Information and Communication, INTERNET. Why Study about the Internet? -V To understand what the Internet is, the services that it offers, what is required in order to get connected, as well as to establish a connection and log out of the Internet, What is the Internet? % Itisa large no. of connected computers (or a large set of computer networks) linked together that communicate with each other, over telephone lines. % Itis a worldwide computer network connecting thousands of computer networks, through a mixture of private & public data using the telephone lines. It is a worldwide (global or an international) network of computers that provide a variety of resources and data to the people that use it. Internet refers to a global inter-connection of computers and computer networks to facilitate global information transfer. It is an interconnection of computers throughout the world, using ordinary telecommunication lines and modems, The Internet uses VSATS (Very Small Aperture Telecommmunication Systems) such as Telephone lines, Satellite The other names for the Internet are: - The Net. - Information Superhighway. = Cyber space. Internet is a facility that links the Internet users to the actual Internet documents. Therefore, it is a system that links together many kinds of information all over the world. This technology allows computers equipped with telecommunication links to exchange information freely, and as such, the Intemet has enhanced what is being referred to as a global village. Internet enables companies, organizations, individuals, schools and governments to share information across the world A computer on the Internet can be located anywhere in the world, The Internet enables the computer to communicate with any other computer HISTORY (DEVELOPMENT) OF THE INTERNET. The Internet was started by the U.S Department of Defence in 1969 as a network of 4 computers called ARPANET. Its aim was to connect a set of computers operated by several Universities and Scientists doing military research so as to enable them share research data il network grew as more computers were added to it. By 1974, 62 computers were already attached. In 1983, the Internet split into 2 parts; one dedicated exclusively (solely/only) to military installations (called Milnet), and the other dedicated to university research (called the Internet), with around 1,000 host computers. In 1985, the Canadian government developed the BITNET to link all the Canadian Universities, and also provided connections into the U.S Internet, In 1986, the U.S National Service Foundation created NSENET to connect leading U.S universities. By the end of 1987, there were 10,000 host computers on the Internet and 1,000 on BITNET. In 1987, the National Science Foundation leased (acquired/rent) high-speed circuits to build a new high-speed backbone for NSFNET. In 1988, it connected 13 regional internal networks containing 170 LAN’s and 56,000 host computers. -1-lnformation and Communication) The Canadian Research Council followed in 1989, replacing BITNET with a high-speed network called CA*net that used the Internet protocols. By the end of 1989, there were almost 200,000 host computers on the combined U.S and Canadian Internet. Similar initiatives (plans/projects) were undertaken by other countries in the world, sueh that by the early 1990s, most of the individual country networks were linked together into one worldwide network of networks Each of these individual country networks was different (i.c., each had its own name, access rules, and fees structure), but all the networks used the same standard as the U.S Intemet network, So, users could easily exchange messages with each other. By 1990s, the differences among the networks in each of the countries had disappeared, and the U.S name; Internet began to be used to mean the entire worldwide system of networks that used the Internet TCP/IP protocols. A Protocol - a set of rules and standards that computers use to communicate with each other over a Network. Features of the Internet. (H. The Intemet is a collection of networks; it is not owned or controlled by any single organization, and it has no formal management organization. However, there is an Internet Society that co-ordinates and sets standards for its use. In addition, Networks have no political boundaries on the exchange of information. (i). Networks are connected by Gateways that effectively remove barriers so that one type of network can “talk” to a different type of network. ii). To join the Internet, an existing network will only be required to pay a small registration fee and agree to certain standards based on TCP/IP. The costs are low, because the Intemet owns nothing, and so it has no real costs to offset. Each organization pays for its own network & its own telephone bills, but these costs, usually exist independent of the Internet. (iv). Networks that join the Internet must agree to move each other’s traffic (data) at no charge to the others, just as it is the case with mail delivered through the International Postal system. This is why all the data appear to move at the cost of a local telephone call, making the Net a very cheap communication media FUNCTIONS OF THE INTERNET. The Internet carries many kinds of traffic, and provides users with several functions. Some of the most important functions are 1. Communication. Many people all over the world use the Internet to communicate with each other Internet communication capabilities include; E-mail, Usenet Newsgroups, Chatting and Telnet. You can send e-mails to your friends anywhere in the world, chat with your friends, send instant messages, ete. Information retrieval. The Internet is a library. Thousands of books, magazines, newspapers and encyclopedias can be read on the Internet 3. Easy-to-use offerings of information and products. You can find information for your school assignments, buy books online, check what the weather is like anywhere in the world, and much more,Information and Communication, INTERNET SERVICES. The following are some of the services offered by Internet (i). Electronic mail (e-mail), (il). Fax services. (ill). Conference services. (iv). Online chatting (v). Downloading of programs. (vi). Online shopping. (vii). File transfer (viii). Entertainment (Games, Music and Movies). (ix). Free information retrieval (¢.g., Educational information). (x). Formation of Discussion groups, e.g. Usenet Newsgroups. (xi). Video Conferencing. (sil). Access & Use of other computers. Electronic Mail (E-mail). An E-mail is a system that enables sending & receiving of messages electronically through computers. It is used for communication between organizations or departments in the same organization. E-mail is a quick, cheap, efficient & convenient means of communication with both individuals and groups. It is faster than ordinary mail, easy to manage, inexpensive and saves paper. With Internet mail, itis possible to send and receive messages quickly from businesses, friends or family in another part of the world. An E-mail message ean travel around the world in minutes. Fax services. Fax services enable individuals & businesses to send faxes through e-mail at a lower cost compared to the usual international Fax charges. Conference services. Conferencing on the Web can be defined as the dynamic exchange of all kinds of information — text, graphics, audio, video, etc — in a situation whereby the conversations are organized by item and allows a participant to contribute spontaneous responses to any item in the conversation, Application of Conferencing on the Web. The conversation can: Provide important information that can assist in decision-making. Provide any required technical support. Help in community-building, project management & distance learning. Help to organize electronic meetings, ete. The Intemet also allows you to have access to various types of information you might require to make accurate and informed decisions, E.g., it provides information on business, education, sports, polities, ete. Chatting. Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a chatting system on the Internet that allows a large no. of people from various locations of the world who are on the computer to chat (i.e., sinmultaneously hold live and interactive electronic conversations) among themselves. You can join discussion groups on the Internet and meet people around the world with similar interests. You can ask questions, discuss problems and read interesting stories.[information and Communication Anyone interested in chatting can join a discussion forum on one of the listed topies. Only people who happen to be signed on at the same time are able to talk because messages are not stored, This discussion can be an effective business tool if people who can benefit from interactive conversation set a specific appointment to meet and talk on a particular topic. Disadvantage. (H. Usually, the topic is open to all without security; 0 intruders can participate Information retrieval. The Internet is a voluntarily decentralized network with no central listing of participants or sites. Therefore, End-users, usually working from PCs are able to search & find information of interest located in different sites assisted by special software and data stored in readily usable formats. The Internet gives you information on almost any subject. This is because of the Worldwide Web (www). The World Wide Web is a global (an international) system of connected Web pages containing information such as, text, pictures, sound and video. The WWW is Inpertext based (i.e. itis able to access text and graphical data formatted for easy search, retrieval and display). With the WWW, you can review Newspapers, magazines, academic papers, etc. In addition, Governments, colleges, universities, companies and individuals offer free information on the Internet. E.g., you can inquire (find out) about universities in Britain or America. Note. Its major problem is finding what you need from among the many storehouses of data found in databases and libraries all over the world. Dowloading of Programs. There are thousands of programs available on the Internet. These programs include; Word processors, Spreadsheets, Electronic cards, etc. ‘You can therefore, look for the latest software over the Tnternet, e.g., you can get the latest Anti- virus software, and in addition, retrieve a fiee trial issue. Entertainment. There are hundreds of simple games available on the Internet. These include; Chess, Football, etc. The Internet also allows you review current Movies and hear Television theme songs. Online Shopping. You can order goods and services on the Intemet without leaving your desk. E.g., you can view a catalogue of a certain clothes shop over the Internet and fill in an online Order form, Commercial enterprises use the Web to provide information on demand for purposes of customer support, marketing and sales. File Transfer. Data in the form of files can be transferred across the Internet from one site to another using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). FTP software is needed at both ends to handle the transfer. It is through FTP that the two pieces of software manage to ‘understand’ each other: Discussion Groups. A Discussion group is a collection of users who have joined together to discuss some topic. There are many discussions on different topics including Cooking, Skydiving, Politics, Education, recreational, scientific research, etc. Two of the commonly used disenssion groups for business are Usenet newsgroups,Information and Communication, ¢ List Servers. (a). Usenet newsgroups. These are the most formally organized of the discussion groups. Using a facility on the Internet called USENET, individuals can gain access to a very wide variety of information topics. Usenet Newsgroups are usually worldwide discussion groups in which people share information and ideas on a defined topic through large electronic Bulletin Boards where anyone can read any articles or write articles and post messages on the topic for others to see and respond to. The individuals can add messages to different topies and read those contributed by others. For instance, users such as students can ask questions about problems they face, or they could contribute or give an advice on how to improve the teaching of the subject. Messages can be