Internet services will come home at the show
The Union Democrat''s LodeLink and HomeLink Gold Internet services will be showcased at the Home and Garden Show.The newspaper's Internet services manager, Zachary Britton, and his staff will have computers to will show people how to "surf the net" using LodeLink (www.lodelink.com) and shop for their dream homes using HomeLink Gold (www.homelinkgold.com).
A free drawing will be held in the booth for one year of free Internet service.
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Businesses and others will especially appreciate the custom web page designing service offered by LodeLink.
LodeLink subscribers are linked to the world wide web. They are entitled to five email addresses and up to 20 megabytes of web space, all for the same small monthly, quarterly or annual fee. Britton said 20 megabytes is enough to write a small paragraph about each of the more than 52,000 men, women and children in Tuolumne County.
LodeLink lets you read the top local news stories of the day, check the weather forecast or browse through the newspaper's classified advertisements, all on your computer screen.
You may want to email a far-away friend, or you may use LodeLink to launch you on a world-wide search for information.
It's a great way to compare prices and features of everything from clothes to airline tickets to home financing. You can make your purchases online or use the information you get to make yourself a more informed shopper.
Ongoing seminars are provided on such topics as learning to use email and surf the web, how to build your own web page and how to protect your children from being subjected to inappropriate material on the Internet. The seminars are free for LodeLink subscribers and $15 for nonsubscribers.
HomeLink Gold
HomeLink Gold is the newest Internet service provided by The Union Democrat.
It is a complete real estate service, with pictures and information about homes, businesses and land for sale in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties.
You may choose how you want to browse. One way is to use the customized home search. In it, you specify the features you want, the location and how much you want to pay.
All of the listings that come up have at least some of the features you specify, if not all, and each listing tells you what percentage it has of the features you selected. You can do a lot of browsing in the privacy of your own home before taking the big step of talking to a real estate agent.
Home sellers can use HomeLink Gold as well. They will find detailed advice and information to guide them through what may be one of the most important experiences of their lives.
Part of the family
Zachary Britton is the oldest grandson of Helen and the late Harvey McGee, owners and publishers of The Union Democrat.
A graduate of University of California, Davis, Britton has a master's degree in business from University of California, San Diego.
Britton's career has been in Internet-related businesses, most recently as a consultant specializing in information systems, forecasting tools and use of commercial web sites.
He is the author of the book, "SafetyNet: Guiding and Guarding Your Children on the Internet."
Britton has been Internet Services Manager at the newspaper since the spring of 1997. He and his wife Holly live in Sonora with their two children, Ian and Adria.
LodeLink
HomeLink Gold
84 S. Washington St., Sonora
532-7151