Understanding Computers, Chapter 8

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Chapter 8 The Internet and the World Wide Web
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Learning Objectives

• Discuss how the Internet evolved and what it is
  like today.
• Identify the various types of individuals,
  companies, and organizations involved in the
  Internet community and explain their purposes.
• Describe device and connection options for
  connecting to the Internet, as well as some
  considerations to keep in mind when selecting an
  ISP.
• Understand how to effectively search for
  information on the Internet and how to properly
  cite Internet resources.
• List several useful things that can be done using
  the Internet, in addition to basic browsing and
  e-mail.
• Discuss censorship and privacy and how they are
  related to Internet use.

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Overview

• This chapter covers
• The evolution of the Internet
• The Internet community
• Different options for connecting to the Internet
• Internet searching
• Common Internet applications beyond Web browsing
  and e-mail
• Censorship and privacy issues

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Evolution of the Internet

• Internet Largest and most well-known computer
  network, linking millions of computers all over
  the world
• Furnishes a standard way of sending messages and
  information across virtually any type of computer
  platform and transmission media
• While Internet has become a household word only
  during the past decade, it has actually operated
  in one form or another for much longer than that

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Evolution of the Internet

• ARPANET The predecessor of the Internet, named
  after the Advanced Research Projects Agency
  (ARPA), which sponsored its development
• Initially connected four supercomputers
• Eventually grew into todays Internet
• The World Wide Web The collection of Web pages
  available through the Internet
• Proposed by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989
• Originally only text-based content
• Release of the graphical Mosaic browser in 1993
  led to graphical content
• Wide variety of content available via Web pages
  today
• Internet2 Researches advanced Internet
  applications and technologies

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Evolution of the Internet
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The Internet Community Today

• Most members of the Internet community fall into
  one or more of the following groups
• Users People who use the Internet
• Internet service providers (ISPs) Provide access
  to the Internet, typically for a fee

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The Internet Community Today

• Internet content providers Supply the
  information that is available on the Internet
• Businesses and schools
• Government
• Individuals
• Application service providers (ASPs) Provide
  access to Web-based software applications
• Web services Added to Web pages to provide
  specific services for end users
• Infrastructure companies Own or operating the
  physical structure of the Internet
• Hardware and software companies
• The government and other organizations
• Internet Society, ICANN, W3C, etc.

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Myths About the Internet

• Myth 1 The Internet is free
• Most people and businesses pay for Internet
  access
• Free services are often in exchange for providing
  contact information or viewing advertisements
• Fee-based content is growing
• Micropayments may be implemented in the future
  for Web content

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Myths About the Internet

• Myth 2 Someone controls the Internet
• No single entity controls the Internet
• Governments can somewhat regulate Internet use
  within its country but difficult to control it
  well
• Myth 3 The Internet and World Wide Web are
  identical
• Internet physical network
• WWW one resource (Web pages) available via the
  Internet
• Other resources are available via the Internet
• e.g. FTP

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FTP
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Getting Set Up to Use the Internet

• Typically involves three decisions
• Determining the type of device you will use to
  access the Internet
• Selecting the type of connection desired
• Deciding on the Internet service provider to be
  used
• Once these determinations have been made, your
  computer can be set up to access the Internet

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Type of Device

• Possible devices include
• Desktop, notebook, or tablet PCs
• Internet appliances
• Mobile devices
• Gaming devices

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Type of Connection and Internet Access

• Connections can be
• Dial-up
• PC has to dial via a phone line to connect
• Conventional dial-up
• Slower, but cheaper
• Ties up phone lines
• Relatively secure from hackers
• ISDN
• Faster, but pricey
• Doesnt tie up phone line
• Used by businesses and individuals

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Type of Connection and Internet Access

• Direct (always on)
• PC is continually connected to the Internet
• Direct connections are typically broadband
• Used in the home and office
• Because you are always connected, it is important
  to protect your computer from hackers

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Direct Connections

• T1 lines High-speed, usually used by schools and
  large businesses
• T3 lines are even faster
• Cable Most widely used home broadband connection
• DSL Broadband delivered over telephone lines
• Must be less than 3 miles from a switching
  station
• Transmits over telephone lines but does not tie
  up the line
• Satellite Broadband option for rural areas
• Slower and more expensive that cable or DSL
• Available in many areas other broadband options
  are not

