Rule the Web: How to Do Anything and Everything on the Internet---Better, Faster, Easier

by Mark Frauenfelder

In Rule the Web , you'll learn how to:

* Browse recklessly, free from viruses, ads, and spyware

* Turn your browser into a secure and powerful anywhere office

* Raze your old home page and build a modern Web masterpiece

* Get the news so fast it'll leave skidmarks on your inbox

* Fire your broker and let the Internet make you rich

* Claim your fifteen megabytes of fame with a blog or podcast

You use the Web to shop, do your banking, have fun, find facts, connect with family, share your thoughts with the world, and more. But aren't you curious about what else the Web can do for you? Or if there are better, faster, or easier ways to do what you're already doing? Let the world's foremost technology writer, Mark Frauenfelder, help you unlock the Internet's potential―and open up a richer, nimbler, and more useful trove of resources and services, including:

EXPRESS YOURSELF, SAFELY. Create and share blogs, podcasts, and online video with friends, family, and millions of potential audience members, while protecting yourself from identity theft and fraud.

DIVIDE AND CONQUER. Tackle even the most complex online tasks with ease, from whipping up a gorgeous Web site to doing all your work faster and more efficiently within your browser, from word processing to investing to planning a party.

THE RIGHT WAY , EVERY TIME. Master state-of-the-art techniques for doing everything from selling your house to shopping for electronics, with hundreds of carefully researched tips and tricks.

TIPS FROM THE INSIDERS. Mark has asked dozens of the best bloggers around to share their favorite tips on getting the most out of the Web.

Genres: Nonfiction, Technology, How To

416 pages, Paperback

First published June 12, 2007

About the author

Editor-in-chief of MAKE magazine. Founder of Boingboing.net.

My books: The Happy Mutant Handbook (1995, Riverhead), a guide to offbeat pop culture. Mad Professor (2003, Chronicle), science experiments for kids. Worlds Worst (2005, Chronicle), a guide to the worst stuff on Earth, The Computer (2005, Carlton books), an illustrated history of computers. Rule the Web (2007, St. Martins), a guide to online tricks and tips. Next book, The World in Your Hands, to be published in 2010 by Penguin,"

Reviews

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

first off, i luuuurve the boingboing crew, so when i saw that mark fraunfelder was coming out with this book, my interest was immediately piqued. prior to purchasing, i was a regular visitor to the book's promo-blog (now defunct), which popped off 1-minute podcasts of bon-bon-sized tips from the book...this struck me as a good way of selling the book itself, but i wonder if the site should have been left up and running to prepare fore the (inevitable) sequel.

i expected not to find this book useful at first, because a lot of it looked like "well duh!" info at first glance (want email on the web? try gmail!). but as i've slowly made my way through it, there's a lot of stuff that was quite useful: new info, stuff i'd long forgotten, or alternatives to apps and services that i regularly use. also, it takes a holistic producer/consumer view of the typical web user, pushing him/her to little-known e-commerce sites as well as online video editors alike. in the end, this book is definitely a must-read for the novice web-user, and still offers many valuable tips for the more experienced.

[Kbord · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is filled with simple, clear instructions for doing many different types of tasks over the Internet. Subjects include Internet security and privacy, podcasting, blogging, RSS feeds, storing photos online, how to use Google more effectively, why to ditch Internet Explorer and use Firefox, and many, many more. Information covers both Apple Mac computers and IBM-compatible Windows PCs.

The book is organized into chapters by subject and is meant to be read topically rather than cover-to-cover. It includes internal cross references to other sections of the book where needed.

This is an excellent book for someone who does not feel web-savvy. Even those who do will find information to fill in gaps in their knowledge. There are many good resources listed in the body copy as well as in sidebars. The most interesting information to me is a link in the vodcasting (video podcasting) section that says will show you how to imitate a $1000s Steadicam by making something that costs $14.

The date of the book is 2007, but most of the information, or the principles behind it, is still relevant in 2011.

I found this book randomly while browsing the library shelves.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a Luddite, but I am also not particularly compu-savvy either. Thus, this book was pitched perfectly for me. I learned quite a few 'hacks' that have allowed me to optimize my web browsing habits (or make procrastination far more productive depending on how you look at it). The easy to follow directions on how to direct RSS feeds to your igoogle page was very helpful. Now, when I log into google, I can quickly see the latest updates to all of the blogs, newspapers, journals, and google topic searches that I am interested in following.

[Robert z · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great book when it came out and the methods for spreading yourself out on the internet work.. I can testify..

The nature of technology is such that a book like this needs to be updated every 6 months!

It is a good reference book. I go back to it for techniques and have page flags with subjects on them.

[Lost In A Fog · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can find all of this, and probably updated, on the web. But I wanted a version I could take to bed with me to read. Pick a topic of interest or just browse through it and you will learn something...

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book for references to information on the internet.

[Jenne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of this wasn't really news to me, but it would be an EXCELLENT resource for someone who is just getting started with this whole "internet" thing.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're a nerd you probably already know most of this stuff - BUT there are some helpful tips for tasks like plane seating, email management and more.

[cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information, but like most books about technology, some of it was already out-of-date.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great general overview of everything you want to know about on the internet. Some of the newer trends aren't included, though, but that's the nature of print vs. web resources.

[Glen · Rating 2 out of 5]

was dated when it came out

[John Montgomery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat dated (2007) but still full of helpful info.