Opera - Big Thumb Way Up! This is third most popular browser behind IE and Netscape. There is even an "Opera for Dummies" book. A sure sign that you have made it in this modern sophisticated time period of history is if they write a "for dummies" book about your product. Then you made big time! :)

This is strictly a browser that is excellent for research and for pure fun - it is full of many preset links to web sites under just about any topic. For instance, if you go to "lifestyles" under bookmarks tab it will take you to 35 different sites on subject as diverse as cooking, gardening to sites for parents and for senior citizens, etc. Then you can go to its sub headings, for instance "travel" which has about 35 sites on weather in different regions, access to hotel and airfare arrangements,etc. Or you can go to "computers" subheading and find links to sites with names like "how internet came to be", "how to fight spam", "cool site of day", "search engine tutorials" etc and then subheadings to several key categories such as technology of HTML (the code used to design web sites) and anti virus software. I could go on. Additionally, there are all sorts of features on how you can customize what you are viewing to your own preferences, none of these options are available in other browsers. Email is integrated nicely and you can import favorites from IE or from Netscape.

I would like to point out that difference between a wonderfully user friendly and helpful browser like Opera and arrogance of AOL is that with Opera you are given access to tons of web sites right from your browser window that provide you with excellent information for whatever subject you may be interested in. AOL on other hand co-opts internet into its own "channels" which are less informative, less helpful and which are presented in such a way as to make you less likely to become more interested in subject. Not to mention that it is arrogance beyond belief to try to sell customers that AOL is internet when it is a very diluted, very inferior alteration of what is available if you use a product like Opera. AOL may have limited use for someone who is just a dabbler at internet and wants everything presented to them in bite size portions. It is like Internet lite or maybe a TV dinner version of internet. Aside from fact that AOL is inferior in quality and features as regards its email and connectivity and many other things that you would use internet for.

Thumb down - Does not have ability to integrate other software products and remember passwords, etc as does IE. Tends to be a bit slow so far in my usage. There are two versions - one is free but has a big ad banner in tool bar and other is $39.

These are key players in WWW Browser game. What I do is I use IE when I am doing something where I will need to fill out a lot of forms, I use Opera for doing research and I use Enigma when I need to fly through many pages rapidly. This is best combination I have been able to develop. Maybe someday someone will come up with a single browser that serves all purposes. Hopefully it will not be Microsoft.

Taking this list of items, go to one of larger search engines and begin your search for each item. Find most relevant site or article and use that as a basis to extend your research until you understand basics for given topic.

Believe it or not, most of information you need to understand telecommuting and how to locate such opportunities is available at sites like:

- Telecommuting@About (http:/ elecommuting.about.com/) - Job Search@About (http://jobsearch.about.com/) - Freelance Write@About (http://freelancewrite.about.com/) - Career Planning@About (http://careerplanning.about.com/) - June Langhoff (http://www.langhoff.com/) - Gil Gordon (http://www.gilgordon.com/)

As for locating jobs that are usually listed in packets, you can find this information in several locations, including:

- Telecommuting Jobs (http://www.tjobs.com/) - Jobvertise (http://www.jobvertise.com/)

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To avoid spending money unnecessarily, pay attention to content of packets before you buy or make sure that they have a return policy. Also, focus on information sites that can add value to your endeavors, not repeat same information already available and known.

If you spend a little time on Internet, you will find free information that is otherwise available in most of for-purchase telecommuting packages. All you have to do is research topic and learn what you can from morass of information available.