easily linked so that itis easy to know messages that are related. Establishing a new newsgroup requires a vote of all interested people on the Internet. If enough people express interest, the new topic is established, Note. To join a Newsgroup and be able to read messages on various topics, your computer must have Newsreader software such as Outlook Express, or Internet News Any Internet user can access some of these newsgroups, while other newsgroups will require to subscribe to a specific topic or set of topics Once you have subscribed, each time you access the newsgroups you are informed of any new messages added to the topics. You can then read these messages and respond to them by adding your own message. The Usenet software receives “postings” of information and transmits new postings to users who have registered their interest in receiving the information. Each individual posting takes the form like that used for e-mail There are over 10,000 such newsgroups; however, each Usenet site is financed independently & controlled by a Site Administrator, who carries only those groups that he/she chooses. (b). List Server A List Server (or list serve) group is similar to the Usenet newsgroups, but is generally less formal. Anyone with the right e-mail server software can establish a list server, which is simply a mail list The processor of the List Server processes commands such as request to subscribe, unsubscribe, or to provide information about the list serve. The List serve mailer directs messages to everyone on the mailing list. To use a List server, you need to know the addresses of both the Processor and the Mailer. To subscribe to a List server, you send an e-mail message to the List server processor, which adds your name to the list. Many different commands can be sent to the List server processor to perform a variety of functions. These commands are included as lines of text in the e-mail messages sent to the processor. List servers are more focused that the Usenet newsgroups and have fewer members. They are harder to find than the Usenet newsgroups because literally anyone can create one. Video Conferencing. Video conferencing provides real-time transmission of video & audio signals to enable people in 2 or more locations to have a meeting. The fastest growing form of video conferencing is Desktop video conferencing -5-Information and Communication, Small cameras installed on top of each camera enable meetings to take place from individual offices. Special application software (¢.g., CUSeeMe) is installed on top of each client computer. It transmits the image across a network to application software on a video-conferencing Server. The server then sends the signals to the other client computers that are to participate in the video conference. In some areas, the clients can communicate with each other without using the server. Some systems have integrated other types of GroupWare with desktop video conferencing, enabling participants to communicate verbally to attend the same “meeting” while sitting at the computer in their offices, Advantage of Video conferencing. (. Saves time & cost, as it reduces the need to travel. Access & Use of other computers. The Intemet has a facility called TELNET that enables a user on one computer fo use another computer across the network, i.e., the user is able to run programs on the other machine as if he/she is a local user. Telnet is a protocol, which enables a user on one computer to log in to another computer on the Internet, TELNET establishes an error-free, rapid link between two computers, allowing a user to log on to his/her home computer from a remote computer even when traveling. You can also log on to and use third-party computers that have been made available to the public TELNET will use the computer address you supply to locate the computer you want to reach and connect you to it. You will, of course, have to log in & go through any security procedures you, your company, or the third-party computer owner have put in place to protect that computer. Telnet requires an application image program on the Client computer and an application layer program on the Server of the host computer. Many programs conform to the Telnet Standard (eg. EWAN). Once Telnet enables the connection from the Client to the Server, you can log in by use of commands. The exact commands to gain access to these newsgroups vary from computer to computer Telnet enables you to connect to a remote computer without incurring long-distance telephone charges. Telnet can be useful because, it enables you to access your Server or Host computer without sitting at its Keyboard. Telnet can be faster or slower than a modem, depending on the amount of traffic on the Internet. Note. Telnet is insecure, because everyone on the Internet can attempt to log in your computer and use it as they wish, One commonly used security precaution is to prohibit remote log ins via Tel-net unless a user specifically asks for his/her aecount to be authorized for it, or permit remote log ins only from a specific set of Intemet addresses., ¢.g., the Web server at a university can be configured to only accept telnet log ins from computers located on the Kabete Campus network. Electronic Commerce. Many people are actively using the Internet for Electronic Commerce (i.e. doing business on the Internet) The use of the Internet in E-commerce is not necessary for making money as such, but mainly to find information, improve communication and provide information. Many people automatically focus on the retail aspect of e-commerce, i.e, selling products to individuals. However, this is just one small part of e-commerce. The fastest group and the largest segment of e-commerce is business-to-business settings.Information and Communication, There are 4 ways in which the Web can be used to support E-commerce: (. Electronic Store. Electronic Store is a Website that lists all the products or services a business wishes to sell, thus enabling customers to purchase them by using the Internet itself. E-store sites provide physical goods and services. The cost of providing information on the Web is low (unlike a Catalog, in which each