chapter 2 The Internet, the Web,

and Electronic Commerce

©Elnur/Shutterstock
 Why should I read this chapter?
The Internet has changed the world, and will continue to have an
amazing impact on our day-to-day lives. For example, cars promise to
soon be able to drive themselves, avoid traffic accidents and conges-
tion, and automatically adjust personal schedules and much more.
This chapter covers the things you need to know to be prepared
for this ever-changing digital world, including:
• Impact—how Internet technology is changing your world.
• Hardware—how to connect your life to the Internet, including
Wi-Fi, smartphones, and tablets.
• Applications—how to get ahead using social networking, stream-
ing technology, and cloud computing.
©Chesky/Shutterstock

Learning Objectives

After you have read this chapter, you should be able to:
1 Explain the origins of the Internet and the web.
2 Explain how to access the web using providers and browsers.
3 Compare different web utilities, including filters, file transfer utilities, and Internet security suites.
4 Compare different Internet communications, including social networking, blogs, microblogs, webcasts,
podcasts, wikis, e-mail, text messaging, and instant messaging.
5 Describe search tools, including search engines and specialized search engines.
6 Evaluate the accuracy of information presented on the web.
7 Identify electronic commerce, including B2C, C2C, B2B, and security issues.
8 Describe cloud computing, including the three-way interaction of clients, Internet, and service
providers.
9 Discuss the Internet of Things (IoT) and the continuing development of the Internet to allow e­ veryday
objects to send and receive data.

25
Introduction
“ Hi, I’m Henry, and I’m a webmaster. I’d like
to talk with you about the Internet, the web,
The Internet is the backbone of our digital lives, but how well do you under-
stand it? What are the tools used to create and view content on the Inter-
and electronic commerce, things that touch
net? How can you make the most out of your digital communication and
our lives every day. I’d also like to talk with
you about the role the Internet plays with online presence? Where can you go to research answers or find the best
­Facebook, Google+, Linkedln, Twitter, and places to shop online? By understanding what the Internet is and how it

”
cloud computing. works, you can tap into its immense power.
The Internet is an interconnected mesh of computers and data lines that
connects millions of people and organizations. It is the foundation of the digi-
tal revolution and allows people around the world to share words, images, and
any digital file almost instantaneously. The web provides an easy-to-use inter-
face to Internet resources. It has become an everyday tool for all of us to use.
To efficiently and effectively use computers, you need to be aware of the
resources available on the Internet and the web. Additionally, you need to
know how to access these resources, to effectively communicate electroni-
cally, to efficiently locate information, to understand electronic commerce,
©Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock and to use web utilities.

The Internet and the Web

The Internet was launched in 1969 when the United States funded a project that
developed a national computer network called Advanced Research Project Agency
Network (ARPANET). The Internet is a large network that connects together smaller
networks all over the globe. The web, also known as the World Wide Web or WWW,
was introduced in 1991. Prior to the web, the Internet was all text—no graphics, ani-
mations, sound, or video. The web made it possible to include these elements. It pro-
vided a multimedia interface to resources available on the Internet.
Today the web is a collection of machines and people sharing amazing content, but
not long ago it was a far simpler experience. The web has matured through three gen-
erations, commonly called Web 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0.
• Web 1.0 focused on linking existing information. Google Search and other search
engines made it possible for users to search the web to locate web pages of interest.
However, to create a web page required a background in computers and program-
ming. Many users could view web content, but few users could create web content.
• Web 2.0 evolved to support more dynamic content creation and social interaction.
Facebook and other social media sites made it so that nontechnical people could be
seen and heard on the web. These sites allow almost anyone to post videos, images,
and text about their lives. However, the massive amount of social media posts made
it difficult to find truly valuable information. Many users could view and create web
content, but few could readily locate valuable, timely information on the web.
• Web 3.0 identifies relationships between data. Siri and Google Assistant are
examples of Web 3.0 applications. One of their many capabilities includes main-
taining a user’s calendar of events and automatically reminding the user when an
event is imminent, such as an upcoming flight (see Figure 2-1.) As this web tech-
nology grows out of its infancy, we can expect to get more personalized, helpful
information from our devices.
It is easy to get the Internet and the web confused, but they are not the same thing.
The Internet is the physical network. It is made up of wires, cables, satellites, and

26 chapter 2
 Figure 2-1 Web 3.0 application
Source: Google and the Google logo
are registered trademarks of Google
Inc.

rules for exchanging information between computers connected to the network. Being
connected to this network is often described as being online. The Internet connects
millions of computers and resources throughout the world. The web is a multimedia
ethics
interface to the resources available on the Internet. Every day over a billion users from Facebook and other social
nearly every country in the world use the Internet and the web. What are they doing? media organizations have
The most common uses are the following: been criticized for editing or
censoring content. Some people
• Communicating is by far the most popular Internet activity. You can exchange feel that Facebook has an ethical
e-mail, photos, and videos with your family and friends from almost anywhere in responsibility to monitor and
the world. You can locate old friends and make new friends. You can join and lis- remove offensive or inaccurate
ten to discussions and debates on a wide variety of special-interest topics. content. Others say that
censorship is a violation of an
• Shopping is one of the fastest-growing Internet applications. You can look for the
individual’s right to free speech
latest fashions, search for bargains, and make purchases.
and that Facebook should
• Searching for information has never been more convenient. You can access some never censor content. What do
of the world’s largest libraries directly from your home computer. you think? Who should decide
• Education or e-learning is another rapidly evolving web application. You can take what information is shared on
classes on almost any subject. There are courses just for fun, and there are courses Facebook: the company or the
for high school, college, and graduate school credit. Some cost nothing to take and users?
others cost a lot.
• Online entertainment options are nearly endless. You can find the latest movies
and news, listen to the hottest music, and read this week’s best-selling author.
To learn more about online entertainment, see Making IT Work for You: Online
Entertainment on pages 28 and 29.
The first step to using the Internet and the web is to get connected, or to gain access
to the Internet.

concept check
What is the difference between the Internet and the web?

Describe how the Internet and the web started. What are the three web generations?

List and describe five of the most common uses of the Internet and the web.

The Internet, the Web, and Electronic Commerce 27

Making IT work for you

ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT
Would you like to be able to watch your favorite TV shows and movies from anywhere in your home? How
about listening to the largest catalog of music the world has ever known? Or to carry a library in your back-
pack? Want to keep up to date on the news your friends and family are reading? Or to hear about the latest
trends in tech news? Online entertainment has got you covered, with entertainment options for TV, movies,
music, books, social media, and news feeds.

1 • TV Shows and Movies—Binge watch your

favorite TV shows or movie trilogy with
subscription services such as Hulu, Amazon
Prime, or Netflix. These services allow you to
watch vast libraries of popular mainstream TV
and movies as well as original content. Visit
www.hulu.com, www.amazon.com/prime, or
www.netflix.com to learn more.
If live TV is more your speed, you can sign
up for YouTube TV or go online to CNN, CBS
News, or the NBC website. These sites offer
live broadcasts of breaking news, sports, and
popular TV show episodes. Visit tv.youtube.com,
www.cnn.com, www.cbsnews.com, or
www.nbcnews.com to check it out.

Paid subscription services, like Netflix, offer popular film

and TV shows, as well as original content.
Source: Netflix

2 • Online Music—Websites Spotify and Pandora

offer access to large music libraries, with
everything from contemporary hits to classical
music. They offer free versions with commercials
or for a small monthly fee, you can get all
the music you want with limited commercial
interruptions. Go to www.spotify.com or
www.pandora.com to try out online music.

