Information and Communication

INTERNET.
What is the Internet?
 It is a large no. of connected computers (or a large set of computer networks) linked together
that communicate with each other, over telephone lines.
 It is 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 Telecommunication 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 Internet 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.

Features of the Internet.

(i). The Internet 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.
(ii). Networks are connected by Gateways that effectively remove barriers so that one type of
network can “talk” to a different type of network.
(iii). 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 Internet 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:

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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, etc.
2. 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.

INTERNET SERVICES.
The following are some of the services offered by Internet:
(i). Electronic mail (e-mail).
(ii). Fax services.
(iii). 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 (e.g., Educational information).
(x). Formation of Discussion groups, e.g. Usenet Newsgroups.
(xi). Video Conferencing.
(xii). 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, it is possible to send and receive messages quickly from businesses, friends
or family in another part of the world. An E-mail message can 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.
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 Provide any required technical support.
 Help in community-building, project management & distance learning.
 Help to organize electronic meetings, etc.
The Internet 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, politics, etc.

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., simultaneously 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.
Anyone interested in chatting can join a discussion forum on one of the listed topics. 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.
(i). Usually, the topic is open to all without security; so 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 hypertext based (i.e., it is
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 Internet, e.g., you can get the latest Anti-
virus software, and in addition, retrieve a free 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 Internet 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.

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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 discussion groups for business are;
 Usenet newsgroups.
 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 topics 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 it is easy to know messages that are related.

(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.

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.
Small cameras installed on top of each camera enable meetings to take place from individual
offices.

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Advantage of Video conferencing.
(i). Saves time & cost, as it reduces the need to travel.

Access & Use of other computers.

The Internet has a facility called TELNET that enables a user on one computer to 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
(e.g., 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 account to be authorized for it, or permit remote
log ins only from a specific set of Internet addresses., e.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.
There are 4 ways in which the Web can be used to support E-commerce;
(i). 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.

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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 products
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
a sale.
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 sign
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. In
contrast, the other media are fixed once they are developed, and they provide the same
marketing approach to all who use it.
(iii). 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.

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

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GroupWare allows people in different places to communicate either at the same time (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 term coined by U.S Clinton administration referring to advanced information infrastructure
accessible to individuals, groups and firms.
In general, the Information superhighway can 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, etc); one-to-many (Broadcasting, interactive TV, video conferencing, etc), many-to-many
(typified by bulletin boards and forums on the Internet).
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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.g., CNN) or financial reports (e.g., Stock market
quotations), Corporate announcement, and as a replacement for broadcast e-mail. It even has the
potential to provide automatic updates to software packages.

Importance of services provided on the Internet.

The services offered by the Internet 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 can get information.
 Writers and Scientists use the Internet to compile, compare and analyse their work.
 Individuals use the Internet for their work or to communicate with each other.
 People with the same interests can share ideas.
 Large organizations use the Internet to communicate with each other, and also to keep in
touch with subordinate (subsidiary) companies or their suppliers.
 Students can communicate and gather information.

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 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.

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 Internet.
2. Briefly describe six services offered by the Internet.
3. Discuss the growth of Internet in recent days.
4. Explain the importance of Information superhighway (Internet).
5. Write short notes on the following:
(a). E-commerce.
(b). Webcasting.
(c). Telnet.
(d). Information Superhighway.

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 Internet, 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;
(i). 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.
(iii). Hard disk capacity of at least 400 MB.
(iv). A high-quality Colour Screen – to enable you view the various graphics and images.
(v). Free disk space on which 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 screen according to its instructions. This process is called
Downloading.

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 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.
As a 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.
As a Receiving modem, it translates the information back into digital form (a form that your
computer can understand); a process called Demodulation.
The Modem must be fast. This helps to reduce the amount of time spent waiting for Web
pages, files, or messages from the Internet.
Modem speeds are expressed in Bits per second (bps). The typical speeds are 9,600 bps, 4.4
Kbps (Kilobits per second), 28.8 Kbps, 56 Kbps, etc.
5). Internet Service Provider (ISP).
When connecting to the Internet using a modem, you need to sign up with an Internet
Service Provider (ISP).
 Internet Service Provider (ISP) is a commercial organization (or a company) that
provides Internet connections, along with a set of support services usually for a fee. It
maintains a Server that is directly connected to the Internet.
 Internet Service Provider - A company or organization that provides Internet Access,
usually for a fee. To connect to your ISP, use a modem.
Most people and organizations connect to the Internet over a Telephone line through an ISP.
However, some larger businesses and institutions (such as universities) have their own
Internet connections.
An ISP usually has a no. of Host computers. These host computers usually provide space
for the storage of user’s electronic mail messages, storage of user’s Web sites and a set of
related facilities such as, advice, support software and appropriate security.
Examples of the local ISPs include;
 Africa Online, Kenya Web, ISP Kenya, Swift Kenya, and Inter-Connect.
Connecting to an ISP involves calling the provider and setting up a PPP account. When you
open an account with an ISP, you will be provided with a User name and a Password.
(i). Username – Every time you get connected, you require a name to identify yourself on
the Internet.
(ii). Password – This is needed for security purposes. It ensures that your Internet account
is secure.
Note. ISPs charge for the services rendered.
6). Website.
This is an area in the Internet where information of a particular organization is kept. The
Website must be updated on daily basis.
Content Provider - A business that uses the Internet to supply you with information such as
news, weather, business reports & entertainment.
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ACCESSING THE INTERNET.

There are 3 common ways in which an individual user can access the Internet:
(a). Through a connection already setup through the computer in your organization. Typically,
the service is accessed in a similar way to other services on a LAN.
(b). Through paying for an account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
In order to access an ISP directly, the user will need a Personal Computer, a Modem, a
Telephone line & a suitable software in order to connect to the service. Most ISPs give help
and advice on how to connect.
(c). Through a Bulletin Board Service (BBS), e.g. CompuServe. BBS are commercially run
information providers, each with its own information services and normally offering access
to Internet services.
The BBS companies normally sell some form of start-up package.

Parts of the Microsoft Internet Explorer screen.