page adds to the cost), and therefore, electronic stores can provide much information, In addition, electronic stores can also add value by providing dynamic information. E-mail can also serve the purpose of E-store. This is because, e-mail is essentially a collection of e-stores. The mail usually provides all the computer information needed for e- commerce, and advertises the mail to potential customers. In return, the stores pay the mail a monthly fee or some percentage of sales. (ii). Electronic Marketing. E-marketing sites focus on the products or services of one company with aim of increasing sales. This type of site supports the sales process, but does not make actual sales. The goal is to attract and keep customers By doing so, such sites provide a wealth of information about the firms and produets complete with technical details and photos. Customers can review these but cannot buy over the Web. The idea is to encourage the user to visit a local dealer, who Will then make asale Computers also use e-marketing sites to provide newsletters with information on the latest products and tips on how to use them, Other companies enable potential customers to siga up for notification of new product releases. E-marketing is cheaper in many ways than traditional marketing (radio, direct marketing, TV or print media). This is because while it costs the same to develop these traditional media, it costs nothing to send information to the customers. It is also easier to customize the presentation of information to a potential customer, because the Web is interactive. Tn contrast, the other media are fixed once they are developed, and they provide the same marketing approach to all who use it (ili), Information / Entertainment provider. The Information/Entertainment provider supplies information (in form of text or graphics) or entertainment, These providers provide information from many sources with an aim of helping the users. Several radio and TV stations are using the Web to provide broadcast of audio and video. The Web also offers new forms of real entertainment e.g., enables new multiplayer interactive games, which are not available in any other media. The information / entertainment providers generate revenue by selling advertisement printouts. (iv). Customers Service sales. This provides a variety of information for customers after they have purchased a product or service — to allow customers access most commonly needed information 24 hrs a day Many software companies post updates that fix problems so that customers can download for themselves. Customer service sites benefit both the company and the customers. They enable customers to get a 24 hr support and easy access to needed information, They often reduce the no. of staff needed by automating routine information requests that previously had to be handled by an employee.information and Communication, GroupWare. GroupWare is a software that helps groups of people to work together more productively. They are often organized using a two-by-two grid. Same place Same time Different time Group support systems Group support systems Different | Video teleconferencing, Desktop E-mail, Discussion groups, Document- | place video teleconferencing based GroupWare GroupWare allows people in different places to communicate either at the same fime (as on a telephone) or at different times. GroupWare can also be used to improve communication and decision-making among those who work together in the same room, either at the same time or at different times. GroupWare allows people to exchange ideas, debate issues, make decisions, and write reports, without actually having to meet face to face. Even when groups meet in the same room at the same time, GroupWare can improve meetings. The major advantage of GroupWare is its ability to help groups make faster decisions, particularly in situations where it is difficult for group members to meet in the same room at the same time, The 3 most popular types of GroupWare are; = Discussion groups. - Group support systems. = Video Conferencing. Group Support Systems (GSS). Both e-mail and documents-based GroupWare are designed to support individuals and groups working in different places at different times, They are not suited to support groups working together at the same time and in the same place. In addition, they don’t provide advanced tools for helping groups to make decisions. Group Support Systems (GSS) are software tools, designed to improve group's decision- making. GSS are used with special-purpose meeting rooms that provide each group member with a network computer plus a large screen video projection system that acts as electronic blackboards. These rooms are equipped with special-purpose GSS software that enables participants to communicate, propose ideas, analyse options, evaluate alternatives, etc. Typically, a meeting facilitator assists the group, The group members can either discuss verbally or use computers to type ideas and information, which are then shared with all other group members via the network. For large groups where only one person can speak at a time, typing ideas is faster than talking. Everyone has the same opportunity to contribute and ideas can be collected much faster. In addition, GSS enables users to make anonymous comments. Without anonymity, certain participants may withhold ideas because they fear their ideas may not be well received The system also provides tools to support voting and ranking of alternatives, so that more structured decision-making process can be used Just like in document-based GroupWare, vendors use the Web browser as their client software. So, almost anyone can access GroupWare Server. Note. Discussion groups, document-based GroupWare and GSS all focus on the transmission of text and graphical images. Information Superhighway. A tem coined by U.S Clinton administration referring to advanced information infrastructure accessible to individuals, groups and firms.lnformation and Communication) In general, the Information superhighway ean be defined as; A facility that provides a global electronic data interchange between computer users at a higher rate of message exchange, and