3 • Online Books—Digital books allow you to

download all your textbooks and store them on
your laptop or read the latest best-seller off your
tablet. Digital books can be purchased online and
read on your digital devices. Amazon’s Kindle
Store and Barnes and Noble’s Nook Store offer
large libraries of titles at competitive prices. Digital books allow you to read several books at a time on
Go to www.amazon.com/Kindle-eBooks or different digital devices without having to carry around
www.barnesandnoble.com to see what they tons of books.
have to offer. Source: Amazon

28
4 • Social Media—Social media websites offer
a way to connect and interact with friends,
family, businesses, and even government
services. They also offer a way to automatically
receive news from news organizations and
to share news articles with your friends.
The largest and most influential social media
website is Facebook.
Major news outlets, like CNN, have Facebook
pages. Go to the Facebook page of a major
news outlet, such as “CNN” or the “New York
Times” and “Like” that page to subscribe to
their news feed. Now, major stories and posts
from that source will appear on your Facebook
page when you open the website.

Major news outlets, like CNN, have Facebook pages that

you can like to get their news in your Facebook news feed.
Source: Facebook and CNN

5 • News Feeds—Social media services such as

Facebook or Twitter are a good way to share
and explore news, but they don’t offer an
experience similar to a newspaper. For a more
traditional view of the day’s events, consider
a news feed service. A news feed application
takes articles from news organizations and
collects them according to your interest and
presents them like a newspaper—grouped by
topic and in chronological order.
One of the best news feed services is
Feedly. Go to www.feedly.com to sign up and
explore the many news organizations you can
pick and choose from to be displayed when
you visit feedly.com

News feed services, like feedly.com, allow you to search

for news sources by publisher or topic. Creating a more
“newspaper” like reading experience.
Source: Feedly

29

 Internet Access
Your computer is a very powerful tool. However, it needs to
tips be connected to the Internet to truly unleash its power. Once
on the Internet, your computer becomes an extension of what
Are you getting the most out of your web browser? seems like a giant computer—a computer that branches all over
Here are a few suggestions to make you faster and the world. When provided with a connection to the Internet,
more efficient. you can use a browser program to search the web.
1 Bookmarks/Favorites Bar: Most browsers have a
bookmarks or favorites bar just below the address Providers
bar. Add your top 5 or 10 most-often-visited websites
The most common way to access the Internet is through an
here. The next time you want to visit one of these
sites, select it from the bookmarks/favorites list rather Internet service provider (ISP). The providers are already con-
than entering the site’s URL. nected to the Internet and provide a path or connection for
2 Shortcuts: Keyboard shortcuts are often faster than individuals to access the Internet.
using a mouse. Use the following: F5 (refresh); Alt + left The most widely used commercial Internet service providers
arrow (back); Ctrl + T (new tab); Ctrl + W (close tab); use telephone lines, cable, and/or wireless connections. Some
Ctrl + Enter (adds “www” and “.com” to any domain of the best-known providers in the United States are AT&T,
name you type in the address bar). Comcast, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon.
3 Extensions/Add-Ons: Many browsers, such as Chrome As we will discuss in Chapter 8, users connect to ISPs using
and Firefox, allow users to install small, third-party one of a variety of connection technologies including DSL,
programs that extend, or add to, the capabilities of the
cable, and wireless modems.
browser. These programs can perform a variety of tasks,
from providing easy access to your cloud services to
making it easier to capture information on a web page. Browsers
4 Configure Settings: All browsers have a settings Browsers are programs that provide access to web resources.
or options page that provides ways to improve the This software connects you to remote computers; opens and
security and privacy of your Internet browsing. For
transfers files; displays text, images, and multimedia; and pro-
example, you can deny websites from automatically
opening up another browser window, called vides in one tool an uncomplicated interface to the Internet
pop-ups (these annoying windows often contain and web documents. Four well-known browsers are Apple
advertisements). Safari, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox.
(See Figure 2-2.)

Figure 2-2 Browser

Source: Google and the Google logo
are registered trademarks of Google
Inc.

30 chapter 2
 For browsers to connect to resources, the location or address
of the resources must be specified. These addresses are called
uniform resource locators (URLs). All URLs have at least two https://www.mtv.com
basic parts.
• The first part presents the protocol used to connect to the
resource. As we will discuss in Chapter 8, protocols are
Figure 2-3 Basic parts of a URL
rules for exchanging data between computers. The protocol
https is used for web traffic and is one of the most widely
used Internet protocols.
• The second part presents the domain name. It indicates the specific address where Domain Type
the resource is located. In Figure 2-3 the domain is identified as www.mtv.com.
The last part of the domain name following the dot (.) is the top-level domain .com Commercial
(TLD). Also known as the web suffix, it typically identifies the type of organiza- .edu Educational
tion. For example, .com indicates a commercial site. (See Figure 2-4.)
.gov Government
Once the browser has connected to the website, a document file is sent back to your
computer. This document typically contains Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), .mil U.S. military
a markup language for displaying web pages. The browser interprets the HTML for- .net Network
matting instructions and displays the document as a web page. For example, when
your browser first connects to the Internet, it opens up to a web page specified in .org Organization
the browser settings. Web pages present information about the site along with refer-
ences and hyperlinks or links that connect to other documents containing related Figure 2-4 Traditional
­information—text files, graphic images, audio, and video clips. top-level domains
Various technologies are used to provide highly interactive and animated websites.
These technologies include
• Cascading style sheets (CSS) are separate files referenced by or lines inserted into
an HTML document that control the appearance of a web page. CSS help ensure
that related web pages have a consistent presentation or look. Netflix uses CSS to
visually connect all its web pages.
• JavaScript is a language often used within HTML documents to trigger interac-
tive features, such as opening new browser windows and checking information
entered in online forms. The Microsoft search engine Bing.com uses JavaScript
to make its website more interactive and to assist its users by auto-filling search
requests as they type content into the search box.
• PHP, like JavaScript, is a language often used within HTML documents to improve
a website’s interactivity. Unlike JavaScript, which is executed on the user’s com-
puter, PHP executes on the website’s computer.
Today it is common to access the Internet from a variety of mobile devices like
smartphones and tablets. Special browsers called mobile browsers are designed to run
on these portable devices. Unlike a traditional web browser that is typically displayed
on a large screen, a mobile browser is displayed on a very small screen, and special
navigational tools are required to conveniently view web content. The Apple iPhone,
for example, enables you to “pinch” or “stretch” the screen with two fingers to zoom
web content in and out. (See Figure 2-5.) Figure 2-5 Zoom web content
©George Dolgikh/Shutterstock

concept check
What is the function of an ISP, a browser, and a mobile browser?

What are URLs, HTML, web pages, hyperlinks, and CSS?

What are JavaScript and PHP? How are they different?

The Internet, the Web, and Electronic Commerce 31

Figure 2-6 Norton Family is a
web filter
Source: Norton

Web Utilities
Utilities are programs that make computing easier. Web utilities are specialized utility
programs that make using the Internet and the web easier and safer. Some of these utili-
ties are browser-related programs that either become part of your browser or are executed
from your browser. Others are designed to protect children from dangerous and inappro-
priate website material. File transfer utilities allow you to efficiently copy files to and from
your computer across the Internet. Internet security suites enhance security and privacy.