1). Title bar.
2). Menu bar.
3). Address Bar. It contains the Address box in which you type an address to open the file you
want. The Address Bar provides a method of opening files that are on the Internet or your
computer.
4). Current page, with Links.
5). Scroll bars.
6). Status bar.
7). Standard toolbar; with buttons such as, Back, Forward, Stop, Refresh, Home, Search,
Favorites, History, Mail, Print, Discuss.
You can use the toolbar buttons in the Internet Explorer to move between Web pages, to
search the Internet or to refresh the content of Web pages.
Button description.
Forward moves to the next Web page.
Back moves to a previously viewed Web page.
Home jumps to your home page.
History displays a list of recently visited sites.
Favorites displays a list of Web pages that you have selected as your
favorites.
Refresh updates the contents of a currently displayed Web page or
window.
Search opens a Web page that lists the available search engines.
Edit opens FrontPage Express or Windows Notepad so you
can edit a Web page.
Print prints a Web page.
Stop stops the downloading of a Web page.
Mail opens Outlook Express or Internet News.

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.
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Logging out from the Internet.

Purpose.
√ As long as you are connected to the Internet, 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 Internet when there is
no activity between the user and ISP for a period of about 5 – 10 minutes.

Understanding the World Wide Web.

Purpose.
√ To understand some of the Internet 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 Internet.
 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 hypertext
based (i.e., it is 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
by a 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 include 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.

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).
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 Intranet - A private network within an organization. It can 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.
Extranet:
An Extranet works in much 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.
 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.
 Do not 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
form 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.
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.

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- 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, watch 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 text
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:
(i). 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.
(iii). 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. Internet 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 Internet.

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 Internet and stores information that has been
made available to the Web.

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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 Resource Locator (URL). E.g., the general URL for Microsoft is
http://www.Microsoft.com./
You can use addresses to find files on the Internet & your computer. You can instantly display
any Web page if you know its URL. E.g., http://www.compaq.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.

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 Internet
address of the Web Server, the directory and the name of the specific page required. If no
directory or page is specified, the Web server will display whatever page has been defined as its
Home page. If no 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 1st part is required, the other two are optional.

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 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 such 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 Internet address of the receiving computer, otherwise,
the server would not know where to send the requested page.
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 (e.g., 200 means ‘OK’, 404 means ‘Page not found’), and reason phrase (i.e., 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 www.chss.Yairobi.edu.
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 useful Web pages on the Web;
1). You could get the Web address from an advertisement.
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.

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Purpose.
√ If you 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.
√ Locate particular information in a Website, e.g., if you wish to read the Sports news you can
load a Web site like http://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 – www.Yahoo.com.
2). AltaVista – www.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 popular 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 specific 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.

Graphics and Download time.

When designing Web pages, graphics have to be incorporated sensibly into the Web page.
Although they are appealing to the eye, the more graphics you use on a Web page, the longer the
Web browser will take to download the page.

File Formats.
The most common file formats found on the Internet are:
- Graphic Interchange Format (GIF), and
- Joint Photographic Experts Group (Jpeg).
Generally, GIFs are used for simple page design elements like lines, buttons and dividers, while
JPEGs are mostly used for complex photographs and images.

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Movie (video) files usually have the extension .avi, .mpg, or .mov, while Sound (audio) files
have the extension .au, or .ra, or .ram, or .wav.

Exercise.
1. What is a Bookmark?

Advantages of the Internet.

(i). One can download (copy) information from a Website.
(ii). The Internet has enabled the interlinking of people worldwide / globally.
(iii). It is convenient in the sense that you can access data 24 Hrs.
(iv). It is cheap, i.e., the operational cost that one may incur is low.
(v). It has brought in the technology of doing the following; E-learning, E-Agriculture, E-
commerce, E-governance, etc.
(vi). Provides up-to-date information.
(vii). It doesn’t require a lot of training to browse.
(viii). It provides entertainment facilities.
(ix). Can be used for research.
(x). Brings harmony in the world, because people can communicate and exchange ideas.
(xi). The Internet can be accessed at any part of the world.
(xii). There is always a full backup provided by the Servers, hence no data loss.
(xiii). It’s a fast way of communicating.
(xiv). It provides an easy way to use offers in Information and products.
Internet provides information from almost all parts of the world that you need in order to
make accurate and informed decisions.
You will get information you need from business to education, from sports to politics, from
arts to eating out.

Disadvantages of Internet.
(i). It’s a technology, which is fetched for (imposed/forced on) the Third world countries.
(ii). The cost of the Internet Service Provider is high.
(iii). It is leading to exposure of morally harmful shows such as Pornography.
(iv). It leads to spread of viruses.
(v). Has proved to be unreliable especially accessing information.
(vi). No copyright rules meant to protect the property of an organization.

ELECTRONIC MAIL (E-MAIL).

About e-mail.
Electronic mail (also known as e-mail) is one of the common services provided by the Internet.
 E-Mail is a worldwide system for sending & receiving electronic messages from one
computer to another.
 E-Mail (Electronic mail) refers to electronic messages sent over the Internet or a network.
E-mail can contain both text & files.
With e-mail, users can create and send messages to one user, several users, or all the users on a
distribution list.

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Most e-mail software enable users to send text messages. In addition, users can attach files from
Word processors, Spreadsheets, Reports, production data, etc, and then send them by e-mail.
Most E-mail packages allow you to do the same things you do with regular paper mail. You can
file messages in electronic file cabinets, forward copies of messages to other users, send “carbon
copies” of messages, and so on. The E-mail packages also allow you to filter or organize
messages by priority. E.g., all messages from a particular user (e.g., your boss) could be given
top priority, so that they always appear at the top of your list of messages.
However, E-mail is a much faster, economical & convenient way of sending messages to family,
friends and colleagues than the paper mail (usually called “Snail mail”). Messages can be sent
or received 24-hrs a day. With “Snail mail” a message or a letter is sent to the recipient through
the Post office and takes days or weeks before reaching the destination.

