If you set up an account with an Internet service provider, you will probably install software, such as a Web browser, an e-mail client, and a newsreader. Many users also install a separate FTP client and Telnet software. All you need, however, is a current version of a Web browser to surf the Web, send and receive e-mail, chat, participate in newsgroup discussions, and more. In fact, you do not necessarily need an account with an ISP or online service to access these features; you can log on to the Web from a computer at a library or your school's computer center, for example. Here are a few of the free services you can access through the Web.
E-Mail
By visiting Web sites like Hotmail, Mail.com, Yahoo!, and others, you can set up a free e-mail account. You must register for the account by creating a user name and password; the service creates a complete e-mail address for you, such as yourname@hotmail.com.
You can send and receive e-mail from these sites, and several offer other useful personalization features. However, some free Web-based e-mail services will store your messages for only a certain amount of time and then automatically delete them. Some will also cancel your account if you do not use it for a given amount of time.
But if you use e-mail regularly and want to access your mail from any browser (without having to log on to your ISP account), Web-based mail is a big time-saver.
Nearly every ISP provides space on its Web servers where clients can create and post personal Web pages. This service is almost always free. As part of the service, ISPs provide online design tools that make it easy to create a personal Web site.
But you do not even need an ISP to get a free Web page. Again, Web sites such as the Microsoft Network, America Online, Yahoo!, and many others provide this kind of service. You simply register for the service, select a URL for your site, and post your Web pages. Free design tools are usually available also.
Chat
It is no longer necessary to log on to an IRC chat channel to participate in a chat room discussion, nor do you have to join an online service like AOL or Prodigy to take advantage of their chat rooms. Now you can access chat in real time through various sources.
Many large Web sites, such as CNN, About.com, Snap, and others, offer Web communities that are basically chat rooms. At these sites, you can register for a user name and a password and choose from dozens of different communities to join. Web-based communities usually conduct chat sessions right in your browser window, although some communities spawn a separate window to contain the chat.
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