Filters
Filters block access to selected sites. The Internet is an interesting and multifaceted
arena. But not all aspects of the Internet are appropriate for all audiences. Parents, in
particular, are concerned about children roaming unrestricted across the Internet. Fil-
ter programs allow parents as well as organizations to block out selected sites and set
time limits. (See Figure 2-6.) Additionally, these programs can monitor use and generate
reports detailing the total time spent on the Internet and the time spent at individual
websites. For a list of some of the best-known filters, see Figure 2-7.

File Transfer Utilities

Filter Site
Using file transfer utility software, you can copy files to your
Net Nanny www.netnanny.com computer from specially configured servers. This is called
Qustodio Parental Control www.qustodio.com
downloading. You also can use file transfer utility software
to copy files from your computer to another computer on
Circle with Disney meetcircle.com the Internet. This is called uploading. Three popular types
of file transfer are web-based, BitTorrent, and FTP.
Norton Online Family onlinefamily.norton.com
• Web-based file transfer services make use of a web
McAfee Family Protection www.mcafeefamilyprotection.com
browser to upload and download files. This eliminates
the need for any custom software to be installed. A pop-
Figure 2-7 Filters ular web-based file transfer service is Dropbox.com.

32 chapter 2
 Web Utility Description

Filters Block access to selected sites and set time limits

File transfer Upload and download files from servers

Internet security suite Collection of utility programs for security and privacy

Figure 2-8 Web utilities

• BitTorrent distributes file transfers across many different computers for more effi-
cient downloads, unlike other transfer technologies whereby a file is copied from
one computer on the Internet to another. A single file might be located on dozens
of individual computers. When you download the file, each computer sends you
a tiny piece of the larger file, making BitTorrent well suited for transferring very
large files. Unfortunately, BitTorrent technology often has been used for distribut-
ing unauthorized copies of copyrighted music and video. For a summary of web
utilities, see Figure 2-8.
• File transfer protocol (FTP) and
secure file transfer protocol
(SFTP) allow you to efficiently
copy files to and from your com-
puter across the Internet and
are frequently used for upload-
ing changes to a website hosted
by an Internet service provider.
FTP has been used for decades
and still remains one of the most
popular methods of file transfer.

Internet Security Suites

An Internet security suite is a collec-
tion of utility programs designed to
maintain your security and privacy
while you are on the web. These pro-
grams control spam, protect against
computer viruses, provide filters,
and much more. You could buy each
program separately; however, the
cost of the suite is typically much Figure 2-9 Security suite
less. Two of the best-known Internet
Source: McAfee
security suites are McAfee’s Inter-
net Security and Symantec’s Norton
Internet Security. (See Figure 2-9.)

concept check
What are web utilities?

What are filters used for?

What are file transfer utilities? Downloading? Uploading?

Define Internet security suites.

The Internet, the Web, and Electronic Commerce 33

 environment Communication
As previously mentioned, communication is the most popular Internet activity, and its
Daily newspapers are an
important part of the free press;
impact cannot be overestimated. At a personal level, friends and family can stay in con-
however, the traditional printed tact with one another even when separated by thousands of miles. At a business level,
newspaper comes at a cost of electronic communication has become a standard way to stay in touch with suppliers,
millions of trees. Many national employees, and customers. Some popular types of Internet communication are social
and local news organizations networking, blogs, microblogs, webcasts, podcasts, wikis, e-mail, and messaging.
offer a digital version of their
papers. Using the digital version Social Networking
instead of the paper version Social networking is one of the fastest-growing and most significant Web 2.0 applica-
can deliver the news quickly, tions. Social networking sites focus on connecting people and organizations that share
cheaply, and sustainably. If you
a common interest or activity. These sites typically provide a wide array of tools that
want to save a tree, use the
facilitate meeting, communicating, and sharing. There are hundreds of social network-
digital version of your favorite
newspaper or magazine.
ing sites, but they share some common features:
• Profiles are created by individuals to share information about them. These profiles
often include photos, personal details, and contact information. (See Figure 2-10.)
• Pages are created by companies to promote their business. These pages often

privacy
include hours of operations, upcoming sales, and information about their products.
• Groups are communities of individuals who share a common interest and come
together online to share information and discuss specific topics. Groups are
Have you ever seen one of typically organized around topics, events, or ideas. They are popular among clubs
those funny or not-so-funny and organizations to coordinate activities or share information.
embarrassing personal videos
on the Internet? Unless you are • Friends are a list of other members on a social media site that you want to com-
careful, you could be starring municate with.
in one of those videos. Without • News feed is the first page you see after logging into a social networking site. It
privacy settings, images and typically consists of a collection of recent posts from friends, trending topics on
videos posted to these sites the site, people’s responses to your posts, and advertisements.
can be viewed and potentially
• Share settings on your social media account determine who can see your posts.
reposted for all to see. If a
The most common options include sharing with everyone, just your friends, or
social networking friend were
to post an embarrassing video just a subset of your friends.
of you to Facebook, would all
your friends be able to see it?
What about parents, teachers,
or potential employers? To
check your Facebook privacy
settings, go to Facebook and
click on the security lock icon.

Figure 2-10 Facebook profile

Source: Facebook

34 chapter 2
 A social network often has an overall focus. For example, the largest social Organization Site
networking site, Facebook, tends to be more about connecting friends and fam-
ily. Consequently, individuals’ profiles share personal information, like vacation Facebook www.facebook.com
photos, whereas corporate pages concentrate on developing their brand and sell-
Google+ plus.google.com
ing their product. By contrast, LinkedIn is a popular business-oriented social
networking site. The profiles on LinkedIn share professional information, like LinkedIn www.linkedin.com
resumes and job successes, and the corporate pages concentrate on sharing their
Instagram www.instagram.com
corporate culture and promoting job openings.
There are many social networking sites, each with its own unique features Pinterest www.pinterest.com
and interactions. For a list of some of the most popular sites, see Figure 2-11.
Tumblr www.tumblr.com
Blogs, Microblogs, Webcasts, Podcasts, and Wikis Vine www.vine.com
In addition to social networking sites, other Web 2.0 applications help ordinary
people communicate across the web, including blogs, microblogs, webcasts,
podcasts, and wikis. These communication alternatives offer greater flexibility Figure 2-11 Social networking sites
and security; however, they are often more complex to set up and maintain.
Many individuals create personal websites, called blogs, to keep in touch with
friends and family. Blog postings are time-stamped and arranged with the newest item
first. Often, readers of these sites are allowed to comment. Some blogs are like online
diaries with personal information; others focus on information about a hobby or
theme, such as knitting, electronic devices, or good books. Although most are written
by individual bloggers, there are also group blogs with multiple contributors. Some
businesses and newspapers also have started blogging as a quick publishing method.
Several sites provide tools to create blogs. Two of the most widely used are Blogger and
WordPress. (See Figure 2-12.)
A microblog publishes short sentences that take only a few seconds to write,
rather than long stories or posts like a traditional blog. Microblogs are designed
to keep friends and other contacts up to date on your interests and activities. The
most popular microblogging site, Twitter, enables you to add new content from your
browser, instant messaging application, or even a mobile phone. Over 300 million
active users send over 500 million Twitter messages, also known as tweets, each day.
Twitter is popular among celebrities and politicians to keep fans up to date on their
moment-to-moment thoughts.