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Direct Connections

• Fixed wireless Uses radio transmission towers
  rather than satellites
• Not available in all areas
• Expected to use WiMAX
• Broadband over Fiber (BoF) Delivers over
  fiber-optic cabling all the way to the building
• Available in limited areas
• Fast but expensive
• Mobile wireless Access via mobile phone or
  device
• Hotspot Public wireless networks
• Both free and fee-based are available
• Currently Wi-Fi so short range, but WiMAX may
  soon be an option

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Hotspots
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Common Types of Internet Connections
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Selecting an ISP
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Setting Up Your PC

• To set up your PC
• Install necessary hardware
• Install necessary software
• Select user name, access telephone number (for
  dial-up connections), and a payment method
• Perform any necessary set-up to share the
  connection with other computers or devices

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Searching the Internet

• Effective Internet searching A very important
  skill
• Search sites Web sites that help you find Web
  pages containing the information you are seeking
• Typically use a search engine in conjunction with
  a database containing information about Web pages
  to locate appropriate Web pages
• Many search sites available
• Real-time search engines are emerging
• Search the Web live rather than relying on a
  database

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Searching the Internet

• Keyword search
• Keywords are typed in a search box to locate
  information on the Internet
• Matching Web pages are called hits
• Clicking on a Web page name displays that page
• Directory search
• Categories are selected to locate information on
  the Internet
• Some search sites search multiple search sites
  (metasearch sites) and others allow natural
  language searches
• Many search sites contain additional tools
• Search for music files, image files, newsgroups,
  news articles, maps, people, telephone numbers
• Google is one of the most versatile search sites

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Searching the Internet
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Search Site Tools
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Search Strategies

• Use phrase searching (more than one keyword)

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Search Strategies

• Use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT)
• Use multiple search sites
• Use appropriate keywords
• Use synonyms (different words that mean the same
  thing)
• Use variant word forms (variations of your
  keywords, alternate spellings, etc.)
• Use wildcards (such as to search for keyword
  patterns)

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Search Strategies

• Use field searches (searches limited to a
  particular characteristic, such as page title,
  page text, URL, or domain)

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Evaluating Search Results

• The quality of a hit can be preliminarily
  evaluated by looking at
• Page title and description
• Company or organization hosting the page
• General guidelines for evaluating a Web page
  include considering
• Source
• Author
• Timeliness
• Accuracy

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Evaluating Search Results
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Citing Internet Resources

• To avoid plagiarism, proper citation procedures
  should be used for all Internet content used in a
  paper, book, or on a Web site
• Plagiarism is discussed in more detail in Chapter
  16

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Beyond Browsing and E-Mail

• Many other activities available via the Internet
  in addition to Web browsing and e-mail
• Online communications
• Social networking
• Online shopping and investing
• Online entertainment
• Online news, reference, and information
• Online education and writing

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Types of Online Communications

• Types of online communications
• Instant messaging (IM) Exchange of real-time
  messages
• Buddy list
• Presence technology

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Types of Online Communications

• Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Making
  telephone calls over the Internet
• PC to PC
• Voice over Wi-Fi
• Permanent set-ups

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Types of Online Communications

• Discussion groups (message boards, newsgroups, or
  online forums) Read and post messages
• Chat rooms Multiple users chat in real time
• Videoconferencing Two-way conference using
  computers and communications technology
• Webinars Web seminar, more one-way
• Blogs (Web log) Post short, frequently updates
  entries in chronological order

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Social Networking

• Social networking sites Create a community of
  individuals with common interests
• MySpace, Facebook, etc. allow people to post
  information about themselves
• Video and photo sharing (YouTube, Flickr, etc.
• Collaborative news communities (Digg)
• Social bookmarking (del.icio.us)
• Used for politics and business
• Business networking sites
• Family networking sites
• Users should be careful not to reveal too much
  about themselves for safety reasons

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Social Networking
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Online Shopping and Investing

• E-commerce Online financial transactions
• Precautions
• Be sure all e-commerce activities are performed
  via a secure Web server (https//)
• Use a credit card whenever possible
• Online shopping Purchasing goods and services
  online
• Can purchase items via manufacturers, large
  businesses, small businesses, etc.
• Usually paid via credit card, though other
  options may be available

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Online Shopping and Investing

• Online auctions Buying via an auction format
  online (eBay, etc.)
• Buy from individuals
• Can bid until auction closes
• Buyer arranges payments and delivery with seller
• Seller pays auction fees
• Online banking (transfer funds, check balances,
  pay bills, etc.)
• Online investing (buy and sell stocks, bonds, and
  other securities
• Online portfolios
• Some stock quotes are delayed
• Auction and stock quote pages may need to be
  reloaded to show current data

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Online Shopping and Investing
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Online Entertainment

• Online music
• Internet radio stations Listen to music live
• Online music stores Used to purchase and
  download music singles and albums in digital
  format legally
• Some available legally via peer-to-peer (P2P)
  file sharing services
• Online TV, online videos, video-on-demand (VoD)
• Live TV, full episodes
• Music, news, home videos, etc.
• VoD Movies and other video content ordered and
  delivered on demand
• Online gaming Games played over the Internet
• Web-based games, online multiplayer games, etc.