Components required.
For one to be able to communicate using e-mail, the following components are needed:
1). A Computer - where you will send or receive the e-mail messages.
2). An E-mail program.
Your computer must be installed with an e-mail program that lets you send, receive and
manage your e-mail messages.
Examples of E-mail programs;
 Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, & Microsoft Exchange from Microsoft.
 Communicator from Netscape.
 Lotus Notes.
 Eudora.
3). E-mail address of the sender & the address of the receiver.
4). An Internet Service Provider (ISP) - company who will deliver your message to the
receiver.
Once you send a letter or a message, it travels from your computer through a Modem, which
connects your computer to the Internet using the Telephone network. The Mail passes through
various computers, until it reaches the final destination.

The user writes the e-mail messages using one of the User Agents, which formats the message
into 2 parts;
(i). The Header, which lists the source and destination e-mail addresses.
(ii). The Body, which is the message itself.
The User agent sends the message header & body to a Mail Server that runs a special
application package called a Message Mail Transfer Agent. The Message Mail Transfer Agent
in the Mail Server reads the envelope & then sends the message through the network (possibly
through dozens of Message Transfer Agents) until the message arrives at the Mail Server of the
receiver.
The Message Transfer Agent on this server then stores the message in the receiver’s mailbox on
the server.
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When the receiver accesses his/her e-mail, the User Agent on the receiver’s Client computer
contacts the Message Transfer Agent on the Mail Server, and asks for the contents of the user’s
mailbox. The Message Transfer Agent sends the e-mail message to the client computer, which
the user reads using the user agent.

E-mail addresses.
Each user has his own e-mail address (or mailbox) in form of computer storage space to receive
messages. The mailbox is accessed via a computer terminal within the system. In addition, each
user has a password to protect access to his/her own mailbox.
Messages are drawn to the user’s attention when they enter the system.
Components of an E-mail address.
An e-mail address consists of two parts separated by the @ symbol. For example, if your e-mail
address is Drg@tropicalheat.com:
(i). The 1st part of the address to the left side of the @ symbol refers to the person’s identity or
login name. It is the name or identifier of the specific individual or organization, e.g.,
“drg”.
(ii). The 2nd part following the “@” symbol is the computer address. It is usually made up of 2
to 3 sub-parts to further identify the individual, organization, ISP or a country. In this case:
 “tropicalheat” identifies the business.
 “.com” is the extension, which identifies the type of the organization.
The table below shows some extensions and what they represent: -
Extension Represents
.org A non-profit making organization
.edu An educational institution or organization
.com A commercial organization
.net Network
.mil Military
.gov government
Sometimes, the name of the country is included in the e-mail address. E.g., Skynews@sky.co.uk
or Nation@africaonline.co.ke.
In this case, “.co.uk” refers to a company in the United Kingdom, while “.co.ke” refers to a
company in Kenya.
Examples of E-mail addresses;
Smith@CompuServe.com
Iat@Africaonline.co.ke
Were@Egerton.edu
Manager@Kenyapower.org
Bridge@arcc.or.ke
Tim@Yahoo.com (free e-mail address)
Douglas@hotmail.com (free e-mail address)

Exercise.
1. (a). What is E-mail?
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(b). Give TWO examples of e-mail software.
(c). Give an example of an e-mail address.
2. Identify institutions whose e-mail addresses end with the following extensions:
(i). .org ______________________________________________________
(ii). .gov ______________________________________________________
(iii). .edu ______________________________________________________
(iv). .com______________________________________________________
(v). .net ______________________________________________________
(vi). .mil ______________________________________________________
3. Identify the parts of the following e-mail address:
iat@africaonline.co.ke

A B C D
A _________________________________________________________________
B _________________________________________________________________
C _________________________________________________________________
D _________________________________________________________________

Creating and sending an e-mail message.

Purpose.
√ To communicate with another user who has an e-mail address. This is cheaper than sending
fax or using the telephone especially for long distance calls.
√ It is also faster to send e-mail than to post a letter.
E.g., to send a letter around the world using e-mail takes some few minutes as compared to
the weeks ordinary mails take.
1. Start the Microsoft Outlook window.
2. On the toolbar, click the New Mail Message button.
The message composition window is displayed.
3. In the To… and/or Cc… boxes, type the e-mail addresses of each recipient.
♣ If you want to sent copies of the message to other people, type in their e-mail addresses
in the Cc… box, separating the addresses with a semicolon (;).
♣ To add e-mail names from the Address Book, click the book icon in the New Message
window next to To, Cc, and then select names.
♣ You can also send a Blind Carbon Copy (Bcc). In this case, the recipients entered
receive the message but their names are hidden from other recipients of the message.
To use the Bcc box, click the View menu, and then select Bcc field.
4. In the Subject box, type a message title.
5. In the lower grid of the message composition window, type in the message that you want to
send.
You can format the e-mail message using the formatting tools like, Bold, Font size,
Underline, etc.

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6. When you have finished typing the message, editing, and spell checking, click the Send
button on the New Message toolbar.
Notes.
 To save a draft of your message to work on later, click the File menu, then click Save. You
can also click Save as to save a mail message in your file system in mail (.eml), text (.txt), or
HTML (.htm) format.
 A message that returns to the sender because it cannot reach its destination is referred to as a
Bounced message.

Checking the spelling in mail messages.

Before sending a mail message, you can spell check it to correct any spelling mistakes in the
mail.
Outlook Express uses the spelling checker provided with Microsoft Office 97 programs, such as
Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint.
1. In the New Message window, click the Spelling button on the toolbar, (or click the Tools
menu, and then choose Spelling).
2. The Spelling dialog box appears. The misspelt words are highlighted and shown in the
dialog box. Choose the correct word by selecting it, and then click the Change button.
If the word or phrase is correct but is not in the dictionary, click Ignore.
3. Once spell checking of the mail is complete, and a dialog box appears, click OK.

Formatting e-mail message text.

To add special emphasis or structure to message text-such as bold, color, or bulleted lists, and
also to add graphics and links to Web sites in your mail messages, use Hypertext Markup
Language (HTML) - the standard language for formatting text for the Internet.

To use HTML formatting on all outgoing messages.