Figure 2-12 Blog creation site

Source: WordPress

The Internet, the Web, and Electronic Commerce 35

Figure 2-13 Wikipedia
Source: Wikipedia

Both webcasts and podcasts deliver media content such as music and movies over
the Internet to your computer. Webcasts use streaming technology in which audio
and video files are continuously downloaded to your computer while you are listen-
ing to and/or viewing the file content. After a webcast has been completed, there are
no files remaining on your computer. Webcasts typically broadcast live events. For
example, the popular website YouTube.com, as well as other sites, routinely webcast
live movie premiers and sporting events.
Podcasts do not use streaming technology. Before a podcast can be run, the media
files have to be downloaded and saved to your computer. Once downloaded, the files
can be run to listen to music or watch a movie as often as you would like. The media
files can also be transferred from your computer to a media player such as an iPod.
Podcasts are widely used to download music, tutorials, and educational training.
A wiki is a website specially designed to allow visitors to use their browser to add,
edit, or delete the site’s content. “Wiki” comes from the Hawaiian word for fast, which
describes the simplicity of editing and publishing through wiki software. Wikis support
collaborative writing in which there isn’t a single expert author, but rather a community
of interested people that builds knowledge over time. Perhaps the most famous example
is Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia, written and edited by anyone who wants to con-
tribute, that has millions of entries in over 20 languages. (See Figure 2-13.)
Creating blogs and wikis are examples of web authoring. We will discuss web
authoring software in detail in Chapter 3.

concept check
What is social networking? What are profiles, pages, groups, news feeds, and share
settings?

What are blogs? Microblogs? Twitter? Tweets?

What is the difference between a webcast and a podcast? What is a wiki? What is
Wikipedia?

36 chapter 2
 Header E-mail Addresses

Message

Signature

Attachment

Figure 2-14 Basic elements

of an e-mail message

E-mail
E-mail or electronic mail is the transmission of electronic messages over the Internet. A
typical e-mail message has four basic elements: header, message, signature, and attach-
ment. (See Figure 2-14.) The header appears first and typically includes the following
information:
• Addresses: E-mail messages typically display the addresses
of the intended recipient of the e-mail, anyone else who is
to receive a copy of the e-mail, and the sender of the e-mail.
The e-mail message in Figure 2-14 is to dcoats@usc.edu,
dcoats@usc.edu
copied to aboyd@sdu.edu, and sent from cwillis@nyu.edu.
E-mail addresses have two basic parts. (See Figure 2-15.)
The first part is the user’s name and the second part is the Figure 2-15 Two parts of an e-mail address
domain name, which includes the top-level domain. In our
example e-mail, dcoats is the recipient’s user name. The server providing e-mail
service for the recipient is usc.edu. The top-level domain indicates that the provider
is an educational institution.
• Subject: A one-line description, used to present the topic of the message. Subject
lines typically are displayed when a person checks his or her mailbox.
The letter or message comes next. Following the message, the signature identifies
the sender. This information may include the sender’s name, address, and telephone
number. For many business communications, the signature also includes the sender’s
company name, address, and telephone number. Many e-mail programs allow you
to include files such as documents and images as attachments. If a message has an
attachment, the file name typically appears at the end of the e-mail. (See Figure 2-14.)
There are two basic types of e-mail systems: client-based and web-based.
• Client-based e-mail systems require a special program known as an e-mail client
to be installed on your computer. Before you can begin e-mailing, you need to run
the e-mail client from your computer, which communicates with the e-mail service
provider. Two of the most widely used e-mail clients are Apple’s Mail and Micro-
soft’s Outlook.
• Web-based e-mail systems do not require an e-mail program to be installed on
your computer. Once your computer’s browser connects to an e-mail service pro-
vider, a special program called a webmail client is run on the e-mail provider’s
computer and then you can begin e-mailing. This is known as webmail. Most

The Internet, the Web, and Electronic Commerce 37

 Internet service providers offer webmail services. Three free webmail service pro-
viders are Google’s Gmail, Microsoft’s Hotmail, and Yahoo!’s Yahoo! Mail.
For individual use, webmail is more widely used because it frees the user from
installing and maintaining an e-mail client on every computer used to access e-mail.
With webmail, you can access your e-mail from any computer anywhere that has Inter-
net access.
E-mail can be a valuable asset in your personal and professional life. However,
like many other valuable technologies, there are drawbacks too. Americans receive
billions of unwanted and unsolicited e-mails every year. This unwelcome mail is
called spam. Although spam is indeed a distraction and nuisance, it also can be dan-
gerous. For example, computer viruses or destructive programs are often attached
to unsolicited e-mail. Computer viruses and ways to protect against them will be
discussed in Chapter 4.
In an attempt to control spam, anti-

tips Are you tired of sorting through an inbox full of spam? Here are
a few spam-reducing suggestions:
spam
legal
laws have been added to our
system. For example, CAN-SPAM
requires that every marketing-related
1 Keep a low profile. Many spammers collect e-mail addresses from personal web
e-mail provide an opt-out option. When
pages, social networking sites, and message boards. Be cautious when posting
your address. the option is selected, the recipient’s
e-mail address is to be removed from
2 Use caution when giving out your address. Many companies collect and sell
e-mail addresses to spammers. Be sure to read the privacy policy of a site
future mailing lists. Failure to do so
before providing your address. results in heavy fines. This approach,
however, has had minimal impact since
3 Don’t ever respond to spam. Many are a trick to validate active e-mail
addresses. These addresses are worth more to spammers, who then sell the
over 50 percent of all spam originates
addresses to other spammers. from servers outside the United States.
A more effective approach to control-
4 Use antispam and filter options. Most e-mail programs and web-based e-mail
services have antispam and filter options that can be configured. Use them.
ling spam has been the development
and use of spam blockers, also known
as spam filters. Most e-mail programs
provide spam-blocking capabilities.
Messaging
Although e-mail was one of the first and is one of the most popular electronic messag-
ing systems, other messaging systems have followed. Two of the best known are text
messaging and instant messaging.
• Text messaging, also known as texting or SMS (short message service), is the
process of sending a short electronic message, typically fewer than 160 characters,
using a wireless network to another person, who views the message on a mobile
device such as a smartphone. Today, billions of people send text messages every
day. It has become one of the most widely used ways to send very short messages
from one individual to another. Text messaging was originally limited to charac-
ters, but you can now send images, video, and sound using a variation of SMS
known as MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service). Although popular and conve-
nient, there are downsides to using this technology in the wrong context. A great
deal of attention has been directed toward texting while driving. A study by Car
and Driver concluded that texting while driving had a greater negative impact on
driver safety than being drunk. Several states have passed laws prohibiting texting
while driving.
• Instant messaging (IM) allows two or more people to contact each other via
direct, live communication. (See Figure 2-16.) To use instant messaging, you reg-
ister with an instant messaging service, such as Facebook or Google+, and then
specify a list of friends. Whenever you connect to the Internet, your IM service is
notified. It then notifies you of all your friends who are available to chat and noti-
Figure 2-16 Instant messaging fies your friends who are online that you are available. You can then send mes-
Source: Facebook sages directly back and forth to one another. Most instant messaging programs

38 chapter 2
 also include video conferencing features, file sharing, and remote assistance.
Many businesses routinely use these instant messaging features. Three of the
most popular instant messaging services are Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp,
and Google Hangouts.

concept check
What is e-mail? Headers? Addresses? Attachments?

What are the two basic types of e-mail systems?

What is text messaging? Instant messaging? Friends?

