Over the last few years, "the Internet" has become a common phrase in everyday life; website and email addresses are a familiar sight in advertising; new expressions have appeared such as "surfing the net" and new words have sprung up, like "download" and "online".

But while the Internet Service Providers go to great lengths to sell their particular product, the basic "what is it and what's in it for me?" is often overlooked, leaving a vast proportion of the population completely none the wiser.

So here is a look at the Internet in simple terms, free of jargon and sales hype, so that you can make up your own mind as to whether this is for you.

First of all, what is it?

Any two suitably equipped computers can be connected together to share information. In essence, the Internet is a huge, worldwide version of this, an International Network of computers. Anybody, anywhere in the world, with a suitable computer, an account and a phone line, can connect to this network, and access the information with great ease. The tricky bit, in fact, is not getting distracted by something that wasn't in fact what you were looking for.

Originally developed by the American military as a method of communication, the Internet has blossomed into an information resource unprecedented in the history of Mankind, rather like a global library. However, its great beauty is the fact that, unlike a library, it is constantly updated, and all the books are available to everybody all the time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

What is there to interest me?

What are you interested in? If you can say in all honesty that you are the only person in the whole world who is interested in your particular subject, then you are likely to be disappointed. But, if your interests, like those of the majority of the world are shared by others, the Internet will provide you with access to sites all over the world providing you with valuable information and data which might otherwise be unavailable to you.

The Internet is made up of literally tens of billions of sites, covering every subject you could possibly imagine, and more than likely, several you wouldn't have thought of in a month of Sundays. For instance, you want to know the exact timing information from the latest Formula One test day… it's on the net. Or you want to hear what the different types of bubblewrap sound like when you pop them… it's on the net (no kidding). Or the latest stock prices, or you need questions for a trivia quiz… everything and anything is there.

Better yet, if it's not, you can put it there.

But what do I need, and what will it cost?

First of all you need a telephone and a suitable computer, such as a PC or a Mac, equipped with a modem. You will need an account with an Internet Service Provider or ISP, and appropriate software (which is usually free and often supplied by your ISP).

The cost is suprisingly little. Most ISPs charge around 10 dollars per month for the account, regardless of how much you use the facilities and the only additional charge is the telephone calls. Many people will now have heard of Geo Cities and yahoo.com, both of whom are free ISP's. There are now many others in the US. Most ISPs use numbers which are charged at local rates (in addition, they can be nominated as "special" numbers to reduce costs - such as with BT's Friends and Family scheme).

Installing the software gets easier and easier with each new version, just follow the instructions - indeed, if your computer is a PC running Windows98, you probably have Internet Explorer already installed - and there is always a helpline if you get into difficulties.

What do I get for my money?

As with all things, this can vary depending on which ISP you choose, but for certain, you will get access to the Internet itself (the World Wide Web, the Information Super-Highway), email facilities and usually some webspace to use for your own website.

Access to the Web, in our analogy above is the equivalent of your library ticket. You can go "surfing the net" looking for places of interest, visit other peoples' sites, discover the difference between the varieties of bubblewrap, hunt down a second hand car… The possibilities are endless.

Email is the postal system of the Internet. You can send and receive email that is delivered to your ISP ready for you to collect when you are online. You can contact people all over the world just as you might by conventional letter, but much faster. A letter to the USA might take a week; email could be there in a matter of seconds. If they are online when it arrives, you may get a response in minutes! You could ask about that car and get a detailed reply and even a photograph without even leaving your desk.

If you wish, you could set up your own website, about anything at all that interests you, or just to tell the world that you exist.

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