Everyone seems to believe that robots keep changing rules in an effort to keep ahead of porkers but I don't believe that. I think they keep changing rules mostly out of boredom but, in Marvin's case, I sense a certain underlying malevolence. This surfaced recently when I sent an email to a friend I had not heard from for a while. My mail bounced back with a message to effect that spam would not be delivered. How dare they, Spam indeed! From that day on, every mail I tried to send bounced straight back at me.

Angrily, I contacted email company support desk to complain. They helpfully told me that this problem was nothing to do with them, I must have used forbidden words in my emails and that was why they bounced. The forbidden words included "friend", "free", "you", "internet", "remove". The list of forbidden words is long and growing longer by day, it is difficult to make up proper sentences without using forbidden words, soon our only way of emailing will be by inventing a new language.

My problem now is that I cannot get email through to my friends and they cannot get email to me. Too late I realised that we neglected to exchange phone numbers: there seemed no point when email was so quick and easy. Now I can't send email, can't receive email, robot has isolated me.

Only one way left to break out of quarantine and it's a long time since I sat with pen and paper to write letters. I won't use word processor as I am convinced Marvin will recognise it as a means of communication but I don't think he will know what pen is for and I doubt he'll be suspicious if I take some envelopes with me next time I go out. A glorified email filter is hardly likely to know purpose of a mailbox which is not of virtual variety.

I hear Marvin stir even though I have not switched on my computer, he seems to have ability to read my mind. There is a faint clanking sound, smell of ozone, an electrical crackle in air. His hand on my shoulder is heavy and cold, steel joints creak as his fingers tighten. I don't think I will be going out to post any letters.

This is one of a series of articles published by author, Elaine Currie, BA(Hons) at http://www.Huntingvenus.com The author’s monthly newsletter is available free from mailto:networkerhvm@ReportsNetwork.com

Moreover when you get over one, there is something waiting again to be stumbled upon.

Earlier you know your gadgets, better it is. Especially ones which will be needed frequently. Among these most important is HTML. It is easy to learn and makes you confident enough to bring those small changes in your site or putting up additional by yourself.

So is setting up of auto responders or email aliases, how to transfer files between your computer and website server, how to use soft wares for making extra profit.

Sooner or later you would need to put your business on autopilot. Knowledge of know-how would make it much easier

You are master of your ship. To sail smoothly you must know tools. Get a fair idea of how internet works. For example what happen behind those graphics when you click or type a URL? It is not necessary to master everything but having an idea is must

Get a good grasp over web vocabulary. You will emerge more powerful, more confident.

It calls for some work but time spent on this would bring rewards in future. There are many good books available. Internet is itself a good source to search for everything. Programmes or softwares also come with inbuilt help. That too enhances working knowledge. Find ‘the how to’ wherever you can get.

By and by you will find that you have accumulated a wealth called knowledge which gives you a cutting edge of many others who don’t possess it.