Search Tools
The web can be an incredible resource, providing information on nearly any topic
imaginable. Are you interested in music? Writing a paper on the environment? Look-
ing for a movie review? Trying to locate a long-lost friend? Information sources related
to these questions, and much, much more, are available on the web.
With over 20 billion pages and more being added daily, the web is a massive col-
lection of interrelated pages. With so much available information, locating the precise
information you need can be difficult. Fortunately, a number of organizations called
search services operate websites that can help you locate the information you need.
Search services maintain huge databases relating to information provided on the
web and the Internet. The information stored at these databases includes addresses,
content descriptions or classifications, and keywords appearing on web pages and
other Internet informational resources. Special programs called spiders continu-
ally look for new information and update the search services’ databases. Addition-
ally, search services provide special programs called search engines that you can use to
locate specific information on the web.

Search Engines Search Service Site

Search engines are specialized programs that assist you in locating information
Bing www.bing.com
on the web and the Internet. To find information, you go to a search service’s
website and use its search engine. See Figure 2-17 for a list of commonly used Duckduckgo www.duckduckgo.com
search engines.
Google www.google.com
To use a search website, you enter a keyword or phrase reflecting the informa-
tion you want. The search engine compares your entry against its database and Yahoo! www.yahoo.com
returns the search result, or a list of sites on that topic. Each search result includes
a link to the referenced web page (or other resource) along with a brief discussion
of the information contained at that location. Many searches result in a large num- Figure 2-17 Search engines
ber of search results. For example, if you were to enter the keyword music, you would get
billions of sites on that topic. Search engines order the search results according to those
sites that most likely contain the information requested and present the list to you in
that order, usually in groups of 10.
Because each search service maintains its own database, the search results returned
by one search engine will not necessarily be the same results returned by another search
engine. Therefore, when researching a topic, it is best to use more than one search engine.

Specialized Search Engines

Specialized search engines focus on subject-specific websites. Specialized sites can
potentially save you time by narrowing your search. For example, let’s say you are
researching a paper about the environment. You could begin with a general search

The Internet, the Web, and Electronic Commerce 39

 Topic Site
engine like Google. Or you could go to a search engine that specializes spe-
cifically on the environment, such as www.ecoearth.info. For a list of just a few
Cooking www.recipebridge.com selected specialized search engines, see Figure 2-18.
To locate other specialized search engines, use a search service and enter
Fashion www.shopstyle.com
the topic area followed by specialized search engine. For example, entering
Images www.picsearch.com sports specialized search engine will return several search engines dedicated spe-
cifically to sports information.
People pipl.com

Research scholar.google.com Content Evaluation

Search engines are excellent tools to locate information on the web. Be careful,
Figure 2-18 Selected however, how you use the information you find. Unlike most published mate-
specialized search engines rial found in newspapers, journals, and textbooks, not all the information you find on
the web has been subjected to strict guidelines to ensure accuracy. In fact, anyone can
publish content on the web. Many sites, such as Wikipedia.org, allow anyone to post
new material, sometimes anonymously and without critical evaluation.
To evaluate the accuracy of information you find on the web, consider the following:
• Authority. Is the author an expert in the subject area? Is the site an official site for
the information presented, or is the site an individual’s personal website?
• Accuracy. Has the information been critically reviewed for correctness prior to
posting on the web? Does the website provide a method to report inaccurate infor-
mation to the author?
• Objectivity. Is the information factually reported, or does the author have a bias?
Does the author appear to have a personal agenda aimed at convincing or chang-
ing the reader’s opinion?
• Currency. Is the information up to date? Does the site specify the date when the
site was updated? Are the site’s links operational? If not, the site is most likely not
being actively maintained.

concept check
What are search services, spiders, and search engines?

Compare search engines and specialized search engines.

What are the four considerations for evaluating website content?

Electronic Commerce
Electronic commerce, also known as e-commerce, is the buying and selling of goods
over the Internet. Electronic commerce is fast-growing and widely used in part
because it provides incentives for both buyers and sellers. From the buyer’s perspec-
tive, goods and services can be purchased at any time of day or night from any location
that has an Internet connection. From the seller’s perspective, the costs associated
with owning and operating a retail outlet can be eliminated. Another advantage is
reduced inventory. Traditional stores maintain an inventory of goods in their stores
and periodically replenish this inventory from warehouses. With e-commerce, there is
no in-store inventory and products are shipped directly from warehouses.
While there are numerous advantages to e-commerce, there are disadvantages as
well. Some of these disadvantages include the inability to provide immediate delivery
of goods, the inability to “try on” prospective purchases, and questions relating to
the security of online payments. Although these issues are being addressed, very few
observers suggest that e-commerce will replace bricks-and-mortar businesses entirely.
It is clear that both will coexist and that e-commerce will continue to grow.

40 chapter 2
 Just like any other type of commerce, electronic commerce involves two parties:
businesses and consumers. There are three basic types of electronic commerce:
• Business-to-consumer (B2C) commerce involves the sale of a product or service
to the general public or end users. It is the fastest-growing type of e-commerce.
Whether large or small, nearly every existing corporation in the United States
provides some type of B2C support as another means to connect to customers.
Because extensive investments are not required to create traditional retail outlets
and to maintain large marketing and sales staffs, e-commerce allows start-up com-
panies to compete with larger established firms. The three most widely used B2C
applications are for online banking, financial trading, and shopping. Amazon.com
is one of the most widely used B2C sites.
• Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) commerce involves individuals selling to individu- Organization Site
als. C2C often takes the form of an electronic version of the classified ads or an eBay www.ebay.com
auction. Web auctions are similar to traditional auctions except that buyers and
sellers seldom, if ever, meet face to face. Sellers post descriptions of products at uBid www.ubid.com
a website, and buyers submit bids electronically. Like traditional auctions, some- Goodwill www.shopgoodwill.com
times the bidding becomes highly competitive and enthusiastic. One of the most
widely used auction sites is eBay.com. For a list of some of the most popular web
auction sites, see Figure 2-19. Figure 2-19 Auction sites
• Business-to-business (B2B) commerce involves the sale of a product or service
from one business to another. This is typically a manufacturer–supplier relation-
ship. For example, a furniture manufacturer requires raw materials such as wood,
paint, and varnish.

concept check
What is electronic commerce?

What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of electonic commerce?

What are some of the differences among B2C, C2C, and B2B?

Security
The two greatest challenges for e-commerce
are (1) developing fast, secure, and reliable
payment methods for purchased goods
and (2) providing convenient ways to sub-
mit required information such as mailing
addresses and credit card information.
The two basic payment options are by
credit card and by digital cash:
• Credit card purchases are faster and more
convenient than check purchases. Credit
card fraud, however, is a major concern
for both buyers and sellers. We will dis-
cuss this and other privacy and security
issues related to the Internet in Chapter 9.
• Digital cash is the Internet’s equivalent
to traditional cash. Buyers purchase
digital cash from a third party (a bank
that specializes in electronic currency)
and use it to purchase goods. (See
Figure 2-20.) Most digital cash is a digital Figure 2-20 Google Wallet offers digital cash
version of traditional currency, such that Source: Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google Inc.

The Internet, the Web, and Electronic Commerce 41

Organization Site a digital U.S. dollar has the same purchasing power as a traditional U.S. dollar.
However, some digital cash, like bitcoin, have no traditional cash equivalent
Amazon pay.amazon.com
and exist only on the Internet. Sellers convert the digital cash to traditional
Google www.google.com/wallet currency through the third party. Although not as convenient as credit card
Venmo venmo.com purchases, digital cash is more secure. For a list of digital cash providers, see
PayPal www.paypal.com Figure 2-21.

