

Ask HN: Is there a good guide to the Internet that I can buy for my Dad? - dannnnnnny

Hi everyone, I've been searching for a good book that introduces key internet concepts and has some fun and interesting things to do on the net.
My Dad has just started using the internet with the family laptop and he knows how to email, but I want something that will show him the true power of the net.
I couldn't really find a book that fits the bill. Does anyone know of any?
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dannnnnnny
Some of my findings:

The Internet for Dummies: [http://www.amazon.co.uk/Internet-Dummies-
Computers/dp/111809...](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Internet-Dummies-
Computers/dp/1118096142/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355838795&sr=1-1)

Wading The World Wide Web:
[http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/keith+kyk...](http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/keith+kyker/wading+the+world+wide+web/5317421/)

This is what I'll go for:
[http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/john+naug...](http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/john+naughton/from+gutenberg+to+zuckerberg/9154808/)

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antidoh
In addition to whatever you find and think up (and it would be nice of you to
post what you find later) ...

Set your Dad up with a blog - blogger, wordpress, posterous, tumbler ...

Discovery is very different when you're a participant rather than a mere
consumer.

~~~
dannnnnnny
I was thinking of something like this. Maybe a book that takes you through the
process of just signing up for a blog and describes each part of the process.
It could also show a bunch of other things to do too, like joining up with
social media, posting videos on youtube and vimeo, even setting up your own
site. Anyway, I will continue my search and report back with details later.

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bdfh42
Could be the subject of a good eBook that could be kept reasonably up to date
as time (and the key sites of interest) passed.

Otherwise - why not just email him a link every day until he is a confident
Internet voyager?

~~~
dannnnnnny
The link emailing sounds like a nice idea. To be honest I'm kind of fishing
for a Christmas present too. I think a book would be a good way of introducing
it to him. It actually seems quite odd that there isn't a book that performs
this function, or even a website that gives you a guide to getting set up on
the net from the ground up. There must be thousands (millions?) of people out
there who'd like to get involved, but are stuck outside of the net.

