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F.A.Q.

(frequently asked questions)



General Questions

QUESTION: Harley, can you tell me something about your background and experience? Who are you?

I am a writer, philosopher, humorist and computer expert. I have written 30 books that have sold more than 2 million copies.

I have also written numerous articles, essays and stories on a wide variety of topics, including romance, philosophy, economics, culture, medicine and money. Much of my writing is available on my Web site.

My book Harley Hahn's Internet Yellow Pages was the first Internet book in history to sell more than 1 million copies. This book, along with others, have made me the best-selling Internet author of all time.

Over the years, three of my books have been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize: Harley Hahn's Internet Yellow Pages, Harley Hahn's Internet Insecurity, and Harley Hahn's Internet Advisor.

My work — including a complete set of all my books — is archived by the Special Collections Department of the library at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

I have a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Waterloo, in Canada, and a graduate degree in Computer Science from the University of California at San Diego. I also studied medicine at the University of Toronto Medical School. I have been the recipient of a number of honors and awards, including a prestigious National Research Council (Canada) post-graduate scholarship.

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QUESTION: Are you also an artist?

Yes, I am. When you have a moment, please take a look at some of the paintings in my online gallery:

Paintings by Harley Hahn

Much of my work is abstract. If you'd like to learn about abstract art and how to appreciate it, take a look at the following essay:

Understanding Abstract Art

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QUESTION: Can you show me how to get rich?

Of course I can. Check this out:

How to Get Rich

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QUESTION: Can you help me become successful?

Absolutely, and it's easier than you think:

The Secret of My Success

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QUESTION: I am bored. Can you show me something interesting to do on the Internet?

You betcha:

Harley Hahn's List of 25 Things to Do When You Should Be Working

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QUESTION: What is your cat's name? How old is he?

My cat is named The Little Nipper. The name comes from British slang. In British, a "nipper" is a kid. The Little Nipper was the very first animal in the world to have his own email address and his own Web page.

He is also the host of The Little Nipper's Internet Clubhouse, the special family and children's section of The Harley Hahn Experience.

If you'd like to learn more about The Little Nipper or send him email, here's a link to his Web page:

The Little Nipper's Web page

The Little Nipper was born on April 6, 1991. He loves birthday gifts, and he feels that "tuna is always in good taste".

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QUESTION: Can I send you email? Do you read all the email people send you? When will I hear back from you?

Yes, you can send me email. Just click on the following link and fill out the form. Your message will be directly to me.

If you want to ask a question, please finish reading this page first, in case your question is already answered.

Send a message to Harley

I read all the mail myself, but if I am busy it may take a while for you to hear back from me. Don't worry, I reply to everything (eventually).

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QUESTION: How do I sign up for your free newsletter?

From time to time I send out a newsletter in order to talk about interesting topics and to announce new features on my Web site. The newsletter is free and contains no advertising.

To sign up for the newsletter, just fill out a form, and I'll email it to you.

Sign up for the free Harley Hahn newsletter

Or, if you want, you can read it online:

Newsletter archive

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QUESTION: Where is the Harley-Davidson Web site?

www.harley-davidson.com

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Harley Hahn Internet Yellow Pages

QUESTION: What is "Harley Hahn's Internet Yellow Pages"?

Harley Hahn's Internet Yellow Pages is the best-selling Internet book in history. The book is a personal guide to life annotated with Internet resources. Within the book, I divided all of life into 188 different categories and, within these categories, I have written about thousands of different topics. The writing is annotated with a great many Internet resources: Web sites, Usenet discussion groups, mailing lists and IRC channels.

The book is called "Yellow Pages" because the early editions of the book were Internet directories. Over the years, I changed the book from a directory into an almanac of knowledge, wisdom, humor and information, much different from a simple directory. However, the name stuck.

For more information...

Harley Hahn's Internet Yellow Pages

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QUESTION: What is the latest edition of the Yellow Pages? Where can I get it?

The latest Yellow Pages is the 2005 Edition. This is the 12th Edition of the book.

For the first 10 editions, the Yellow Pages was distributed as a regular book. In 2005 I made the book available online.

For more information...

What's new in the 2005 Yellow Pages?

Harley Hahn's Internet Yellow Pages

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QUESTION: How did you decide which Web sites to use in the book?