 When you create messages using HTML formatting, only mail programs that support
HTML can read the formatting. If the recipient's mail or newsreading program does not
read HTML, the message is displayed as plain text with an HTML file attached. The
recipient can view the attached file by opening it in any Web browser.
To send the message in HTML formatting;
1. In the main window, click the Tools menu, click Options, then click the Send tab.
2. In the Mail Sending Format or News Sending Format sections, click HTML.
To use HTML formatting on an individual message.
In an e-mail message window, make sure HTML formatting is turned on, i.e., Click the Format
menu, then choose Rich Text (HTML). A black dot appears by the command when it is
selected.

To change the font, style, and size of text.

You can change the way the text looks for all your messages or you can make changes to
selected text within a message.
To change the text style for all messages.
1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. Click the Compose tab, then click the Font Settings button.
To format text within individual messages.

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1. Select the text you want to format. To change the font for an entire message, click the Edit
menu, then click Select All.
2. On the Formatting toolbar, click the buttons for the options you want.
To format a paragraph.
1. Click anywhere in the paragraph, or select the text you want to format.
2. Use either the Formatting toolbar or the commands on the Format menu to change the text.
To Do this
Change the indentation of a paragraph Click the Increase Indent or Decrease
Indent button on the Formatting toolbar.
Add a horizontal line Click where you want the line to appear, and
then click the Insert Horizontal line button
on the Formatting toolbar.
Format text written in Rich Text (HTML) mode Click the Format menu, point to Style, and
then choose an option.
To create a numbered or bulleted list.
1. In your message, click where you want the list to start.
2. On the Format menu, point to Style, then click either Numbered List or Bulleted List.
3. Type the first item in the list. When you press ENTER, another list entry is started on the
next line.
To end the list, press ENTER twice.

Inserting items in a message.

To insert a Business card in all messages.
1. On the Tools menu, click Options, then select the Compose tab.
2. In the Business Cards section, select the Mail or News check box, and then select a business
card from the drop-down list.
Notes.
 To change information in a business card, click the Edit button.
 To add a business card or signature to an individual message, in a message window, click
the Insert menu, then click either Signature or My Business Card.
To include a sound in a message.
1. Click anywhere in the message window.
2. On the Format menu, point to Background, and then click Sound.
3. Enter the name of the file you want to include and the number of times you want the file to
play.
To insert a picture in a message.
1. In the message, click where you want the image to appear.
2. On the Insert menu, click Picture, then click Browse to find the image file.
3. Enter Layout and Spacing information for the image file as needed.
Notes.
 If message recipients are not able to view your inserted images, click the Tools menu, and
then click Options. Click the Send tab, click HTML Settings, and then make sure that
Send pictures with messages is selected. Then resend your message.
 To insert a background picture in your message, in the message window, click the Format
menu, point to Background, then click Picture. Click the Browse button to search for the
file you want to use.

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Attaching files to e-mail messages.
Purpose.
√ You can attach a copy of any type of file such as a document, spreadsheet, graphic image or a
presentation to your e-mail messages.
1. Click the New Message button.
2. In the Message Composition dialog box, enter the e-mail address and type in the message to
be sent.
3. Click where you want the file attachment to appear, then click the Insert File button to
display the Insert File dialog box.
4. Locate the folder that contains the file you want to attach, and then click the file.
To select multiple files, hold down the CTRL as you click each of the files.
5. Click the OK button.
The attached file is displayed as an icon in the body of the message. The icon indicates the
file type and name. e.g., Sales Results.xls
6. Click the Send button.
To open or view the attached file.
Documents that contain file attachments display a paper clip image in the view or folder next to
the document file.
Once the document is open, Microsoft Outlook displays an icon representing the attachment.
Note. You must have the application in which the attachment was composed in order to open it.
The MIME (Multi-purpose Internet Mail Extension) type of file enables Internet browsers to
access an Internet mail file without prompting the user to specify the program used to create the
attached file.
1. In the Inbox, select the e-mail message that contains the attachment.
2. Double-click the e-mail message to open it.
3. Double-click the icon that represents the attachment.

Deleting an attachment.
1. Open the e-mail message that contains the attachment.
2. To delete the attached file, click the file icon, then press the Delete key.

Organizing E-mail messages.

Purpose.
√ You can use Outlook Express to organize your incoming messages and make it easy to send
mails.
To use your online time efficiently, use Outlook Express to find messages, automatically sort
incoming messages into different folders, keep messages on a mail server, or delete them
entirely.

Organizing the Inbox.

You can organize the messages in your Inbox quickly by sorting them.
To quickly sort messages by Subject, Sender or the Date received, click on the respective column
header. E.g., to sort your messages in alphabetical order by sender, click on From in the column
header.

To create a Mail folder.

1. On the File menu, click New, then choose Folder.
2. Enter the name of the folder in the Name box, e.g., My Own.

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3. Select the Inbox folder so that the mail folder created will become a subfolder of the Inbox.
4. You can add details, such as a description of the folder in the Description box, then click
OK.

To move or copy a message to another folder.

1. In the message list, select the message (s) you want to move or copy.
2. On the Edit menu, click Move to Folder or Copy to Folder, then select the folder you want
to move or copy the message to.

To delete a mail message.

1. In the message list, select the message.
2. On the toolbar, click the Delete button (or press the Delete key).
Notes.
 To restore a deleted message, open the Deleted Items folder, and then drag the message back
to the Inbox or other folder.
 If you don't want messages to be saved in the Deleted Items folder when you quit Outlook
Express,
1. Click the Tools menu, then click Options.
2. On the Maintenance tab, select the checkbox labeled Empty messages from the
'Deleted Items' folder on exit.
 To manually empty all deleted items,
1. Select the Deleted Items folder.
2. On the Edit menu, click Empty Deleted Items Folder.

Sending a Web page by e-mail.

Purpose.
√ You may find some interesting and useful material on the Internet that you would like to
share with friends and colleagues.
You can send Web pages by e-mail to other people even if the recipients are not connected to
the Internet.
1. Access the Web page you want to send.
2. Click the File menu, point to Send, then click Page By E-mail or Link By E-mail.
3. If necessary, choose the correct profile to use from the Profile dialog box, i.e., Outlook
Express, and click OK.
4. In the Message dialog box, enter the address of the recipient, then click the Send button.
Note. You must have an e-mail account and an e-mail program set up on your computer.

Blocking Unwanted messages.

