Staying Out of Trouble

Here are some steps you can take to make sure you are handling electronic graphics properly:

Consider the Source. If you find images of any kind on a Web site or newsgroup, consider them suspect. If you need electronic images for a document of your own, especially if you want to sell the document, look for sources of license-free images (you do not need to pay a license fee to use them) or be ready to pay a fee for an image from a legitimate source.

Get Proof and Permission. Regardless of where you obtain an image, the distributor should be willing and able to provide proof of ownership of the image and to grant or deny permission to use it, regardless of whether a fee is involved. If you cannot obtain this type of documentation in writing (not over e-mail or on a Web page), then do not use the image.

Never Upload Images to Newsgroups or the Web. Whether you illegally scan published images or acquire images from a legitimate source, resist the urge to put them on the Internet. Even if you own an image or have the right to use it commercially, you can assume that once it is on the Internet, it will be copied and distributed in ways you never intended.

Know What You Are Doing. If you get involved in electronic graphics, become acquainted with copyright laws and the protections in place to safeguard the rights of copyright holders.

Freebies on the Web

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.

Personal Web Pages

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.

Information Security