it. Take precautions. Shred important documents. Vary passwords and make sure they include both letters of the alphabet, numbers, and if you're feeling really sneaky add in some punctuation and varied cases (i.e. upper and lower case letters). As for pictures and info on the web, again, be careful, but you don't have to worry too much. First, if someone wants your info, it's probably already there. Second, you can limit who gets to see what with Facebook.com or Flickr.com so you don't have to worry about some crazy internet stalker enjoying the pictures you took of your cat in the garden.