You can control the mail and news messages you get in Outlook Express . You can block certain
people from sending you mail, you can hide conversations that don't interest you, and you can
guard against being sent damaging code in mail by setting security levels.
To block messages from a sender or domain.
You can block messages from a particular sender or domain.
 The Domain is the name following the @ symbol in an e-mail address.
 Domain - A group of networked computers that share information & resources.
When you block a sender or domain, no e-mail or news message from that sender or domain will
arrive in your Inbox or in the news messages you read.
E-mail from blocked senders goes directly into your Delete folder while Newsgroup messages
from blocked senders are not displayed.

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 Information and Communication
1. From your e-mail Inbox or the list of messages in a newsgroup, select a message from a
sender you want to block.
2. On the Message menu, click Block Sender.
The e-mail address of the sender will appear in the Address box. You can type a different
address or domain in the Address box if you wish.
3. Select the blocking option you want: mail, news, or both kinds of messages.
Important. Blocking a sender applies to standard POP mail only. It does not apply to HTTP
mail (Hotmail) or IMAP messages

Differences between E-mail and General Post office mail.

1). E-mail is computerized, while Post office mail is manually operated.
2). Post office mail is slow, while E-mail is fast & has a wide area of coverage.
3). E-mail is more secure.
Advantages of E-mail.
Electronic mail has several advantages over regular mail.
(i). It is cheap & economical.
It costs almost nothing to transmit an e-mail message over the network, i.e., there is no
need for stamps, envelopes, etc.
(ii). It is secure, i.e., access to a user’s mailbox can be restricted by use of a password.
(iii). It is faster, i.e., mails can be sent instantly.
The delivery of an e-mail message normally takes seconds or minutes, depending on the
distance to the receiver.
(iv). It is efficient, i.e., a message prepared only once can be sent to several people.
(v). It is convenient.
With E-mail, you can send your messages when it is convenient for you and your
recipients respond at their convenient times.
(vi). E-mail is cheaper in terms of the time invested in preparing the message.
The expectations and culture of sending & receiving e-mail are different from that of
sending regular letters. Regular business letters & inter-office memos are expected to be
error-free and formatted according to certain standards. In contrast, most e-mail users
accept less well-formatted messages and slight typographical errors are overlooked. So,
less time is spent perfecting the appearance of the message.
(vii). E-mail can act as a substitute for the Telephone calls, thus allowing the user to avoid
telephone tag (i.e., the process of repeatedly exchanging voice mail messages because you
or the other person may not be available when the other calls).
E-mail can often communicate enough of a message so that the entire “conversation” will
take less time than a phone call.
E-mail is particularly effective for multinational organizations, which have people working in
different time zones around the world.
Disadvantages of E-mail.
(i). The initial installation cost is higher.
(ii). Messages may be lost before they are read due to virus infections.
(iii). Messages may not be kept for future reference due to the high cost of storage, i.e., it
requires regular deletion of messages from the hard disk.

Exercise.
1. How does one send an e-mail message?
2. What is the advantage of filing e-mail messages when you can leave them in the Inbox and
still have them for future reference?
3. List THREE levels of importance one can set on an e-mail message.
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 Information and Communication
4. Lucille has received an e-mail message that contains an attachment. Can she use any
application to open the attached file? Explain.
5. What are the advantages of e-mail over the ordinary post office mail.
6. Give THREE differences between electronic mail and the Post office mail?

Using the Address Book.

Purpose.
√ The Address Book is a directory of personal details, including e-mail addresses, for the
people to whom you send messages (called Contacts).
It is used to store/keep track of e-mail addresses, mailing addresses, phone numbers, and
other information about your friends and also provides space for notes.
You can store such addresses in the Address Book so as to address mails more easily, i.e.,
each time you want to send e-mail messages, you simply select the names from the list of
addresses.
This will save the time used to enter lists of e-mail addresses as well as help maintain their
accuracy. E.g., an e-mail address like Njiiri.mworia@mit.edu.uk can be difficult to
remember. In addition, one can easily make a typing error when typing the address.
The Address Book is accessible from Internet Explorer, Outlook Express and NetMeeting,
thus enabling you to keep one list of addresses that are accessible by various programs.
To add a contact to the Address Book.
1. To open the Address Book, click the Address Book button.
There can be several types of address books in the Address Book dialog box including the
Global Address list and Personal Address Book.
2. In the Show names from the box, select the type of address book you want to use.
The Global Address list is the address book that contains all e-mail addresses for users,
groups, and distribution lists in your organization that you can address messages to. The
Administrator creates and maintains this address book.
The Personal Address Book is the address book used to store personal distribution lists you
frequently address messages to, such as a list of your friends.
3. Click the New Entry button.
4. Specify the entry type of the contact, i.e., whether it is an Internet address or an entry for a
distribution list.
5. Type in the display name for the address as well as the full e-mail address.
6. Complete the dialog box with the rest of the contact details using the other tabs, e.g.,
Business or Phone Numbers, then click OK.
The contact address is added to the Address Book.

To edit a contact in the Address Book.

1. Open the Address Book.
2. Select the contact that you want to edit.
3. On the File menu, click Properties.
4. Make the necessary changes to the information, then click OK.

To create a contact from a mail message.

When you receive a mail message, you can add the sender’s details (name and e-mail address) to
your Address Book.
1. From the Inbox, right-click a message.
2. Select Add sender to Address Book, from the shortcut menu that appears.

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To delete a contact from the Address Book.
1. Open the Address Book.
2. Select the address that you want to remove from the Address book.
3. Click the Delete button (or press the Delete key).
4. Click Yes to confirm that you want to delete the name or entry.

To create a distribution list.

If you send mails to the same group of people frequently, you can create a group address list.
Group address lists are known as Distribution lists.
When you address a message to that group, each individual in the group receives it.
Note. You must have a Personal Address Book set up in order to be able to create a personal
distribution list.
1. Open the Address Book.
2. Click the New Entry button.
3. In the Select the entry type box, click Personal Distribution List, and then click OK.
4. In the Name box, type a name for the group, e.g. Sales Dept., then click the Add/Remove
Members button.
5. To add members to the group, select a contact or name from the left hand list box, then click
the Members button (or double-click on a name) to move the name to the right list box.
The contact is copied to the Personal Distribution List box.
6. Repeat step 5 until you have all the names you want in your group in the Personal
Distribution List, then click OK.
The group or distribution list is usually listed in the Address Book.

