The Internet is a worldwide collection of
networks that links millions of businesses, government agencies, educational
institutions, and individuals. The Internet has its roots in ARPANET
, a network started in 1969 by an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense
to link scientific and academic researchers across the United States. In 1986,
the National Science Foundation (NSF) connected its huge network, called NSFnet,
to ARPANET, creating a configuration of complex networks and hosts that became
known as the Internet. Today, the Internet consists of many local, regional,
national, and international networks.
Employees and students often connect to the Internet
through a business or school network. The networks usually use a high-speed line
leased from a local telephone company to connect to an access provider. Many
home and small businesses connect to the Internet with dial-up access,
which uses a modem in the computer and a standard telephone line. Some home and
small business users opt for higher-speed connections, such as DSL,
ISDN, or cable television Internet services. DSL and ISDN are
technologies that provide Internet connections using regular copper telephone
lines. A cable modem provides high-speed Internet connections
through the cable television network. An access provider is a
business that provides access to the Internet free or for a fee. An ISP
(Internet service provider) is a regional or national access provider.
An online service provider (OSP) provides Internet access in
addition to members-only features. A wireless service provider (WSP)
is a company that provides wireless Internet access to users with wireless
modems or Web-enabled mobile devices.
An IP address (Internet Protocol
address) is a number that uniquely identifies each computer or device
connected to the Internet. The Internet relies on IP addresses to send data to
computers at specific locations. A domain name is the text
version of an IP address. As with an IP address, the components of a domain name
are separated by periods. A DNS
(domain name system) server translates a
domain name into its associated IP address so data can route to the correct
computer.
The World Wide Web (WWW), or Web,
consists of a worldwide collection of electronic documents. Each document is
called a Web page. A Web
address , or URL (Uniform Resource Locator),
is a unique address for a Web page. A Web address consists of a protocol that
defines how the page transfers on the Web, a domain name, and sometimes the path
to a specific Web page or location on a Web page and the Web page name.
A Web browser, or browser,
is application software that allows users to access and view Web pages. When you
type a Web address in the Address text box at the top of the browser window, a
computer called a Web
server delivers the requested Web page to your computer. Most Web
pages contain links. A link is a built-in connection to a related Web page or
part of a Web page.
A search engine is a software program that
finds Web pages and Web sites. A Web site is a collection of
related Web pages and associated items. To display a search engine, enter the
search engine Web address into your Web browser. From the search engine, enter a
word or phrase, called search text, or keywords
, in the search engine’s text box. The search engine displays a list of hits,
or Web page names, that contain the search text. Click the desired link to
display the Web page.
A portal is a Web site that offers a
variety of Internet services from a single location. A news Web site contains
newsworthy material. An informational Web site contains factual information. A business/marketing
Web site contains content that promotes or sells products or services. An
educational Web site offers avenues for formal and informal teaching and
learning. An entertainment Web site offers an interactive and engaging
environment. An advocacy Web site contains content that describes a cause,
opinion, or idea. A personal Web site is maintained by a private individual or
family.
Some Web pages use multimedia, which
combines text with graphics, animation, audio, video, and/or virtual reality. A graphic
is a digital representation of nontext information such as a drawing, chart, or
photograph. Animation is the appearance of motion created by
displaying a series of still images in sequence. Audio includes
music, speech, or any other sound. Video consists of full-motion images that are
played back at various speeds. Virtual
reality (VR) is the use of computers to simulate a real or imagined
environment that appears as three-dimensional space.
E-Commerce
, short for electronic commerce, is a business transaction that occurs
over an electronic network such as the Internet. Business-to-consumer
(B2C e-commerce) consists of the sale of goods and services to the
general public. Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) e-commerce occurs when one
consumer sells directly to another, such as an online auction. Business-to-business
(B2B) e-commerce, which is the most common form of e-commerce, takes place
between businesses that exchange goods and services.
E-mail
(short for electronic mail) is the transmission of messages
and files via a computer network. FTP (File Transfer
Protocol) is an Internet standard that permits file uploading and
downloading with other computers on the Internet. A newsgroup
is an online area in which users have written about a particular subject. A message
board is a popular Web-based type of discussion group that is easier to
use than a newsgroup. A mailing list is a group of e-mail names
and addresses given a single name, so that everyone on the list receives a
message sent to the list. A chat room is a location on an
Internet server that permits users to chat, or conduct
real-time typed conversations. Instant messaging (IM) is a
real-time Internet communications service that notifies you when one or more
people are online.
Netiquette
, which is short for Internet etiquette, is the code of acceptable
behaviors users should follow while on the Internet. Keep messages short. Be
polite. Read the FAQ if one exists. Do not assume material is accurate or up to
date, and never read someone’s private e-mail.
Web
publishing is the development and maintenance of Web pages. The
five major steps to Web publishing are: (1) plan a Web site, (2) analyze and
design a Web site, (3) create a Web site, (4) deploy a Web site, and (5)
maintain a Web site. You can use Web page authoring software to create
sophisticated Web pages with special effects. A Webmaster or
Web developer maintains a Web site using software products.