Figure 2-21 Digital cash

providers
concept check
What is electronic commerce? B2C? C2C? B2B?

What are the two greatest challenges for e-commerce?

What are the two basic payment options?

What is digital cash? What is bitcoin? How is it used?

Cloud Computing
Typically, application programs are owned by individuals or organizations and stored
on their computer system’s hard disks. As discussed in Chapter 1, cloud computing
uses the Internet and the web to shift many of these computer activities from the
user’s computer to other computers on the Internet.
While some suggest that cloud computing is merely a marketing term designed to
promote new products, many others see cloud computing as a new model for com-
puting that frees users from owning, maintaining, and storing software and data. It
provides access to these services from anywhere through an Internet connection. Sev-
eral prominent firms are aggressively pursuing this new concept. These firms include
Google, IBM, Intel, and Microsoft, to name just a few.
The basic components of cloud computing are clients, the Internet, and service
providers. (See Figure 2-22.)

Client

Service provider

Client
Client

Client Client

Figure 2-22 Cloud computing Client

42 chapter 2
• Clients are corporations and end users who
want access to data, programs, and storage.
This access is to be available anywhere and
anytime that a connection to the Internet is
available. End users do not need to buy, install,
and maintain application programs and data.
• The Internet provides the connection between
the clients and the providers. Two of the most
critical factors determining the efficiency of
cloud computing are (1) the speed and reliability
of the user’s access to the Internet and (2) the
Internet’s capability to provide safe and reliable
transmission of data and programs.
• Service providers are organizations with
computers connected to the Internet that are
willing to provide access to software, data, and
storage. These providers may charge a fee or
may be free. For example, Google Drive Apps
provide free access to programs with capabili- Figure 2-23 Web-based service (Google Drive Apps)
ties similar to Microsoft’s Word, Excel, and Source: Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google Inc.
PowerPoint. (See Figure 2-23.)
In the following chapters, you will learn more about the services provided through
cloud computing. You will also learn about security and privacy challenges associated
with cloud computing.

concept check
What is cloud computing?

What are the three basic components of cloud computing?

What are the two most critical factors that determine the efficiency of cloud computing?

The Internet of Things

The Internet is becoming more and more a part of our lives. As discussed in Chapter 1, the
Internet of Things (IoT) is the continuing development of the Internet that allows every-
day objects embedded with electronic devices to send and receive data over the Internet.
These everyday objects include smartphones, wearable
devices, and even coffeemakers. For example, the Fitbit is
a bracelet that monitors health data and sends that data to
your smartphone or personal web page. (See Figure 2-24.)
A Web 3.0 application can (1) access the Fitbit data,
(2) combine that data with other data on the web, (3)
process the data, and (4) send information back to
another device. For example, Apple’s Health App, a
Web 3.0 application, can access your Fitbit data, com-
bine it with other related health data, analyze the data,
and report back to you through your smartphone.
These reports provide information about your health, Figure 2-24 Fitbit
including your heart rate, steps taken each day, and an ©Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg/Getty Figure 2-25 Apple’s Health App
estimate of daily calories burned. (See Figure 2-25.) Images ©picture alliance/Frank Duenzl/Newscom

The Internet, the Web, and Electronic Commerce 43

 concept check
What is the Internet of Things?

What is Fitbit and Apple’s Health App? How do they work together?

Discuss how Fitbit and Apple’s Health App are examples of using IoT.

Careers in IT
“ Now that you’ve learned about the Internet,
the web, and electronic commerce, I’d like to
Webmasters develop and maintain websites and resources. The job may
include backup of the company website, updating resources, or devel-
tell you about my career as a webmaster.
” opment of new resources. Webmasters are often involved in the design
and development of the website. Some webmasters monitor traffic on
the site and take steps to encourage users to visit the site. Webmasters
also may work with marketing personnel to increase site traffic and may
be involved in the development of web promotions.
Employers look for candidates with a bachelor’s or associate’s degree
in computer science or information systems and knowledge of common
programming languages and web development software. Knowledge of
HTML and CSS is considered essential. Those with experience using
web authoring software and programs like Adobe Illustrator and Adobe
Dreamweaver are often preferred. Good communication and organiza-
tional skills are vital in this position.
Webmasters can expect to earn an annual salary of $61,000 to
$83,000. This position is relatively new in many corporations and tends
to have fluid responsibilities. With technological advances and increas-
ing corporate emphasis on a web presence, experience in this field
could lead to managerial opportunities.
©Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock

44 chapter 2
 A LOOK TO THE FUTURE

Let the Computer Take the Wheel self-driving cars. These levels go from level 0, with no auto-
mated control, to level 5, a fully autonomous vehicle. Right
Driving in rush hour can be very stressful. Wouldn’t be great now, you can buy a car at level 2, where automated systems
if you could just sit back and watch a movie, take a nap, or can maintain speed (cruise control), parallel park (with park-
just look out the window while someone or something else ing assistance), and drive with limited human interaction. For
drives your car? Right now, a computer located within the example, Tesla’s autopilot system automatically speeds up or
vehicle already governs many of your car’s functions. That slows down to avoid other cars and make steering changes
computer is responsible for various safety and diagnostic to stay in its lane. Test vehicles from Uber and Google are
features. Many of today’s auto- currently on the road with level 3
mobiles provide Internet access autonomy, only requiring human
for driving directions, streaming drivers to supervise the self-
audio, and cell phone connectiv- driving car.
ity. In the very near future, cars Vehicle manufacturers are
will likely drive themselves and confident that fully autono-
seamlessly integrate into our digi- mous vehicles are coming soon.
tal lives. Mercedes plans to sell self-
Apple and Google have cre- driving cars in 2020. BMW
ated partnerships with auto- has announced they will sell a
mobile manufacturers to place level 3 autonomous vehicle in
iPad or Android devices into 2021. Ford has targeted 2021
the center of a vehicle’s main for putting a level 4 self-driving
console. Cars can connect to car on the road, a vehicle that
Wi-Fi access points or cellular ©Chesky/Shutterstock would drive without assistance
networks to reach the Internet or supervision in specific areas.
as the modern smartphone does. These developments For example, a level 4 self-driving car would take over driv-
allow your vehicle to provide many services that normally ing when on the freeway and require no supervision.
require a smartphone, but in a safer and more integrated The self-driving car would represent a huge shift in the
manner. way we drive, but it could also represent a change in the
However, concerns about making it safer to use these way we own cars. Ride-sharing companies Lyft and Uber
services while driving may soon be unfounded, as advances are both heavily invested in developing autonomous vehicle
in self-driving technologies may make driving a thing of the technologies. These companies envision a future where car
past. Google has been working on self-driving vehicles for ownership is a thing of the past and people subscribe to
several years, with test vehicles logging over 1.5 million driverless car services, much like Netflix offers a service
miles on the streets of California. Researchers at Carnegie that replaces DVD ownership. Car manufacturer Tesla has
Mellon have teamed up with Uber to test self-driving cars a slightly different future in mind, one where you own your
in Arizona and Pennsylvania. Further, many self-driving fea- self-driving car, but when you aren’t using it, it could go on
tures are already in existing vehicles. the road by itself as part of a larger ride-sharing fleet of
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administra- vehicles. As you work or sleep, your car can be working to
tion (NHTSA) and the Society of Automotive Engineers make you money. Do you think you could hand over control
(SAE) have developed different levels of driving ability for to an autonomous car?