To send a message using the Address Book or distribution list.

1. In the Microsoft Outlook window, click File then select the New Mail Message.
2. Click the To… button to open the Address Book.
3. Select the contact names from the list or select the distribution list, then click on To ->.
Note. To see the full e-mail addresses, select the name of the person from the lists and click
on Properties button.
4. Click OK to return to the message composition dialog box.
5. Type out the rest of the message and click on Send.

Exercise.
1. What are the advantages of using the Address Book as opposed to typing e-mail addresses
each time you send e-mail?

READING MAIL MESSAGES OFFLINE.

Once you have opened the E-mail program, it is not necessary for you to be connected directly so
that you can read & write your e-mail messages. You may choose to work offline to save on
costs.
When you are offline, Outlook Express downloads mail messages to your local computer. When
you connect (or choose to work online) again, messages in your Outbox are sent, messages you
marked for deletion are removed, and all other actions taken offline are completed at once.
There are 2 situations where it is beneficial to use Outlook Express offline:
(i). If your ISP charges you by the hour or if you have only one phone line. Under these
conditions, you might want to reduce time spent online.
(ii). If you use a Laptop to read your messages while you are traveling or any other time you are
not connected to the Internet.

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To set up Outlook Express to reduce online time.
1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. On the Connection tab, select Hang up after sending and receiving.
If you connect to an IMAP or HTTP server, click the server name in the folder list, and then
make sure that the items you want to view offline are checked.
This procedure can be used to set up Outlook Express so that it automatically disconnects after
you select Send and Receive from the Tools menu.
You can then read and compose messages offline without incurring charges or tying up a phone
line.
Note. To reconnect to send or receive messages, click the Tools menu, point to Send and
Receive, and then select the option you want.
To read messages while you are away from your Internet connection.
1. On the Tools menu, select Options, then click the General tab.
2. Under the field labeled If my computer is not connected at this time, select Connect only
when not working offline.
If you connect to an IMAP or http server, click the server name in the folder list, make sure
that the items you want to view offline are checked, and then click Sync Account.
3. On the File menu, click Work Offline.
Note. To check the type of account you have, click the Tools menu, and then click Accounts.
Select your e-mail account and then click Properties. The account type is listed on the
Advanced tab.

Viewing and posting to Newsgroups.

What are newsgroups?
A Newsgroup is a collection of messages posted by individuals to a News server (a computer
that can host thousands of newsgroups).
Some newsgroups are "owned" by someone who reviews the postings, can answer questions,
delete inappropriate messages, etc.
Anyone can post messages to a newsgroup. This is because, Newsgroups do not require any kind
of membership or joining fees.
To use newsgroups in Outlook Express, your Internet Service Provider must offer links to a
news server. After you set up an account for the server you want in Outlook Express, you can
read and post messages in any of the newsgroups stored on that news server.

To switch between mail and news reading.

 In the Folders list, click Inbox to go to your e-mail, or click a news server name or specific
newsgroup to visit newsgroups.

To find newsgroups of interest.

1. In the Folders list, click a server name, then click the Newsgroups button.
2. In the Display newsgroups which contain box, type the words you want to search for.

To subscribe to a newsgroup.
Subscribing ensures that the newsgroup is included in your Folders list for easy access.
You can subscribe to a newsgroup in any of the following ways:
(a). When adding a news server, Outlook Express prompts you to subscribe to newsgroups on
that server.

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(b). Click a news server name in your Folders list, and then click the Newsgroups button. Select
the newsgroup that you want to subscribe to, and then click the Subscribe button.
Note: When you double-click a name in the Newsgroup list, a subscription is automatically
generated.
(c). When you click a newsgroup, its name appears in your Folders list. Right-click the name,
and then click Subscribe.
Tips. To cancel your subscription to a newsgroup,
1. Click the Newsgroups button, click the Subscribed tab, select the group you want,
and then click the Unsubscribe button.
-Or-
Right-click the newsgroup in your Folders list, then click Unsubscribe.
To view a newsgroup without subscribing to it.
To find out if a specific newsgroup is right for you, read some of the messages in it.
1. From the Tools menu, select Newsgroups to open the Newsgroup Subscriptions dialog
box.
2. Select the news server you want in the Accounts list. All of the newsgroups on that server
appear on the All tab.
3. Select the newsgroup you want to view, and then click Go To.
Note. The first time you view a newsgroup, it may take several minutes to download the
messages. The next time you go to that newsgroup, it downloads faster, because Outlook Express
downloads only new messages.
To read newsgroup messages.
Go to a newsgroup and look through the message list for a message you want to read (you may
need to scroll).
 To view the message in the preview pane, click the message once.
 To view the message in a separate window, double-click the message in the message list.

To read and send international messages.

Outlook Express can usually display messages in the language in which they were sent.
However, some messages, particularly those from newsgroups, often do not have enough
information (or the information is incorrect) in the header file to display the correct language.
To change the language encoding for a message you are reading.
 In the message window, click the View menu, point to Encoding, and then click the language
encoding you want to use.
To set the default encoding for reading messages.
1. On the Tools menu, click Options. On the Read tab, click Fonts.
2. Select a language at the top, and then click the Set as Default button.

Posting messages to newsgroups.

There are several ways that you can post messages, depending on whether you are posting a new
message or replying to one and how widely you want it distributed.
1. In the Folders list, select the newsgroup you want to post a message to.
2. On the toolbar, click the New Post button.
Note. To send your message to multiple newsgroups on the same news server, click the icon next
to Newsgroups in the New Message dialog box. In the Pick Newsgroups dialog box, hold down
the CTRL key to select multiple newsgroups, and then click Add.