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Online Entertainment
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Online News, Reference, and Information

• Online news
• Available through Web sites belonging to news
  organizations, television networks, newspapers,
  magazines, etc.
• News sites are usually regularly updated
  throughout the day
• News archives are often available (sometimes
  requires a fee)
• Reference sites
• Provide access to specific types of useful
  information
• Phone and address directories, weather, maps,
  home values, encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc.

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Online News, Reference, and Information
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Portal Pages, RSS Feeds, Podcasts, and Widgets

• Portal Web page Designed to be displayed as a
  browsers home page and visited on a regular
  basis
• Often contain news, calendars, e-mail, and
  other tools
• Usually personalized
• iGoogle, My Yahoo!, My MSN, etc.

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Portal Pages, RSS Feeds, Podcasts, and Widgets

• RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Delivers news,
  podcasts, and other regularly published content
• Individuals subscribe to an RSS feed and new
  content is delivered to them as it becomes
  available
• Podcasts Recorded audio or video available via
  the Internet
• Prepared by individuals and companies
• Widgets Small programs displayed on portal
  pages, desktops, dashboards, etc.
• Can be used to display headlines, among other
  uses
• e.g. Windows Vista gadgets

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Product, Corporate, and Government Information

• The Web is a useful tool for locating product and
  corporate information, as well as governmental
  information and publications

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Online Education

• Online education Using the Internet to
  facilitate learning
• Web-based training (WBT) Instruction delivered
  via the Web
• Corporate training, tutorials, etc.
• Distance learning Students take classes from
  location other than campus
• Advantages Self-paced instruction, flexible
  location, up-to-date material, immediate
  feedback, and customized content
• Disadvantages Technology requirements and
  problems, anonymity, and lack of face-to-face
  contact

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Online Education

• This textbook has
• Web site at www.course.com/uc12 with interactive
  activities, practice tests, etc.
• Blackboard learning platform
• SAM 2007 testing, etc.

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Online Education

• Online testing Taking tests via the Internet
• Available for both objective and
  performance-based exams
• Typically are graded automatically
• Security is an issue
• Authorizedtesting centers
• Securetesting systems

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Online Education

• Online writing
• Blogs Personal Web logs
• Wikis Editable collaborative Web page
• E-portfolios Personal online portfolio

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Censorship and Privacy Issues

• Censorship issues
• Some countries block some Internet content
• Free speech vs. offensive or indecent materials
• Internet filtering Using software or browser
  options to block access to particular Web pages
  or types of Web pages
• Used by individuals, schools, employers, public
  computers, etc.
• Can use browser settings or special filtering
  software

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Internet Filtering
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Censorship and Privacy Issues

• Web browsing privacy Privacy of Web activities
• Cookies Small files stored on the users hard
  drive by a Web server
• Add functionality (such as shopping carts and
  personal preferences) to Web sites
• Can be used to track Web activity
• Cookie information can be personally identifiable
  or non-personally identifiable
• Cookie data can be viewed or deleted
• Cookie settings can be changed and software can
  be used to manage cookies

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Cookies
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Cookies
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Censorship and Privacy Issues

• Web bugs Small, usually invisible, images on a
  Web page that transmits data to a Web server
• Difficult to spot or stop
• Software can be used to notify you when Web bugs
  are being used
• Spyware Software that transmits data secretly
  through the users Internet connection
• Can be blocked and/or removed using security
  software (discussed in Chapter 9)
• Adware Software supported by onscreen
  advertising
• Often included in free programs

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Censorship and Privacy Issues

• E-mail privacy Privacy of the e-mail messages
  you send and receive
• Only encrypted e-mail canbe transmitted
  privately
• Employers and ISPs haveaccess to the e-mail you
  send through those organizations
• Businesses and ISPs typically archive e-mail
  messages

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Summary

• Evolution of the Internet
• Getting Set Up to Use the Internet
• Searching the Internet
• Beyond Browsing and E-Mail
• Censorship and Privacy Issues