How good are your "Internet skills"?

[Torsten]

What do you consider as good "Internet skills"? In my opinion every child should be trained to type since most of the communication online is done in writing. The Internet is an excellent resource to find an answer to almost any question. But in order to express your question properly you need to be able to type fast and correctly.

Another basic skill is using a search engine. As of now Google is by far the best choice so being able to "google" is a vital skill nowadays. Proper googling requires a number of things. Depending on the nature of your question you might need to brainstorm appropriate keywords in order to find the answer. That's why you should use the Google toolbar which sometime makes suggestions as to the keywords you can enter. It also keeps track of the keywords you entered previously so you don't have to put them when you are repeating your query.

If you want to know how popular a certain phrase is you have to put that very phrase into quotation marks.

So, what skills do you think are important when it comes to using the Internet?

TOEIC listening, question-response: Where were Kendra and Phil yesterday?

[SkiIucK]

Well, you just mentioned the most vital - fast typing. Being able to get somewhere as fast as possible is crucial, and typing speed is essential. The reason I second your opinion about speed is because I can confirm it - I won such a contest two or three years ago, and, I must say, it does give me quite an edge over most people. Certainly, there are other factors which also very important - such as, as you named it, brainstorming, also knowing the language flawlessly can bring better results. The ability to work with basic programs could significantly ease one's navigation, too. Knowing the Internet slang, which is not a small a part of this type of communication, could be very useful as well.
Regards

[Jamie (K)]

My most important Internet skill was learned before personal computers were invented. When I was a kid, my parents thought typing was a necessary survival skill in modern society, so they made me take typing class in high school, where we learned to use typewriters. My friends who thought "secretaries do the typing everywhere" never learned to type, and their efficiency on the computer is hampered because of that.

One important Internet skill is to have a real understanding that computers don't know anything and can't think. Understanding this makes it easier for a person to figure out how the computer is retrieving information, so you can use not only search engines, but other tools better. You'd be amazed at how many people think computers know things and can think.