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3. Type the Subject of your message. Outlook Express cannot post a message that does not
contain a subject.
4. Compose your message, and then click the Send button.
To reply to a newsgroup message.
1. In the message list, click the message you want to reply to.
2. To reply to the author of the message by e-mail, click the Reply button on the toolbar.
To reply to the whole newsgroup, click the Reply Group button on the toolbar.
3. Type your message, and then click Send.
Note. To view information about a newsgroup message, such as when it was sent, select the
message, click the File menu, and then click Properties.
To prevent newsgroup messages from automatically downloading.
On the Tools menu, click Options.
On the Read tab, clear the following check box: Automatically download messages when
viewing in the Preview Pane.

To view newsgroups efficiently.

View only unread news messages in a newsgroup.
1. Open the newsgroup, click the View menu, point to Current View, and then click Hide
Read Messages.

View the replies to a particular message in a newsgroup.

1. Click the plus sign ( + ) next to the message. The replies to that message appear below it. A
message with its replies is called a "conversation."

To watch a conversation.
In both mail and news, you can watch a conversation that is of particular interest you. A
conversation is an original message and all its replies.
1. In your Inbox or newsgroup message list, select the conversation you wish to watch.
2. On the Message menu, click Watch Conversation.
If your message list's Watch/Ignore column is turned on, the watch icon will appear next to
all the messages of a watched conversation.

READING NEWSGROUP MESSAGES OFFLINE.

Offline newsreading enables you to read newsgroup messages without being connected to the
Internet, saving connection costs.
To do this, you must subscribe to the newsgroup whose messages you want to read offline, mark
it to specify whether you want to see headers or whole messages, and then transfer them to your
computer (synchronize). Once this is done, you can log off from the Internet and then read the
messages at your leisure.
Reading message headers only, gives you the subject, author, and size of the message.

To set up newsgroups for offline news reading.

For newsgroups you subscribe to, you can set up Outlook Express to make messages or headers
available offline by synchronizing. This enables you to read them at your leisure when you are
not connected to the Internet.
1. From the Folders list, select a news server.

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2. In the main window, select one or more newsgroups you subscribe to whose messages you
want to read offline. (To select multiple newsgroups, hold down the CTRL key while you
click the newsgroups.)
3. Click the Settings button, and then click to mark what you want transferred from the server
to your computer during synchronization:
 All Messages,
 New Messages Only (new to the server since you last synchronized), or
 Headers Only (subject, author, date, and size of message).
4. Click the Sync Account button.

Exercise.
1. (a). When can you work offline?
(b). Why should you work offline?

Methods of Accessing Computer and Locating Files.

(1). Gopher:
This is a client/server tool that enables the user to locate almost all textual information
stored on Internet servers through a series of easy-to-use or understand, hierarchical menus
that provide point-and-click interfaces.
The Internet has thousands of Gopher server sites throughout the world. Each gopher site
contains its own system of menus listing related topics, local files, and other relevant
gopher sites.
To search for a specific topic or select a related item from a menu, activate the gopher
software. The server will automatically transfer you to the appropriate file on that server or
the selected server wherever it is located in the world. Once on the distant server, you are
presented with more menus of files and Internet addresses of other gopher site servers that
might interest you. You can then move from site to site locating information that you want
anywhere in the world. After finding the information or files you want, you are free to
browse, read them online, or download them onto your own computer for searching for text
that appears in gopher menus.
(2). Archie:
This is a tool for locating data on the Internet that performs keyword searches of an actual
database of documents, software, and data files available for downloading from servers
around the world.
An individual Archie database can list only a small percentage of the files in the world.
However, clicking on the relevant listing from one Archie server will bring you to another
computer system where relevant files are stored. While on the other computer, the Archie
server may provide other relevant references, allowing you to continue your search for
related files, moving from database to database, library to library, until you locate what you
need.
Archie database searching uses the subject keywords entered such as “telecommuting” or
“inflation” to display a list of sites that contain files on that topic. Once you find the files
you want, you may use a file transfer program to download them.
(3). WAIS (Wide Area Information Servers):
This is a tool for locating data on the Internet that require the name of the databases to be
searched based on keywords.
Once you specify specific database names and key identifying words, WAIS searches for
the keywords in all the files in those databases. When the search is completed, you are
given a menu listing all the files that contain your keywords.

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(4). The Word Video Web:
The Web is another information retrieval tool similar to gophers, Archie, and WAIS. It is
widely used for commercial purposes on the Net due to the fact that, it is attractive, easy to
use, and helpful in publishing or providing information to anyone interested.
(5). Home Page:
Anyone willing to offer information through the Web must first establish a Home Page (a
WWW text & graphical display that welcomes the user and explains the organization that
has established the page). The Home page will lead the user to other pages.
All the pages of an organization are known as a Website.
Home pages combine text, hypermedia, graphics and sound, unlike the other methods of
locating information on the Net, which are text-based. This means that, home pages can
handle all types of communication, while making it easy to link resources that are far apart.
Graphics allow organizations to communicate more effectively, making their own material
more appealing to the eye, more informative, and easy to understand.
Hypermedia provides a point-and-click connection to related information within the same
document, between documents on the same computer, or to documents located on another
computer anywhere in the world (as long as the computer is connected to the Net, and the
hypermedia connection has been programmed in).
Sound allows some of the Web displays to talk or play music.
Note. The specific hypermedia technology used in the Web is known as Hyperlinks.
Within any web document, there are certain words or graphics that are highlighted (usually
appear bold, in a different colour, underlined, or a combination of these). The highlighted
objects have hyperlinks embedded within them that contain the path to another location
within the same document, a document on the same computer, or a document on another
computer.
Hyperlinks allow the user to move with ease within complex documents or across the
network. If the reader of the document wants more information on the highlighted word,
he/she double-clicks the word, and quickly that other information will be displayed, even if
it is stored in another part of the world.
Advantages of Hyperlinks.
(i). It is easy to use.
(ii). The user is free to jump from place to place following his/her own logic and interest,
and does not have to move according to a static, pre-programmed, linear sequence.
The user moves around almost as easily as a book reader might follow keywords and
jump around an encyclopedia.
To navigate the Web requires a graphics Computer to link to the Internet. The user must also
have a special software tool to navigate the Web known as Web Browser.

BENEFITS FROM THE USE OF THE INTERNET.