at cheaper costs. E.g., the Internet that allows researchers, businesses, and electronic media to exchange information. * An Information Communication Technology (ICT) network, which delivers all kinds of electronic services ~ audio, video, text, and data to households and businesses. The communication services on the superhighway can be one-to-one way (Telephones, e-mail, fax, ete); one-to-many (Broadcasting, interactive TV, video conferencing, ete), many-to-many (typified by bulletin boards and forums on the Internet) Origin. Information superhighway is a mass technology project aimed at creating a National Information Infrastructure (NID) in the U.S. The concept emerged as the brainchild (idea) of U.S vice president Al Gore. It is an alliance between the Federal government and a no. of industries. The Information superhighway describes networks of Optic fiber and Coaxial cable linked by sophisticated switches that can deliver voice, data, image, text, and video signals all in the same digital language In the USS, it has been proclaimed (declared) as the foundation for a national transformation to an information-based society, and a key element in the national efforts to sustain leadership in the world economy Governments and industries are developing a new method of competition, which will enable telecommunications, cable television, computer hardware and software companies, and entertainment corporations to work together to create and operate information supethighways These activities will finally result into a wide range of electronic services including electronic Shopping malls, collaborate electronic Education and distance learning, electronic Libraries, Multimedia information, messaging, and entertainment. Web casting, Web casting (or “Push technology”) is a special application of the Web that has the potential to dramatically change the way we use the Web /Internet. With Web casting, the user signs up for a type of information on a set of channels. Regularly (minutes, hours, days), the user browser contacts the Web server providing these channels to see if they have been updated. If so, the browser will load the information, and if required by the user, will automatically display the information on the user screen, Web casting changes the nature of the Web from one in which the user searches for information (a “pull” environment) into an environment in which the user accepts whatever information is on the Webcast Server (a “push” environment). This is called the “Push” because the user does not request specific information, but rather permits the Web server to “push” the information when it becomes available. The Web has been likened to a library because users move form site to site and page to page just like they move from shelf to shelf and book to book in a library. Web casting is more like TV because the content and time of delivery is selected using the Web caster, the user only chooses the channels, Web casting can be used for news (e.2., CNN) or financial reports (e.g., Stock market quotations), Corporate announcement, and as a replacement for broadcast e-mail. It even has the potential fo provide automatic updates to software packages. Importance of services provided on the Internet.lnformation and Communication) The services offered by the Intemet can be used as important tools in various ways: 1). As a research tool: To learn about new developments or products, competitors, market news and customer opinions. 2), As an advertising / trading tool: To help in selling goods or delivering information through the Web pages to customers on a 24-hour basis. 3). As a communication tool: To support communication with customers, suppliers or staff through Electronic mail (e- mail) 4). As an Entertainment channel: Most of the Games, Movies, and Television theme songs are available for free on the Internet. In addition, you can have live, interactive conversations with people around the world including celebrities. Users of the Internet. Considering the facilities & the various tools offered, the Internet has attracted among others the following users; Researchers ean get information Writers and Scientists use the Internet to compile, compare and analyse their work. Individuals use the Intemet for their work or to communicate with each other. People with the same interests can share ideas. Large organizations use the Intemet to commmunicate with each other, and also to keep in touch with subordinate (subsidiary) companies or their suppliers Students can communicate and gather information. Business people can advertise, communicate and sell their goods. Sales people use the Internet to keep in touch with their home offices, Buyers can do their shopping online. oes aaee Exercise (a). 1. (a). What do you understand by the term Internet? (b). What are the other names of the Internet? 2. Describe the Functions of the Internet. 3. List 6 services that are offered on the Internet. 4. Identify 6 categories of people who can benefit through the use of the Internet. Exercise (b). 1. Define the Intemet. 2. Briefly describe six services offered by the Intemet. 3. Discuss the growth of Internet in recent days. 4. Explain the importance of Information superhighway (Internet), §. Write short notes on the following: (a). E-commerce. (b). Webcasting. (). Telnet. (@).. Information Superhighway. -10-Information and Communication CONNECTING (LOGGING ON) TO THE INTERNET. Log On -To identify yourself & gain access to a computer. To log on, type a user name & a password, Facilities Needed. To use the Intemet, you must have access to it. In order to get connected to the Internet and access the World wide Web, you will require the following facilities: 1). A Computer. The computer to be used must have the following desirable elements; (. A Fast processor, e.g., Pentium 1 & above - to quickly access and download information & programs from the Internet. (ii). RAM memory of 32 MB & Above. (ill). Hard disk capacity of at least 400 MB. (iv). A high-quality Colour Sereen — to enable you view the various graphics and images, (v). Free disk space on whieh to download the information or programs from the Internet. 