In November 2009, we spent many days at GetSmarter HQ brainstorming ideas for new online courses. During this time, we analysed our past students for clues on what courses we should be presenting next, and we realised that thousands of our past students represented some of the smartest people in the country.

Was this because they had taken one of our online courses? Perhaps. But it quickly became clear to us that it was their use of the internet and its tools that set them apart from their peers. They were more effective, more efficient and smarter because they were already internet super users. The fact that they took one of our online courses was simply because they could.

So we decided to share the love by offering a course to help novice internet users become internet super-users.

We quickly realised that a suitable textbook didn’t exist, and so we decided to develop one ourselves. My thanks and admiration go to Masha du Toit and Anna Malczyk, who worked many hours and completed hundreds of reviews to make this textbook the valuable resource that it is today. I’d also like to thank Jean-Paul van Belle for his guidance throughout the design of the book.

If you are looking to become an internet super-user, good luck and have fun. My wish for you is that this textbook opens up a world of exciting internet tools that enriches your life forever. If you are a teacher and are looking to prescribe this textbook to your class, I am thrilled that you have chosen to work with us. It’s free for your students, and we have a wealth of teaching support materials that can assist you in delivering an excellent course. We’ll also ensure that the content is always up to date and of the highest quality.