The more you know about a certain item and how to use it properly, the more it unfolds its true value right before your very eyes. The same applies for the internet: the more you know how to use it, the more you’ll be able to utilize its benefits for your daily life. Because of this, the internet has indeed become a valuable source of information, entertainment, and education, among many others.

But not all of us have been already introduced to this wonderful new innovation. Some were fortunate enough to learn about the internet at an early age, and thus get used to it, but how about the unluckier ones? Those who were already matured when the internet was created probably have a hard time learning what seemed to them as a new and complicated concept. Also, there are people that, although born at a time when the internet was flourishing, did not have any means of access at all, being sunk low enough in poverty not to be able to afford computer rental in a shop, much less their own computer unit with an internet connection. But then, with a twist of fate, after an indefinite period of time, they have finally become financially stable enough to be able to gain access to the internet. But then the questions arise: Where will they start? How will they act? What will they do? A multitude of questions can arise from a person that has not yet encountered the word “netiquette” or has not yet found out its meaning, when suddenly confronted with the prospect of using the internet.

Of course there is also an option that they would just shun away the hassles, along with the benefits, of internet, and forget about it altogether. But imagine if they had an internet-literate friend; the friend would explain the many uses of internet, and even though the person doesn’t agree with, or understand his friend’s argument, he would still give the internet a chance, just to show his friend that he simply cannot cope with the internet. This then, eliminates this option altogether, given that they do have friends of that sort, and it’s not that hard to find friends like those in today’s times so there’s a good chance that a majority of them do have friends like those.

So, where does one start? The basics, of course. Once you get a closer look at your web browser, you can already decide on what to tackle first. You may try to get the hang of the internet by first identifying the parts of your home page— that’s the first page that your browser loads upon opening. Being home pages, they are most likely user-friendly and will guide you through your net experience.

But that’s not all. After browsing through other people’s websites, why not make one yourself? It may be hard at first, but with help of applications like MS FrontPage, Adobe Photoshop, and the like, you can start designing your own websites, with your content in them. If you aren’t that proficient in net language, you can always learn, or gain help from plug-ins of programs created just for that purpose. Like PSD2FLA for Photoshop, which can help you in your flash works. Another plug-in for Photoshop is SiteGrinder, which can help you design web pages straight from Photoshop.

And who knows what more you can do? This is just the beginning.

You thought your current layout was really awesome the last time you logged in to your blog, personal site, MySpace, what have you. But as you check your site again, you realize something’s off— it’s becoming old and terribly familiar. Ah, you’ve outgrown your layout.

A change of scenery is needed by everyone now and then.

Lucky for you, if you’re using blog publishing systems, or social networking sites that have their own HTML editors, perhaps even a WYSIWYG program, changing the design of your website is a mere matter of copy & pasting the right codes in the right places. Since these sites have their own set templates, the more graphic-savvy users of the site usually make their own designs, and at most times even share it with others, as long as they are credited back.

But what if the design you want is one that features a very, very obscure underground band which you are a big fan of? What if you want a layout that would proclaim your pet’s cuteness? Well, if what the Internet offers doesn’t satisfy you, you could always make your own. Especially if you’re the type to build up and manage web pages from scratch.

You could always hire a web or graphic designer to do the dirty work for you—but why miss out on the learning experience? HTML, CSS, JavaScript and designing tutorials are very much available in the World Wide Web. The Internet is a pretty big library of self-help books; it’s a matter of finding the time to read all of it.

The basic languages of web design are pretty easy to understand and utilize. A few self-study sessions will reward you with a web page made entirely in Notepad. Spend a few more hours on it and your well on your way to having a layout revamp every time you want. Pretty soon you’ll discover programs like Microsoft FrontPage, Adobe Photoshop and Dreamweaver. Photoshop, you’ll learn soon, is crucial in making your website look like a million dollars.

If you’re the lazy or no-time-to-spare type, however, there are certain tools to help you on your web designing crusade. An example of this would be SiteGrinder, a Photoshop plug-in which enables you to convert your creations into fully coded pages. This is immensely helpful for designers who enjoy the layout-creation process, but have a hard time when it comes to translating the layout into the web language. Other plug-ins and support programs offer different kinds of aids to make the layout-changing process easier and more efficient, some examples of which include: psd2fla, photocaster, etc. (Check those out when you’ve leveled-up in terms of design knowledge.)

Once you’ve graduated from HTML, CSS. XHTML, JavaScript, PHP and all that jazz, you can now move on to adding multimedia content to your site. This includes, but is not limited to, music, nifty mini-games, animated galleries, movies—whatever you want! The only thing that could probably limit you is your webhost space and bandwidth limit. Probably.