2). Web Browsers. ‘Web browsers are application programs that are used to retrieve Web pages from the Internet onto your Personal Computer. One of the most popular Web browsers is Internet Explorer from Microsoft. Each Web page in the World Wide Web is based on an HTML (HyperText Mark Language) file. A Web browser decodes the information in an HTML file and displays a Web page on your computer sereen according to its instructions. This process is called Downloading. + Downloading is the process of copying files from one computer to another by using a Modem or a network connection. You can also download files from the Web to your hard disk. ¢ HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) -The language used to create Web pages. To view HTML documents, use Web browsing Software. 3). Telephone lines. 4). Modem (Modulator/Demodulator) On the Internet, computers exchange information through Telephone lines. Therefore, to use the Internet, you need a Modem & a Telephone line. A Modem is a device that enables you to connect to the Internet, and access information. ‘Asa Transmitting modem, it translates computer information (which is in digital form) into analogue form (the form that can transmit over telephone lines). This process is called Modulation. Asa Receiving modem, it translates the information back into digital form (a form that your computer can understand); a process called Demodulation. dialog box appears Some of the useful information displayed on this window includes: ~The speed at which you are connected, e.g. 26,400 bits per second (bps). - The duration you have been online, e.g., 2 minutes, 50 seconds. - The Transfer rate, in case you are downloading files from the Internet. 3. Click OK, after viewing the details. Customizing the Web browser. Purpose. V_ Moving from site to site can be slow if the ISP or Internet lines are busy, if the Host server (the server storing the site you are trying to access) is busy, or if you are using a slow modem. Ifa site contains graphics (or other multimedia content like video, audio, etc) you can prevent the graphics from downloading so as to speed up browsing. 1. On the Tools menu, select Internet Options... 2. Click the Advanced tab, then scroll down to the Multimedia section, 3. Deselect the options or content that you want tumed off, e.g., Show Pictures, play ‘Animations, or Play Videos, then click OK. -14-Information and Communication Multimedia — A technology that combines data/text, voices/sounds, graphics, pictures, videos and images into one complete system, Multimedia uses Optical disk, e.g., CD-ROM to stock all the above in one media. Multimedia can be used in training Logging out from the Internet. Purpose. V As long as you are connected to the Intemet, you continue to incur Telephone and account usage charges. This can prove to be expensive in the long run It is recommended that you disconnect or log out from the Internet soon after you have finished with a session. This is to avoid incurring extra or unnecessary charges. 1. Right-click the Connection Indicator icon on the Taskbar 2. From the shortcut menu that appears, click Disconnect and you will automatically be logged out. When you log out, the Connection Indicator icon is disabled Note. Some browsers or ISPs automatically disconnect you from the Intemet when there is, no activity between the user and ISP for a period of about 5 ~ 10 minutes. Understanding the World Wide Web. Purpose. V To understand some of the Intemet terminologies like Web pages, Web sites, Web browsers, URLs and Home page. The World Wide Web (www). The World Wide Web is also known as the Web, WWW or W3, + The Web is an Internet application (software) that uses the Internet as its network. + World Wide Web is the graphical, multimedia portion of the Internet. % The WWW is a collection of hyperlinked Web pages published on the Intemet + The World Wide Web is a global (an international) system of connected Web pages containing information such as, text, pictures, sound and video. The WWW is /npertext based (i.e., itis able to access text & graphical data formatted for easy search, retrieval and display), The Web is a part of the Internet. It is comprised of millions of Web pages. This huge collection of documents is stored on computers, called Hosts, around the world. The documents may contain text, pictures, sound, small programs or forms to be completed bya user. To view files on the Web, you need Web browsing Software. This software can be used to view different locations on the Web or to explore the Web pages. Web pages. + Web pages are documents published by organizations and individuals who are interested in putting themselves on the Web. Web pages can inchude text, pictures, sound and video. + Web page is a location on the WWW, usually a Web site The Web pages can also be found on company Intranets. Intranets and Extranets. -15-Information and Communication, What is an Intranet? An Intranet is an internal corporate network used in organizations to enable the sharing of documents among coworkers. It supports users inside one organization (usually on a LAN). ¢ Intranet - A private network within an organization. Tt ean connect all types of computers within an organization. Intranet has a private Web Server, which can be made available to the entire organization, individual department or to specific departmental workgroups, An Intranet uses the infrastructure and standards of the Internet and can be connected to the Internet. Note. Intranet applications are usually combined with the normal Web application of other organizations, but are hidden from those outside the organization. Extrani An Extranet works in nuch the same manner as an Intranet, but provides information to selected users outside the organization. E.g.,a certain university can have an Internet library containing millions of articles, but only make it available to staff and students at colleges and universities within the country. To access the library, you must provide a password when you connect to the Internet site Home Page. 4 Home page is the Web page loaded when Internet Explorer is first started, i.e., when you access the Web: E.g,, the Internet address of