Appendix A — Getting Set Up

“Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.” — Proverbs 24:27 (ESV)

Everything this book asks you to do runs on free tools you can set up in about ten minutes, on the computer or phone you already own. No credit card, no downloads required, no technical background. This page walks you through it once, slowly, and then you never have to think about it again.

What you need

• A device with a web browser — computer, tablet, or phone. Whatever you check email on is enough.
• An email address you can access (for creating a free account).
• Ten unhurried minutes.

That’s the entire list.

The one tool to set up now

The lessons use a free AI assistant — a website where you type questions and get answers. Three excellent ones exist, they work nearly identically, and this book’s instructions work in all three. Pick one (you can always try the others later):

All three are free for everything this book does. Each also offers a paid plan — you do not need it. If a screen ever offers you an upgrade, decline and carry on.

Setting it up, step by step

1. Open your web browser and type the address from the table above into the address bar at the top (for example: chatgpt.com), then press Enter.
2. Find the sign-up button. Look for “Sign up” or “Create account.” (If you see “Log in,” the sign-up option is usually right beside it.)
3. Create your free account. The easiest path on any of them is “Continue with Google” if you have a Gmail address — one click, no new password. Otherwise, enter your email and create a password (write it down somewhere safe at home).
4. Confirm if asked. Some services email you a confirmation link or text a code to your phone — this is normal, and it’s checking that you’re a real person.
5. Find the message box. Once you’re in, you’ll see a mostly empty screen with a box at the bottom that says something like “Ask anything” or “Message.” That box is where all ten lessons happen.
6. Prove it works. Type: Say hello and tell me one interesting thing about how you work. — and press Enter (or the arrow button). If an answer appears, you are fully set up.

On a phone? The same websites work in your phone’s browser. Each assistant also has a free app in the App Store / Play Store if you prefer — search the assistant’s name and check the maker matches the table above (OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic) before installing.

One optional extra for the checking lessons

Lessons 4 and 8 teach you to verify claims, and mention Perplexity (perplexity.ai) — a free AI tool that searches the live web and links its sources, which makes checking faster. You can use it without an account for casual questions; setup is the same pattern as above if you want to sign in. This is optional: an ordinary search engine works for every exercise too.

Two settings worth a minute

• Turn off “improve the model” if offered. In your assistant’s settings (usually under your name or initials → Settings → Data controls or similar), you can often opt out of your conversations being used to train the AI. Labels move around; look for words like “improve the model for everyone” and turn that off. Not essential — you’re not pasting anything private anyway (see below) — but a tidy habit.
• Know how to start a new chat. There’s always a “New chat” button (often a pencil-and-square icon, usually top left). A new chat starts with a blank slate — useful when you change subjects.

The house rule, from day one

One rule governs every lesson, and it starts before your first question: nothing confidential goes into these tools. No passwords, no account or card numbers, no Social Security numbers, no other people’s medical or financial or private details, nothing told to you in confidence. Describe situations generally when you need help (“a relative in the hospital,” not a name and diagnosis). The full rule — and why — is the fence in Lesson 9, and it lives on the Appendix B safety card.

If something snags

• “I never got the confirmation email.” Check your spam or junk folder; give it five minutes; try “resend.”
• “It says I already have an account.” You may have created one long ago. Use “Forgot password” with your email address — you’ll get a reset link.
• “It’s asking for my phone number.” Some services text a one-time code to verify you’re human. That’s normal and safe. (A one-time sign-up code is different from the verification codes the safety card warns about — never share codes with a person who contacts you.)
• “The screen looks different from these steps.” These services redesign often; the buttons drift but the pattern holds: find sign-up, create the account, find the message box. Any grandchild, librarian, or church tech volunteer can bridge the gap in two minutes — and asking is not a failure; it’s how everyone learns.
• “Which one should I pick?” Truly, any. If you’re still stuck: ChatGPT.

You’re ready

One free assistant, signed in, message box found, house rule understood. That is the entire toolkit for all ten lessons — nothing else to buy, install, or configure.

Head to Lesson 1 and begin.