45
VISUAL SUMMARY The Internet, the Web, and Electronic Commerce

INTERNET AND WEB INTERNET ACCESS

Source: Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of

Google Inc. Source: Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of
Google Inc.

Internet
Once connected to the Internet, your computer seemingly
Launched in 1969 with ARPANET, the Internet consists
becomes an extension of a giant computer that branches
of the actual physical network.
all over the world.
Web
Providers
Introduced in 1991, the web (World Wide Web, WWW)
Internet service providers are connected to the Internet,
provides a multimedia interface to Internet resources. Three
providing a path for individuals to access the Internet.
generations: Web 1.0 (links existing information, search
Connection technologies include DSL, cable, and wire-
engines), Web 2.0 (creates dynamic content and social inter-
less modems.
action, social media sites), and Web 3.0 (identifies relation-
ships between data).
Browsers
Browsers provide access to web resources. Some related
Common Uses
terms are
The most common uses of the Internet and the web
include • URLs—locations or addresses to web resources; two
parts are protocol and domain name; top-level domain
• Communication—the most popular Internet activity.
(TLD) or web suffix identifies type of organization.
• Shopping—one of the fastest-growing Internet • HTML—commands to display web pages; hyperlinks
activities.
(links) are connections.
• Searching—access libraries and local, national, and Technologies providing interactive, animated websites
international news.
include cascading style sheets, or CSS (to control the
• Education—e-learning or taking online courses. appearance of web pages); JavaScript (executes on the
• Entertainment—music, movies, magazines, and com- user’s computer to trigger interactive features); and PHP
puter games. (like JavaScript except executes on website’s computer).
Mobile browsers run on portable devices.

46 chapter 2
To efficiently and effectively use computers, you need to be aware of resources available on the Internet and web, to be
able to access these resources, to effectively communicate electronically, to efficiently locate information, to understand
electronic commerce, and to use web utilities.

WEB UTILITIES COMMUNICATION

Source: Norton Source: Facebook

Social Networking
Web utilities are specialized utility programs that make Social networking sites connect people and organizations
using the Internet and the web easier and safer. that share a common interest or activity. Common fea-
tures include profiles, pages, groups, friends, news feeds,
Filters and share settings. Two well-known sites are Facebook
Filters are used by parents and organizations to block cer- and LinkedIn.
tain sites and to monitor use of the Internet and the web.
Blogs, Webcasts, and Wikis
File Transfer Utilities Other sites that help individuals communicate across the
File transfer utilities copy files to (downloading) and from web are blogs, microblogs, webcasts, podcasts, and wikis.
(uploading) your computer. There are three types • Blogs (web logs) are typically personal websites to
• File transfer protocol (FTP) and secure file transfer keep in touch with friends and family. Some are like
protocol (SFTP) allow you to efficiently copy files online diaries. Businesses, newspapers, and others
across the Internet. also use blogs as a quick publishing method.
• BitTorrent distributes file transfers across many differ- • Microblogs, unlike traditional blogs, use only short
ent computers. sentences that take only a few seconds to write.
Twitter is the most popular microblogging site.
• Web-based file transfer services make use of a web A Twitter message is known as a tweet.
browser to upload and download files.
• Webcasts deliver media content over the Internet.
Using streaming technology (audio and video files
Internet Security Suite
continuously downloaded while you are listening to
An Internet security suite is a collection of utility pro-
and/or viewing the file content), no files remain on
grams designed to protect your privacy and security on
your computer at the conclusion of the webcast.
the Internet.
• Podcasts, like webcasts, deliver media content but do
not use streaming technology. Before content can be
accessed, the entire media file has to be downloaded
and saved to your computer.
• A wiki is a website designed to allow visitors to use
their browsers to add, edit, or delete the site’s content.
Wikipedia is one of the most popular wikis.

The Internet, the Web, and Electronic Commerce 47

COMMUNICATION SEARCH TOOLS

Search Service Site

Bing www.bing.com
Duckduckgo www.duckduckgo.com
Google www.google.com
Yahoo! www.yahoo.com

Search services maintain huge databases relating to web-

site content. Spiders are programs that update these
databases.

Search Engines
Search engines are specialized programs to help locate
information. To use, enter a keyword or phrase, and a list
of search results is displayed.
E-mail
E-mail (electronic mail) is the transmission of electronic Specialized Search Engines
messages. There are two basic types of e-mail systems: Specialized search engines focus on subject-specific
• Client-based e-mail systems use e-mail clients websites.
installed on your computer.
Topic Site
• Web-based e-mail systems use webmail clients located
on the e-mail provider’s computer. This is known as Cooking www.recipebridge.com
webmail. Fashion www.shopstyle.com
A typical e-mail has three basic elements: header Images www.picsearch.com
(including address, subject, and perhaps attachment), People pipl.com
message, and signature. Research scholar.google.com

dcoats@usc.edu Content Evaluation

To evaluate the accuracy of information found on the web,
consider the following:
• Authority. Is the author an expert? Is the site official
Spam is unwanted and unsolicited e-mail that may or does it present one individual’s or organization’s
include a computer virus or destructive programs often opinion?
attached to unsolicited e-mail. Spam blockers, also known as • Accuracy. Has the information been critically
spam ­filters, are programs that identify and eliminate spam. reviewed? Does the site provide a method to report
inaccurate information?
Messaging • Objectivity. Is the information factual or does the
Although e-mail is the most widely used, there are two author have a bias? Does the author appear to have
other messaging systems: a personal agenda to convince or form a reader’s
• Text messaging, also known as texting and SMS (short opinion?
message service), is a process of sending short electronic • Currency. Is the information up to date? Does the site
messages, typically fewer than 160 characters. Texting specify when information is updated? Are the site’s
while driving is very dangerous and illegal in several states. links operational?
• Instant messaging (IM)—supports live communication
between friends. Most instant messaging programs
also include videoconferencing features, file sharing,
and remote assistance.

48 chapter 2
ELECTRONIC COMMERCE INTERNET OF THINGS

©Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg/Getty
Images

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a continuing development

of the Internet allowing everyday objects embedded with
electronic devices to send and receive data over the Inter-
Source: Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of net. Objects include smartphones, wearable devices, and
Google Inc. even coffeemakers. For example:
Electronic commerce, or e-commerce, is the buying and • The Fitbit is an IoT device (bracelet) that monitors
selling of goods over the Internet. Three basic types are health data and sends that data to a smartphone or
• Business-to-consumer (B2C) commerce, which personal web page.
involves sales from business to the general public. • Apple’s Health App is a Web 3.0 application that can
• Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) commerce, which access Fitbit data, combine it with other related health
involves sales between individuals. Web auctions are data, analyze the data, and report back to you through
similar to traditional auctions except buyers and sellers a smartphone.
rarely, if ever, meet face to face. The Apple Health App reports provide information
• Business-to-business (B2B) commerce, which involves about users’ health, including heart rate, steps taken each
sales from one business to another, typically a day, and an estimate of daily calories burned.
­manufacturer–supplier relationship.

Security CAREERS in IT
The two greatest challenges for e-commerce are the devel- Webmasters develop and maintain websites and web
opment of resources. A bachelor’s or associate’s degree in computer
• Safe, secure payment methods. Two types are credit science or information systems and knowledge of com-
cards and digital cash. Bitcoins exist only on the Internet. mon programming languages and web development soft-
• Convenient ways to provide required information. ware are required. Salary range is $61,000 to $83,000.