1). Reduces the Cost of Communication.
Before the Internet, organizations had to build their own Wide Area Networks or subscribe
to Value-Added Network (VAN) service.
Many organizations find the Internet more cost-effective than building their own networks or
paying VAN subscription fees. Organizations use the Internet to fulfill a wide range of
communication needs. This lowers other communication costs, including their network
management expenses, telephone and Fax costs.
Reduced communication costs are beneficial particularly to small businesses because it
sometimes enables them to compete with larger companies in the markets that would
otherwise be closed to them.
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2). Enhances Communication & Co-ordination.

Global companies use the Internet as an important instrument for coordinating their activities.
Such companies have set up internal Web sites to keep employees informed about company
developments. Through the Web, employees are able to see a company Calendar, the
employee Policy manual, product Brochures, interactive Training tools, and even stock
quotes.
The Internet has made it easier and less expensive for companies to co-ordinate small staffs
when opening new markets or working in isolated places, because they do not have to build
their own networks.
3). Accelerates the Distribution of Knowledge.
To speed product development and also to react to an emerging problem, information
gathering must be quick and easy.
The Internet is very useful in the modern society, which is increasingly dependent on
knowledge. Organizations are using E-mail and the availability of databases all over the
world to gain access to information in such areas as Business, Science, Law, and
Government. The Internet can quickly link a computer user sitting at a computer screen to
mountains of data (including Graphics) all over the world, which would otherwise be too
expensive and too difficult to get.
4). Improves Customer service and satisfaction.
Organizations can also use the Internet to communicate efficiently to make product
information, ordering and technical support easier and immediately available.
A company can establish a Website on the Internet in order to distribute useful product
information to its customers and product users. It can also use the Internet to give
engineering support to its customers without the involvement of engineering staff.
5). Facilitates Sales and Marketing.
The Internet provides opportunities for firms to market and sell their products in a way that
does not offend others. This is because, the Internet is a passive instrument, i.e., it requires
potential customers to seek out offerings by companies rather than having those companies
actively reach out to potential customers, as is the case in most marketing and advertising.
Retailers update their Web page offerings frequently as required. Suppliers can also update
technical materials used by customers easily. Therefore, the Internet assist buyers and sellers
make contacts.
Firms use their Websites to distribute more marketing information. A firm can include its
Web address in product advertisements and design their site for visitors to browse
information on pricing, press releases on new products, technical manuals and sales
brochures.

PROBLEMS FACING THE INTERNET.

1). Lack of Security.
Lack of security is one of the reasons why the Internet, while being widely used to facilitate
transactions, is still in limited use to carry out transactions.
When large amounts of data are stored in electronic form, they are exposed to more kinds of
threats/dangers than when they exist in manual form.
Through data communication networks, information systems in different locations on the
Internet are interconnected. The potential for unauthorized access, abuse or fraud is not
limited to a single location but can occur at any access point in the Internet.

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Internet Hackers have found ways of stealing passwords as they pass through one site and use
them to break into computer system at other sites all over the world.
The hackers can get access to company’s strategic business plans, profit reports, product
development information, pricing data, marketing plans, sales contracts, and scientific
research data. Such information is too sensitive and companies are unwilling to have it
accessed by unauthorized people.
2). Technology Problems.
(a). The Internet lacks standards for accessing the net and sending e-mails. A no. of
incompatible ways for accessing the net exist, allowing specific users to perform certain
functions but not others.
(b). The lack of standards also affects the ability of organizations to establish a stable link to
the Internet. As the traffic on the Internet becomes more complex, it can bring
problems if it does not have good technical support.
(c). Many people and organizations are sending so much data through the Net, much of it in
graphics form, such that telecommunication links are already overloaded. Frequent
users are unable to access the net, while those who use the graphics-based Web
regularly find connecting to the intended Server very slow or even almost impossible
during busy times.
(d). Moreover, the growing need for bandwidth due to graphics will only expand as the
transmission of sound and full-motion video expands. All this is raising the cost of
using the Net. Some firms are already discovering that they need more expensive
telecommunications connections, Workstations or higher speed computers with
improved graphics capability, and even Information system specialists with skills
related specifically to the Internet.
(e). Individuals and organizations in less developed countries with poor Telephone lines,
limited hardware and software capacity or Government controls on communication will
not be able to take full advantage of Internet resources.
(f). Due to the fact that there is no a comprehensive method of locating and keeping track of
pages in the World Wide Web (www), Internet users often spend a lot of time in futile
(unsuccessful) searches, despite the many new tools and planned indexes to the Web.
There is no good technology enough to filter/sort out irrelevant information while
allowing people to access the specific information they need.
3). Legal Issues.
Until a greater clarity on several legal issues is obtained, doing business on the Internet will
become unreliable.
Laws governing E-commerce are mostly non-existing or are just being written.
There are several open questions that still exist such as, the legality of E-mail contracts, the
role of electronic signatures, and the application of copyright laws to electronically copied
documents.
4). Anti-Commercial culture.
Initially, the Internet was a scientific and academic tool. As it grew, a strong anti-
commercial culture grew with it.
Internet users have shown themselves unwilling to accept the Internet mail. Many
commercial users also fear that allowing commercial organizations to add very many unasked
for marketing messages will make the Internet E-mail difficult to manage.
Thus, while businesses remain free to use the Internet for E-mail, research, and other forms
of information exchange, they will have to learn new ways to do their marketing on the
Internet; ways that do not offend the other users.

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Exercise I.
1. State the various methods of accessing computer and locating files.
2. Describe the main benefits from the use of the Internet.
3. Give a brief view of the main problems of the Internet.

Exercise II.
1. Briefly describe four advantages of using Internet to disseminate information compared to
other conventional methods. (8 marks).
2. One of the problems of using Internet for business is insecurity. What are some of the other
problems and what controls should be put in place in order to solve the problems?. (4 marks).
3. Your manager wishes to be connected to the Internet. He already has a powerful Personal
Computer (PC), a Printer and access to a Telephone line. However, he understands that he
will need a Modem.
Required:
(a). State why a Modem is required to connect him to the Internet. (2 marks).
(b). Suggest any four application areas in which you would expect a Supermarket retail
manager to use the Internet. (4
marks).
4.

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