the Windows home page is http://www. Microsoft.com /Windows Home page can also the first page of a company or an individual’s Website on the Web. Those who offer information through the Web must first establish a Home page ~ a www text and graphical screen that welcomes the user and explains the organization that has established the page. + Home page — is the introductory page of a Web site. The home page contains links to other pages in the site Notes. + You can set any Web page as your Home page. + Donot confuse your home page with the home page of the Websites you visit. Your home page is set through Internet Explorer. The home page of a Website is the introductory page for the site. If you click a hyperlink such as Home on a Web page, you will jump to the home page of the Website, not yours. To access your home page, click the Home button on the Explorer toolbar. Web Site. * A collection of Web pages belonging to an organization or individual, These organizations or individuals maintain the Website. + Web site - A group of related Web pages. +A Web site is a screen or a collection of screens that provide information in text or graphical fonm that can be viewed by Internet users by activating the appropriate icon or commands, ‘Web Browsers (Web browsing software). A Web browser is a program that lets the user browse through information on (or surf) the Web. Information on the Web is structured into pages. Each page has a specific address that is used to locate and access information on that page. -16-Information and Communication A WWW browser program enables the user to either search for data by name or by specifying locations known as Uniform Resource Location (URL). The two common Web browsers are: - Internet Explorer from Microsoft. - Navigator from Netscape. Browsing the Web. This is also known as Navigating or ‘Surfing’ the Web. % To Browse is to navigate the Internet or the contents of your computer. + Browsing can also be defined as moving around and between Web pages. Using a Web browsing software you can read documents, listen to music, wateh videos, make purchases, participate in surveys, advertise products, do research, share interests and download files on the Web. EXPLORING / BROWSING THE INTERNET. Use the Internet Explorer on your Windows desktop to browse the Web. There are several ways in which you can browse the Web pages or “surf the net” (a). When viewing a Web page, you can navigate the Internet by clicking Links, Underlined rext or special features that cause you to jump to another Web page. Hyperlinks. A Hyperlink is a coloured or underlined text or a graphic that you click to ‘jump’ from one location to another. The hyperlinks enable the user to ‘jump’ to another file, or to another location in the same file All Web pages have hyperlinks. ‘These links (®. Connect one part of a Web page to another part of the same Web page. This is useful if the Web page is large. (ii). Connect one Web page to another Website somewhere on the Web. (ii). Connect a page to a file, such as a sound clip, video, a Spreadsheet or a Word document, The links can connect to objects stored anywhere on the Internet. Hypertext links are indicated by underlined text highlighted usually in blue. Hyperlinks can also be represented by buttons, graphics or pictures. To find hyperlinks on a page, move your mouse pointer over the page and where there is a hyperlink, the mouse pointer will change into a hand with a pointing finger. When you click a link, another Web page appears, As you browse the Web, Internet Explorer stores the sites and pages that you visit. Usually, the hyperlinks you previously selected are colored differently. Intemet Explorer does this to remind you that you have already visited the page identified by this link. (b). You can also use the Standard toolbar buttons in the Internet Explorer to move between Web pages, or to search the Intemet. History. Internet Explorer remembers the Websites and Web pages that you have visited. It keeps record of each Web page as it is downloaded. This is the History feature. -17-Information and Communication You can therefore, easily return to the page you have visited. To redisplay the page you have just left, click on the Back button. To move to the next page (available only if you have moved back), click the Forward button Web Hosting. A World Wide Web Server is a computer with programs that answer requests for documents from Clients (browsers) over the Internet, Files containing Web sites are placed on these servers. A Host computer is any computer connected to the Intemet and stores information that has been made available to the Web ISPs also use host computers to store user's electronic mail messages, Web sites and other related facilities such as, support software and appropriate security. Web Address (Uniform Resource Locator — URL). An Address is the location of a file Each Web page in the world has a unique Internet address or location. Internet addresses are also called the Uniform Resouree Locator (URL). E.g., the general URL for Microsoft is http:/;vww. Microsoft.com, ‘You can use addresses to find files on the Intemet & your computer. You can instantly display any Web page if you know its URL. E.g., http://www.compag.com. AutoComplete - A feature in the Address Bar. When you begin typing a previously used address, this feature finishes it as you type. How the Web Works. Web Server Web browser | ZENS. Client Computer ‘Web browser | | Web browser Gist Compater Client Computer Each Client computer needs an application software package called a Web browser, such as Navigator, Internet Explorer. Each Server on the network needs an application software package called a Web Server. There are many different Web servers, such as those produced by Netscape, Microsoft and Apache. In order to get a page from the Web, the user must type the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for the desired page, or click on a link that provides the URL. The URL specifies the Intemet address of the Web Server, the directory and the name of the specific page required. If n0 -18-lnformation and Communication) directory or page is specified, the Web server will