CLOUD COMPUTING
Cloud computing shifts many computer activities from
the user’s computer to other computers on the Internet.
The three basic components to cloud computing are
clients, the Internet, and service providers.

The Internet, the Web, and Electronic Commerce 49

 KEY TERMS
address (31) pages (34)
Advanced Research Project Agency podcast (38)
Network (ARPANET) (26) PHP (31)
attachment (37) profiles (34)
BitTorrent (33) protocol (31)
blog (35) search engine (39)
browser (30) search service (39)
business-to-business (B2B) (41) secure file transfer protocol (SFTP) (33)
business-to-consumer (B2C) (41) share settings (34)
cable (30) signature (37)
cascading style sheets (CSS) (31) SMS (short messaging service) (38)
client-based e-mail system (37) social networking (34)
cloud computing (42) spam (38)
consumer-to-consumer (C2C) (41) spam blocker (38)
digital cash (41) spam filter (38)
domain name (31) specialized search engine (39)
downloading (32) spider (39)
DSL (30) streaming (36)
e-commerce (40) subject (37)
e-learning (27) texting (38)
electronic commerce (40) text messaging (38)
electronic mail (37) top-level domain (TLD) (31)
e-mail (37) tweet (35)
e-mail client (37) Twitter (35)
Facebook (39) uniform resource locator (URL) (31)
file transfer protocol (FTP) (33) uploading (32)
filter (32) virus (38)
friend (34) web (26)
groups (34) Web 1.0 (26)
header (37) Web 2.0 (26)
hyperlink (31) Web 3.0 (26)
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) (31) web auction (41)
instant messaging (IM) (38) web-based e-mail system (37)
Internet (26) web-based file transfer services (32)
Internet of Things (IoT) (43) webcasts (36)
Internet security suite (33) web log (41)
Internet service provider (ISP) (30) webmail (37)
JavaScript (31) webmail client (37)
link (31) webmaster (44)
LinkedIn (40) web page (31)
location (31) web suffix (31)
message (37) web utility (32)
microblog (35) wiki (36)
MMS (multimedia messaging Wikipedia (36)
service) (38) wireless modem (30)
mobile browser (31) World Wide Web (26)
news feed (34) WWW (26)
online (27)

50 chapter 2
MULTIPLE CHOICE
Circle the correct answer.

1. The network that connects computers all over the world.

a. ARPANET c. LAN
b. Internet d. web
2. The rules for exchanging data between computers.
a. DSL c. web
b. protocols d. WWW
3. Using file transfer utility software, you can copy files to your computer from specially
configured servers on the Internet. This is called:
a. downloading c. blogging
b. filtering d. uploading
4. Communities of individuals who share a common interest typically create Facebook:
a. clients c. pages
b. groups d. profiles
5. Type of e-mail account that does not require an e-mail program to be installed on a
user’s computer is:
a. blog-based c. utility-based
b. client-based d. web-based
6. The most popular microblogging site:
a. LinkedIn c. Twitter
b. Google+ d. Wikipedia
7. Using a keyword, a search engine returns a list of related sites known as:
a. blogs c. podcasts
b. hits d. strikes
8. This is the Internet’s equivalent to traditional cash.
a. digital cash c. ftp
b. e-commerce d. Internet dollars
9. The continuing Internet development that allows objects to send and receive data over
the Internet.
a. HTML c. search engines
b. IoT d. Web 2.0
10. Three basic components to cloud computing are clients, Internet, and _____.
a. CSS c. streaming
b. service providers d. Web 3.0

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 MATCHING
Match each numbered item with the most closely related lettered item. Write your answers in
the spaces provided.

a. chat 1. The most popular Internet activity.

b. C2C 2. The most common way to access the Internet is
c. communicating through a(n) _____.
d. e-mail 3. Transmission of electronic messages over the Internet.
e. Internet 4. Two popular instant messaging services are Google
f. ISP Talk and Facebook _____.
g. LinkedIn 5. A business-oriented social networking site.
h. microblog 6. Individual website to keep in touch with friends and
family.
i. search services
7. Publishes short sentences that take only a few
j. blog
seconds to write.
8. Maintain huge databases relating to information
provided on the web and the Internet.
9. Electronic commerce involving individuals selling
to individuals.
10. The basic components of cloud computing are
clients, service providers, and the _____.

OPEN-ENDED
On a separate sheet of paper, respond to each question or statement.

1. Discuss the Internet and web, including their origins, the three generations of the web,
and the most common uses.
2. Describe how to access the Internet. What are providers? Define browsers, and discuss
URLs, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and mobile browsers.
3. What are web utilities? Discuss filters, file transfer utilities, and Internet security suites.
4. Discuss Internet communications, including social networking, blogs, microblogs, web-
casts, podcasts, wikis, client-based and web-based e-mail, and messaging.
5. Define search tools, including search services. Discuss search engines and specialized
search engines. Describe how to evaluate the content of a website.
6. Describe electronic commerce, including business-to-consumer, consumer-to-consumer,
and business-to-business e-commerce, and security.
7. Discuss the Internet of Things (IoT). Describe how Fitbit and Apple’s Health App are
examples of how an IoT device can interact with a Web 3.0 application.
8. What is cloud computing? Describe three basic components of cloud computing.

52 chapter 2
DISCUSSION
Respond to each of the following questions.

1 Making IT Work for You: ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT

Review the Making IT Work for You: Online Entertainment on pages 28–29 and then respond to the fol-
lowing: (1) Do you currently use online entertainment? If so, which ones? If not, do you plan on using one
in the future? Why or why not? (2) What are the advantages and disadvantages of online entertainment
options compared to traditional sources? Be specific. (3) Compare news feeds to traditional newspa-
pers. Which would be better for exposing you to new ideas? Which one would be better at challenging
your point of view? Be specific and defend your position.

2 Privacy: SOCIAL NETWORKING

When a Facebook friend posts a picture, video, or text that includes you, who can view that post? Review
the Privacy box on page 34, and respond to the following: (a) Who should be responsible for ensuring
privacy on social networking sites? Defend your position. (b) Do you think that most people are aware of
their privacy settings on Facebook? Have you ever checked your settings? Why or why not? (c) Investi-
gate and then summarize the default security settings for a social networking website such as Facebook
or Google+.

3 Ethics: MONITORING CONTENT

Review the Ethics box on page 27 and then respond to the following: (1) Does Facebook have an ethical
responsibility to monitor content? Defend your position. (2) If you responded yes to (1), who should have
the power to determine or to arbitrate what is and what is not objectionable? If you responded no to
(1), can you think of any situations in which it would not be appropriate to block or remove content? Be
specific and defend your position.

4 Environment: DIGITAL NEWS

Review the Environment box on page 34 and then respond to the following: (1) Does the publisher of your
favorite newspaper have a website? If so, does it include the news and features that you would find in
your daily paper? (2) Go to the website of a national newspaper or magazine that also publishes online.
Do they offer a digital subscription? How does the digital edition differ from the print edition? How does
the digital edition price compare to the print edition price? (3) Do you currently have a digital newspaper
or magazine? If so, what ones do you subscribe to? If not, would you consider switching to digital sub-
scriptions? Why or why not?

Design Elements: Concept Check icons: ©Dizzle52/Getty Images;

Making IT Work for You: ©Shutterstock/cifotart

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