In order to be able to get a free hosting account at Tripod, you have to have an e-mail address.  I have an e-mail address for work use, but I didn't want to use my work e-mail for a Web site about my puppy.  So I signed up for a free e-mail account at MSN HotMail.  Free e-mail accounts are also available through a variety of other services, including Tripod.com.

Here are the steps I took to sign up for my e-mail account:

1. Click the Sign Up Here button.
2. After reading the terms and conditions, click the I Accept button.
3. Fill out the sign up form, and then press the Submit Registration button.  Be sure to remember the login name and password you chose because you will need it later. 

Next, I was ready to sign up for hosting services.