display whatever page has been defined as its Home page. Ifno server name is specified, the Web browser will assume that the address is on the same server and directory as the last request. In order for the Web server to understand requests from the Web browser, they must use the same standard protocol. If there was no standard, then each Web browser would use a different way to request pages. This means that, it would be impossible for a Web browser from Netscape to communicate with a Web server from Microsoft. The standard protocol for communication between a Web browser and a Web server is the HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP). An HTTP request for a Web browser to a Web server has 3 parts, but only the 1" part is required, the other two are optional. The Request Line, which starts with a command (e.g., GET), provides the URL, and ends with HTTP version number that the browser understands © The Request Header, which contains a variety of optional information sueh as the Web browser being used (e.g., Internet Explorer), the date, the User ID and Password for using the Web pages as password protected. * The Request Body, which contains information sent to the Server, such as information from a firm, Note. Every Web user must provide the Intemet address of the receiving computer, otherwise, the server would not know where to send the requested pag Some browsers also provide the requestor’s e-mail addresses as well. Most Web servers keep a record of Internet addresses of all the requests (and the e-mail address, if provided by the browser). Some companies use this information to make a follow up with prospective customers, An HTTP response for a Web server to a Web browser also has 3 parts, but only the last part is required, the first two are optional The Response Status, which contains the HTTP version number the server has used as status code (¢.g.. 200 means ‘OK”, 404 means ‘Page wot found’), and reason phrase (ice., a text description of the status code) The Response Header, which contains a variety of optional information such as the Web server being used, the date, the exact URL of the page in the response body, and the format of the body (e.g, HTML). * The Response Body, which is the Web page itself. Internet Addresses. Internet addresses are strictly regulated, otherwise, someone could add a computer to the Internet that had the same address as another computer. Each address has 2 parts; The computer name and its domain. The Domain is the specific part of the Internet to which the computer is connected (e.g., Canada, Australia, etc). The general format of an Internet address is therefore: computer.domain, Some computer names have several parts separated by periods. For example, the main university Web server of an imaginary University like Yairobi can be www. Yairobi.edu, while the college of Humanities and Social Sciences server can be ww Each domain has an address board that assigns address for its domain. The boards ensure that there are no duplicates. Finding Web pages (information) on the Web. There are 3 ways you can use to find interesting and usefull Web pages on the Web; 1). You could get the Web address from an advertisement. -19-Information and Communication, Many businesses include their Web addresses in their Television and Print advertisements. 2). You click a link that will enable you jump from one page to another. Many industries or organizations, magazines and topic experts maintain pages that provide links from page to page. 3). Use of Search Engines Search Engines /Search Services. +A Search engine is software that helps in locating information in the Web. % Search engine is a tool that searches the Web for information that you want to find. Purpose. V_ Ifyou want to get some information concerning an area or subject of interest over the Web but you do not know where to find it, you can use a Search engine to locate sites that contain the information. V Locate particular information in a Website, e.g., if you wish to read the Sports news you can load a Web site like ttp:/www.cnn.com/, and then use a search engine within that site to locate information on Sports. The following are the various search engines: 1). Yahoo - ww 2). AltaVista — sww.altavista.digital.com. 3). Excite — www.excite.com. 4). Meta Crawler — www,metacrawler.com 5). Infoseek. 6). Lycos. These search engines offer different kinds of searching capabilities. However, they differ in the way they organize information in response to your request Yahoo focuses on the largest & most important Websites and organizes them in a directory format, Small and little known Websites are excluded. Therefore, if you are looking for the address of a well-known company or product or a popula topic, Yahoo is probably the easiest way to find it Alta Vista is the broadest of all. It lists almost everything it can find. It is probably the best choice if you are looking for an unclear topic or a very specific combination of topics or words (e.g., to find a famous quote). The major disadvantage of Alta Vista is that, you may have to look through dozens of sites before you find the ones you want. In addition, Alta Vista does not provide some help in focusing your search, Excite is easier to use in that, it uses advanced special intelligence techniques to help you search those pages that best match your interest. E.g., after looking at the result of a search, you can tell Excite to find more pages that are similar to a specifie page it has found. Excite will then search again and present those pages first. In this case, Excite refines the search based on the characterization of the page you have selected Meta Crawler provides the best search facilities. It does not search the Web and provide a list of what it finds, Instead, whenever you enter a search request, it simultaneously sends that request to several search engines (including Yahoo & Alta Vista), then combines, and organizes the information it receives from all the search engines into one display. How Search Engines find Web pages. Hundreds of thousands of new Web pages are created each day. There are 2 ways that search engines use to locate Web pages: -20-