Greetings, Fellow Riders!

I've got some important news to relay. The Internet Tourbus is rolling up to its final stop. But that doesn't mean we have to say good bye. Here's the scoop...

It was the summer of 1995 when Tourbus started its journey through cyberspace, taking tens of thousands of people along for the ride. Together, we visited cool sites, and also learned how to use search engines and other online reference tools. We learned how to avoid spam, viruses and keep our computers running smoothly.

After 16 years of online publishing, Tourbus is one of the longest-running email newsletters. Some of you have been here since the beginning, and you know all about the Squirrels and the Snickers. (Browse through the Tourbus Archives.) Patrick Crispen, my original co-driver, hopped off the Bus in 2008 to focus on getting married and starting a career. Since then, I've kept things rolling. But two things have happened this year, prompting me to hit the brakes.

First, the Google Panda update hit me hard in April of this year. I make my living online, and 70% of my traffic and income disappeared overnight. So I've been scrambling to recover from that, and finding time for Tourbus has been challenging. Second, I was informed yesterday that AOL is shutting down the LISTSERV which has powered the Tourbus newsletter since 1996. So with mixed emotions, I've made the decision to pull the Internet Tourbus in for a final stop.

The Good News

As I mentioned above, the end of Tourbus doesn't have to mean goodbye. For the past several years, I've been working hard at AskBobRankin.com, answering your questions about the Internet, computers, technology and gadgets.

You can subscribe to ASKBOB UPDATES, a free email newsletter that comes out most weekdays, with a short summary of each article that I publish. As in Tourbus, I focus on these areas:

• Free online services that will save you money
• How-to tips to solve your hardware and software problems
• New threats to your privacy and security
• The coolest new websites and electronic gadgets

Over 32,000 people have signed up already, and I hope you'll do the same today. One advantage of the AskBobRankin website is community. Every article gives you the opportunity to comment, ask a question or share what you know. I look forward to seeing you there!

>> Sign up for the free AskBob Updates newsletter <<

Thanks for all your kind words and encouragement over the years. I really hope to see you at AskBobRankin.com!