Curtis Jerry Smothers
Teacher . Editor . Poet . Writing Coach . Historian . Online Tutor

The internet has become so thoroughly woven into daily life that we often use it without understanding what is happening behind the screen. We open a browser, search for information, send email, store photographs “in the cloud,” and accept advice about privacy, investments, and security—often without being entirely certain what any of those terms mean.

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Your Life Online is intended to make that world less mysterious. These articles compare the major web browsers, search engines, and free email services; explain cloud storage and VPNs; examine what a modern website should provide; and venture into the bewildering world of cryptocurrency.

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The final article looks beyond everyday use to a question most of us have never considered: What happens to our email, photographs, websites, social-media accounts, digital purchases, and other online possessions when we die?

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This is not a collection written for programmers or computer experts. It is for ordinary people who want straightforward answers without technical fog, exaggerated advertising, or the assumption that everyone already understands the terminology.

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Our online lives may be complicated, but explanations of them do not have to be.