Chapter 6 Internet Information

Table of Contents

"Describing the Internet as the Network of Networks is like calling the Space Shuttle a thing that flies." -- John Lester

The Internet is a worldwide network of computer networks that communicate with each other. The computer networks exchange information according to uniform rules, or protocols. Information on the Internet can originate from commerical, organizational, academic, governmental, or individual sources. In today's Information Age, many jobs rely heavily on a knowledge of computers and use of electronic resources, including resources available on the Internet.

The Internet supports the following activities

• World Wide Web (or Web; the "point and click" part of the Internet)
• Email (electronic mail)
• Newsgroups (discussions between people of like interests from around the world)
• FTP (File Transfer Protocol, a quick way to transfer files from one computer to another)
• Telnet (a software program that enables connection to a remote computer
  and use of it as if you were onsite, e.g., to search online library catalogs)

Who uses the Internet? People from all walks of life use the Internet. This includes students, researchers, politicians, business professionals, teachers, stock brokers, travel agents, entertainers, soldiers, monks, kids, retirees, motion picture companies, doctors, retailers, social workers, politicians, publishers, and artists.

Millions of people have access to the Internet. More than 175 countries are connected, and it continues to grow exponentially each year.

What can you do on the Internet? Just as there are all kinds of people using the Internet, there are all kinds of activities available on the Internet. You can join worldwide discussion groups on any topic, as well as talk to family, friends, and colleagues. You can buy merchandise; arrange every aspect of a travel itinerary, including the plane tickets and the car rental; plan your retirement; do your banking; manage your portfolio; enroll in college classes; read newspapers, magazines, and books; do research; view museum collections; listen to music; watch film or video clips; trace your genealogy; find people; get a job; get a scholarship or grant; browse library collections around the world. And more!

What is the Web? The World Wide Web is the largest collection of online information in the world. The Web is the graphic-laden, point and click part of the Internet. It is one of the most popular parts of the Internet, so much so that many people believe the Web is the Internet. A browser is a software program that allows you to navigate the Internet, view Web documents, hear sound files, and watch video clips. A Web address is a URL (Uniform Resource Locator).

Browser Basics

	title bar
	menu bar
	browser logo
	navigation toolbar
	scroll bar
	status bar & security icon

Title bar gives the name of the browser being used (in this case, Netscape), and the title of the Web page in the document display area. The title is created by the Web page author and generally reflects the contents of the document.

Menu bar offers drop-down menus providing basic file and navigational commands, help screens, and a variety of options for customizing the appearance of the screen.

Navigation toolbar with buttons gives click access to the most common navigational commands, including back, forward, home, stop, and print.

Location toolbar is where you type in URLs you wish to go to (next to the word Netsite, on Netscape, or next to the word Address, on Internet Explorer). From this toolbar, you can click to Bookmarks (Netscape). Favorites, in Internet Explorer, is on the navigation toolbar.

Document display area takes up the largest part of the screen. This is where you find the content of the Web page displayed. Links within a Web page are distinguished by being a different color from the surrounding text.

Status bar tells you what the browser is doing when it loads a Web page; it displays a URL when you place the cursor over a link on a Web page. There is also a small security icon in the lefthand corner of the status bar; this lets you know if you are conducting a secure transaction. When the lock is open, the transaction is not considered secure. If you are at a Web site where you are making a financial transaction, the lock should look closed.

Browser logo animates to function as a simple status indicator when a page is being retrieved.

Scroll bar allows movement through the document.

	header
	body
	footer

Header may include page title; who is responsible for the page, which could be an individual, an organization (e.g., a nonprofit), a corporation or business entity, an educational institution, or a government agency.

Body may contain information about contents and purpose; information about intended audience.

Footer may include contact information; last revision date; copyright information; name of Web page designer; who is responsible for the page (including, often, an email address).

Want to learn more? Tutorials for learning about the Internet abound. Try Expedition Internet, or Browser Basics. Or, go to Internet Tutorials.