(Print out this document for your webless friends.)


           HOW TO USE LYNX TO GET ONTO THE WORLD WIDE WEB

The World Wide Web is fairly easy to use, and it is fun and sometimes
useful.  It is most enjoyable with Netscape or Mosaic, since they have
pictures, but they require special equipment which not everyone has. 
LYNX omits the pictures, so it is FASTER and it doesn't require any
fancy equipment.  Most university computer systems nowadays have at
least some version of Lynx installed, and it will work on ANY ordinary
serial or telnet computer terminal -- it just uses text.

(Note added 1/23/2000:  In the last few years, the World Wide Web
has become less and less amenable to text browsers -- it has become
more and more picture-dependent.   This is unfortunate -- it's like
erecting a new building that is not wheelchair accessible.)

Here, try this, it may work:  Log onto your account at your present
institution, wherever that may be.  Then, when the computer prompts
you ($ or > or % or whatever it says when it's ready), type

              lynx http://www.math.vanderbilt.edu/

all in lower case, with an ENTER or RETURN at the end of the line. 
Note there is a space after "lynx", but no other spaces.  If your
computer system has Lynx installed, after a few seconds you'll see my
department's home page displayed on your screen. If you just type
"lynx" without all that "http etc." stuff after it, you'll instead see
some default index page -- perhaps your university or department's home
page (or the University of Kansas, where the Lynx program originated).

After you have Lynx working, here are some basic keystrokes you can try:
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[up-arrow] or [down-arrow] to move up or down the current document, one
       link at a time

"b" or [space] to move back or down the current document, one screenful
       at a time

[right-arrow] to follow the link that is currently highlighted; this takes
       you to a new document

[left-arrow] to go back to the previous document

[control-G] to abort an operation that is taking too long (e.g.,
      following a link, if the server is too slow for your taste)

[control-L] usually will refresh the screen, if the display
      gets messed up -- e.g., if your phone line is noisy.

"?" to get more information about these and other commmands

"q" to quit when you get tired of playing

"p" to save the current document as a file

"\" to display the source code for the current document.  (Use
      this before "p" if you want to save a copy of the source
      code.  Use "\" a second time to go back to the rendered
      display.)

"/" to search the current document for a specified string of
      characters.  (You'll be prompted; then type the string and
      then press ENTER.)  After that, typing "n" will take you
      to the next occurrence of the same search string.  (If
      you get tired of seeing your old search string highlighted,
      search for an unfindable string such as "zyxq", and then
      use control-L to refresh the screen.)

[backspace] to see the "history list", a sort of "temporary
      bookmark page".  From here you can easily jump to any
      of the places you've recently visited.

"v" to view your bookmark file (this won't work until after you
      have added at least one document to your bookmark list).
      From here you can easily jump to any of your favorite links.

"a" to bookmark the current document.  This command creates or
      adds to your bookmark file, a personalized HTML document
      (i.e., web page) which you can later edit as you like
      with any ASCII text editor.  After you've learned a little
      about HTML, you can put whatever you like at the top of
      your bookmark page; the "a" command adds links only at
      the bottom of the page.

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Welcome to the World Wide Web! -- 
Eric Schechter, Vanderbilt University