A Friendly Site You Don’t Have To Be A Computer Whiz To Benefit From The Best Of What The Internet Has To Offer; This Web Page Takes The Fear Out Of Going On-Line

Step aside silent majority. Same for those of the moral majority. There’s a new force demanding its place in society - the non-technical majority, the secretly terrified newbies of the Internet.

It is hard to peg a number to this group. But with more than 35 million people on-line, and millions more joining the ranks, their force is nothing to be ignored.

Want proof this group is there? Two words: America Online. Six million strong and growing, the nation’s largest on-line service will spoon-feed the techno-timid, if necessary, to keep them on-line.

It’s all too popular to bash AOL these days. But the fact is, AOL succeeds because it understands the needs and capabilities of its customers and caters to them. That’s a fact lost on much of the Internet.

Ruby Yeh, however, understands it all too well.

Check out her site, www.folksonline.com, where newbies are celebrated, the Net demystified, and nary a mention to be found of Java applets, Shockwave plug-ins or frame-capable browsers. The site’s credo sums up its mission:

“Calling all Net newbies, computer novices, technophobes, and all other non-techie folks. We’re here to help each other use new technology to reach our dreams.”

Laid out clearly, cleanly and logically in a decidedly low-tech ocean motif is just about everything a hesitant user could need. Topping the list are real-life stories of how people have made the Net work for them. Real people, not modem-heads like me.

We’re talking about a man who had a condition his doctor couldn’t treat until someone he met on-line suggested an alternative they hadn’t considered. We’re talking about a woman who persevered through a bad experience with on-line smut and finally found the Internet to be a useful world for research.

“We are for people who are casual surfers. They may be on-line only a couple hours a week, not a day,” says Yeh, who lives in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley.

“Even here, when I tell people what my company does, they get this panicked look and say, ‘I need help,”’ she says. “AOL (officials) position themselves to help the public at large, but they’re a huge company with a ton of services. We talk about how actual use of the Web, computers and technology can help people improve their lives.”

There’s a place where users can ask any question that is bugging them, such as: What does it mean to download a file, and how do you do it? There are practical guides, such as what to know for your first day on the Web, and how to use your talents in the new on-line world.

In less than two months since its launch, Folksonline has amassed a library sure to meet the needs of anyone who stops by. But the heart of the site is the stories - the kind that are impossible to uncover unless people bring them to you. So the site offers $100 for any story it uses.

“You wouldn’t believe the response we’ve had, and we’re not even listed on the major search engines,” Yeh says. They’re from all types, from retired Army intelligence officers to teenage girls, she says. “And their stories are incredible.”

It’s kind of strange then that the site has no visible advertising. Obviously, these people aren’t doing this just to pass 60 to 80 hours a week.

No, Yeh has clear plans for how to make a profit here. And they focus on catering to the needs of her market.

“I really want to ride on the coattails of all those companies planning Internet appliances, products to bring all the rest of the public online,” she says. “Those are big companies, but they need content that appeals to new users. We’re ideal.”

Can’t argue with that.

MEMO: Todd Copilevitz can be sent e-mail at toddcop@onramp.net. This column is now online in the Science and Technology section of www.dallasnews.com