Computers: Tools for an Information Age

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ComputersTools for an Information Age

• Chapter 8
• The Internet at Home and in the Workplace

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Objectives

• Briefly describe the history of the Internet
• Describe what is needed to get on the Internet
• Describe generally what an Internet service
  provider does
• Describe the rudimentary functions of a browser
• Describe how to search the Internet

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Objectives

• List and describe the non-Web services of the
  Internet
• Describe the various types of e-commerce
• Discuss e-commerce payments and taxes
• Describe how advertising is done on the Internet
• Describe what an intranet is and how a business
  uses it

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Growth of Internet

• Growth in host computers
• 72 million in 2000
• 162 million in 2002
• Growth in users worldwide
• 567 million in 2002
• 780 million projected in 2003

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A Quick Timeline

• ARPANET developed in 1969
• Designed to connect computers at four locations
• Designed to be resistant to disruption
• E-mail capability added in 1972
• National Science Foundation connected its large
  network, NSFnet to ARPANET in 1986
• Resulting network became known as the Internet

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Key People

• Tim Berners-Lee
• Marc Andreessen

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Tim Berners-Lee

• Worked at CERN lab in Geneva
• Thought his work would be easier if he could link
  to colleagues computers
• Envisioned a network of computers much like a
  spider web
• Used links to transfer data from one site to
  another location
• CERN site considered the birthplace of the World
  Wide Web

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Marc Andreessen

• Developed the first graphical browser
• Called Mosaic
• Led to Netscape Navigator

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Internet Links

• A link on a Web site is easy to see
• Either underlined and colored text or an icon
• Clicking the link transfers data from that site
  to the users computer

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Browser

• Interface software used to explore the Internet
• Early browsers were text-only
• Mosaic was the first graphical browser
• Graphical browsers combine ease of links with
  attractive graphical interface

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Getting Started

• The technology
• The Internet service provider and the browser
• Browser functions and features

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A Little About the Technology

• A message sent over the Internet is divided into
  uniformly sized packets
• Each packet labeled with its destination address
• Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
  (TCP/IP)
• TCP creates and reassembles packets
• IP handles addressing
• Ensures that packets are routed to their ultimate
  destination

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The Internet Service Provider and the Browser

• An Internet service provider (ISP) provides the
  server computer and software to connect to the
  Internet
• Online service, such as America Online, includes
  Internet access, Internet service, and a browser
• When you connect to the Internet, the browser
  displays a home page

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Browser Functions

• Menus and buttons
• Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
• Plug-ins
• Web page programs
• Wireless Internet access

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Menus and Buttons

• Menu a series of choices normally laid out
  across the top of the screen
• Called pull-down menus
• Each initial choice gives lower-level choices
• Buttons can be used to invoke commands
• Screen tip a small text message that appears
  when you rest the cursor over a button

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Uniform Resource Locator (URL)

• The complete, unique address of a Web page
• Web page URL begins with http
• HyperText Transfer Protocol allows
  communication by using links to transfer data
  between sites
• Domain name address of sites host computer
• Last part of domain name is called a top-level
  domain
• Identifies country or purpose of organization

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Plug-ins

• Software that increases browser functionality
• Most downloaded from their own Web sites
• Once downloaded and installed, the browser can
  handle the new features
• Most enhance a sites audio-video experience
• Shockwave permits viewing sites that include
  quality animation
• Adobe Acrobat Reader displays and prints
  documents created in Portable Document Format
  (PDF) form

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Web Page Programs

• Small programs can be downloaded to run in your
  browser
• Allow Web pages to perform many tasks
• Allow dynamic interaction
• Come in several forms
• Scripting languages
• Produce instructions to be interpreted and
  executed by your browser
• JavaScript and VBScript are most common
• Programs embedded in Web page
• Java applets and ActiveX controls are most common

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Wireless Internet Access

• Use handheld devices such as pagers, PDAs, or
  pocket computers to access the Internet
• Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) convert Web
  pages into a format more compatible with limited
  capabilities of handheld devices

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Searching the Internet

• Search Engine lets a user specify search terms
• Search engine builds database of sites that match
  those terms
• Uses spider software to build database
• Metasearch searches search engines and builds
  comprehensive list
• Internet directory database is developed by
  human researchers rather than spider

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Non-Web Services of the Internet

• Newsgroups
• FTP
• Telnet
• E-mail

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Newsgroups

• Usenet an informal network of computers
• Allows posting and reading of messages
• Typically focuses on specific topics
• Requires a newsreader
• Some are moderated
• Messages sent to a moderator, who determines
  whether the message is appropriate
• Prevents users from attacking other members and
  prevents inappropriate material from being posted

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File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

• A protocol for transferring files among computers
• FTP servers maintain collections of downloadable
  files
• Downloading can often be done anonymously,
  without logging in
• Many FTP servers can be accessed through Web
  browser