Within Harley Hahn's Internet Yellow Pages, I covered over 3,600 different topics. My goal was to find the very best Internet resources for each of these topics.

To do so, my researchers and I followed certain criteria. We only used sites that are free to access, and we avoid those that require you to register by specifying personal information.

We also stayed away from Web sites that were abandoned or poorly maintained, and we did not use sites that were poorly designed, that played music automatically (which is highly annoying), or that were overloaded with gratuitous pictures, graphics, banner ads, or pop-up ads.

Our goal was to find resources that were permanent. For this reason, we did not use Web sites that reside on free Web servers, such as Geocities, Tripod and so on. Such Web sites are often abandoned.

Overall, we looked for high-quality sites that were useful, interesting, free, stable, well-maintained, had few ads, no pop-ups, and were easy to navigate.

It was a lot of work.

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QUESTION: If I'm using the Yellow Pages and I find a Web site that doesn't seem to work, should I tell you?

No, it's not necessary, for two reasons.

First, it often happens that a Web site will stop responding temporarily. If you try again later, you may find that the Web site is working again.

In some cases, Web sites do become permanently inactive. However, my researchers and I check all the resources periodically, so we will find bad sites and replace them as a matter of course. You don't need to tell us.

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QUESTION: Is it possible to get my Web into the Yellow Pages?

Maybe, but please do not send me mail asking me to put your Web site in the book.

My researchers and I find all the material for the Yellow Pages ourselves. Our goal is to find the very best Internet resources for each topic. If your Web site is the best, we will find it.

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QUESTION: Can my company advertise in the Yellow Pages?

No, sorry.

Harley Hahn's Internet Yellow Pages is not a real Yellow Pages. It is a comprehensive, personal guide to life, annotated with Internet resources. There are no commercial ads.

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The Harley Hahn Experience

QUESTION: What was the Harley Hahn Experience?

The Harley Hahn Experience was an ad-free subscription Web site, that I created in order to allow people to read my books online.

The Harley Hahn Experience is now closed, but it is my intention to replace it with something much better: a way for people to read some of my books online.

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QUESTION: What is The Little Nipper's Internet Clubhouse?

The Little Nipper's Internet Clubhouse is the special kids' and family section of The Harley Hahn Experience. This part of the Web site is hosted by my cat (The Little Nipper).

Within The Little Nipper's Internet Clubhouse, you'll find a large variety of children-friendly resources, organized into four categories:

  • Explore and Learn
  • Fun Stuff
  • Books for Kids
  • Stories to Read on the Net

The Little Nipper's Internet Clubhouse is a great way for parents and grandparents to introduce children to using the Internet.

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QUESTION: How much does it cost to access The Little Nipper's Internet Clubhouse?

There is no extra charge for The Little Nipper's Internet Clubhouse. It is free to members of The Harley Hahn Experience.

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QUESTION: I am an ISP or a content provider. Who do I talk to about licensing material from The Harley Hahn Experience, or arranging for my users to access the Web site?

Send me mail, and I'll have the appropriate person contact you.

Send a message to Harley

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Books

QUESTION: How many books have you written? Where can I get information about them?

I have written 30 books. You can find out information about them on the following Web pages:

Harley Hahn books

Master list of Harley Hahn books

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QUESTION: How many books have you sold?

I have sold over 2 million books. It's too difficult to figure out the exact total.

All of my books were published in English. However, over the years, my books have been translated into Spanish, French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Persian, Dutch, German, Polish, Russian and Portuguese. I have also had books translated into Braille.

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QUESTION: Of all your books, what is your favorite?

My favorite book is Harley Hahn's Internet Insecurity. I love the philosophy and world view, and I had a great time writing it. This book was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and is available online as part of The Harley Hahn Experience.

My next two favorite books are Harley Hahn's Internet Yellow Pages and Harley Hahn's Student Guide to Unix.

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QUESTION: What is your next book?

My next book will be a new edition of my Unix textbook, published by McGraw-Hill Higher Education. The title will be Harley Hahn's Guide to Unix and Linux.

I also have other, non-computer books I am working on dealing with philosophy and society, and relationships.

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QUESTION: I am a publisher or agent. I'd like to talk to you about publishing or translating your work. How can I contact you?

You can send me a message via the following Web page:

Send a message to Harley

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