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Telnet

• A protocol that allows remote users to log onto a
  host computer
• Users use their own PCs
• Users log in over the Internet
• Users experience is the same as if they were
  sitting at the host computers local terminal
• Remote user typically has to have a user ID and
  password

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E-Mail

• The most commonly used feature of the Internet
• Network provides mail server
• E-mail client software on your computer

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Mail Server

• Collects and stores messages in mailbox
• E-mail address consists of user name, followed by
  _at_ symbol, then domain name of mail server

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E-Mail Client Software

• Allows you to manage your e-mail messages
• Features
• Address books
• The ability to attach files
• Some e-mail servers block all attached files
• Filters
• Direct incoming e-mail to specific folders
• Block spam

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The World of E-Commerce

• Electronic commerce - buying and selling over the
  Internet
• Three forms
• Business-to-consumer (B2C)
• Business-to-business (B2B)
• Consumer-to-consumer (C2C)

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Business-to-Consumer

• Businesses selling goods to consumers
• Has received the most media attention
• Estimates of U.S. online sales
• 48 billion in 2002
• Projected 130 billion by 2006
• Several models
• Pure-play
• Bricks-and-clicks
• Flips-and-clicks

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Pure-Play Model

• Companies operate exclusively over the Internet
• Some have their own warehouses
• Others relay orders to manufacturer or wholesaler
• Examples include Amazon.com and etoys.com

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Bricks-and-Clicks Model

• Traditional retail outlets that have established
  a Web site
• Name is a play on bricks and mortar
• Examples include J.C. Penney and Macys
• Well-known brand names
• Loyal customer base

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Flips-and-Clicks Model

• Traditional mail-order retailers that have
  established Web sites
• Catalogs placed on Web sites
• Allow customers to replace flipping pages with
  clicking links and icons
• Examples include L.L. Bean and Lands End
• Allows retailer to reach many more customers

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Business-to-Business

• Businesses selling to other businesses
• Has not received much media attention
• Estimates of worldwide sales
• 1.9 trillion in 2002
• Projected 8.5 trillion by 2005
• Internet exchanges are being developed to provide
  electronic marketplaces

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Internet Exchanges

• Create a marketplace
• Bring together many buyers and sellers
• Advantages
• Reduced costs of procurement (purchasing)
• The ability to consider many suppliers
• Potential concerns
• Security
• Antitrust concerns (possible price-fixing)

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Consumer-to-Consumer

• Takes place on online auction sites
• Make buying and selling unique items easy
• Your item is visible to anyone in the world with
  an Internet connection

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Payments and Taxes

• E-commerce payments
• Some people are leery of submitting credit card
  information online
• Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol provides a
  secure way to make online payments
• E-commerce taxes
• Internet Tax Freedom Act provides tax relief on
  Internet commerce
• Commission studies the effects of taxation of
  Internet commerce
• Act set to expire in 2005

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Internet Portals

• Your first stop on the Internet
• Provide personalization to users
• Site is customized based on information you
  provide
• Encourages you to visit the site often
• Provide referrals to other businesses
• Site contains links to affiliate sites
• If you click on an affiliate site and make a
  purchase, the portal receives a percentage of the
  sale

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Internet Advertising

• Many advertisements on Web sites are banner ads
• Originally in the shape of a long rectangle
• Require the user to leave the current site
• Other ad types
• Pop-over ads open a new window on top of your
  current window
• Pop-under ads open a new window underneath your
  current window

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Intranets

• A private Internet-like network
• Internal to a certain company
• Extranets allow selected customers and suppliers
  to have access to a companys intranet
• Easy to set up
• Offer many potential uses
• Can be linked to the Internet

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Setting up an Intranet

• Easy to set up
• Most organizations already have a local area
  network
• Hardware requirements
• Software requirements

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Hardware Requirements

• Server computer handles requests
• Computer for storing databases and other
  documents
• Client computers needed for access to the
  Intranet
• TCP/IP protocols must be in place

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Software Requirements

• Server must be able to process requests from
  other computers
• Server must be able to retrieve data from
  computers that store it
• Each access computer needs a browser

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Uses of Intranets

• Users can
• Retrieve information such as benefits information
  and job openings
• Submit vacation requests, applications for open
  positions, etc.
• Employers can post employee handbooks, corporate
  policies, and other information in a central
  location

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Virtual Private Network

• Technology that uses the Internet as a channel
  for private data communication
• Uses tunneling technology
• Offers many benefits over a private network
• Much cheaper than dedicated lines
• Data is secure
• Turns remote network administration over to ISP

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Tunneling

• Also called encapsulation
• Transfers data between two similar networks over
  an intermediate network
• Data packets follow Point-to-Point Tunneling
  Protocol (PPTP)
• Data embedded in TCP/IP packets carried by the
  Internet
• Data packets are encoded before encapsulation
• When received, they are separated and returned to
  their original format
• Provides security for data packets

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