Internet

Introduction to the Internet
Introduction
The Internet is a worldwide collection of c9omputer networks, cooperating with each other to exchange data using a common software standard. Through telephone wires and satellite links, Internet users can share information in a variety of forms. The size, scope and design of the Internet allows users to:
· connect easily through ordinary personal computers and local phone numbers;
· exchange electronic mail (E-mail) with friends and colleagues with accounts on the Internet;
· post information for others to access, and update it frequently;
· access multimedia information that includes sound, photographic images and even video; and
· access diverse perspectives from around the world.
An additional attribute of the Internet is that it lacks a central authority—in other words, there is no "Internet, Inc." that controls the Internet. Beyond the various governing boards that work to establish policies and standards, the Internet is bound by few rules and answers to no single organization.
What is the Internet?
There are several different ways to look at what the Internet actually is.
At the highest level, the Internet is the people that use it - the global community of users.
At another level, the Internet is a set of protocols that define the rules of how the computers will transfer information with one another.
At the lowest level, it is the hardware behind the computer networks - the computers, modems, phone lines and cables that link together to form a huge network.
What's the relationship between the WWW and the Internet?
The World Wide Web is just one of the many services that the Internet provides. Some other services provided by the Internet are email, FTP, gopher, telnet and usenet.
Language of the Internet
The Net, The Information Superhighway: The Internet
The Web, WWW, W3, W3: The World Wide Web
Web Page: A single Web document. Everything you can see in your browser window at one time (including what you can see by scrolling) makes up one Web page.
Browser, Web Browser: The piece of software that runs on your computer and allows you to view Web pages. The most common browsers are Netscape and Internet Explorer.
Web Site: A set of Web pages that are logically connected. They usually have a consistent look and feel, and are all related to the same theme.
Home Page: The starting, introductory or welcome page for a Web site. A person's own home page is a Web page that describes all about them.
Link, Hot Link, Hyper Link: A part of a Web page that can be clicked to get somewhere else - eg This is a link to the English Online Home Page. Links usually turn up a different colour and/or underlined in your Web browser.
Broken Link: A link that references a page that no longer exists. If you click on a broken link you will get some kind of "Page not found - Error 404" message.
Hypertext: Text that can contain links.
HTML: Stands for HyperText Markup Language. This is the language that all Web pages are written in.
URL: Stands for Uniform Resource Locator. This is the address of a Web page - for example http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/resources/resources/tutorial/introduction/language.html is the URL of this Web page.
See How a URL works
Webserver, Web Server: A Webserver is a computer which holds a number of Web pages, and 'serves' them out to computers that request them. There is nothing very special about the actual computer - it's just an ordinary computer (though usually a fairly powerful one) running special software.
Surf: "Surfing the Web" means casually using the Web - not really having any direction, just clicking the links that look interesting to find yourself in weird and interesting places.
Cyber: Virtual - not real but existing only in the context of the Internet.
Cyberspace: A conceptual place that doesn't actually physically exist - but you can roam around in it, visit places, meet other people there, chat to them, go shopping ... Cyberspace is a real world metaphor for the Internet.
Newbie: A person who is new to the Internet, or new to a particular aspect of the Internet such as a service (IRC, usenet) or a particular group (a specific mailing list or newsgroup).
Post: When you send a message to a discussion forum, you're posting. This word can be used as a verb ("I posted a message") or a noun ("that was a nice post").
FAQ: Stands for Frequently Asked Questions. They originate from online discussion forums where more experienced users got sick of answering the same "newbie" questions over and over again. So they started writing lists of frequently asked questions and their answers so newbies could refer to those. The concept has grown, and now a FAQ is more general - designed as an introduction to a certain topic.
Snail Mail: Traditional mail using paper, pen, envelope and stamp.
Remote: Not on your own computer or on a computer directly connected with yours, but far away out in the Internet somewhere.
Local: On your own computer, or on a computer connected closely with yours (a local network).
Download: Download a file means transferring that file from a remote computer to your own computer. Technically, you are downloading a Web page (and all the elements, such as pictures contained on it) every time you view it, but the word is usually resevered to describe saving a file permanently on your own computer.
Shareware: Software that you can use for free on a trial basis. It can often be downloaded from the Web.
ISP: Stands for Internet Service Provider. They are companies who provide you with Internet access. Usually you use your telephone connected to a modem to dial up and connect your computer to your ISP.
Interactive: Refers to any program which lets the user make decisions that affect the way the program operates in some way. It could be as simple as clicking a hypertext link, or more complicated like answering a quiz question and getting feedback.
Bandwidth: It has a technical definition, but it is mostly used to describe how much data you can fit through a single connection at a time, and is related to how fast your Internet connection is.
The Sum of Many Parts
Unlike many computer networks, the Internet consists of not one but multiple data systems that were developed independently. The most popular and important systems are:
· E-mail, for exchange of electronic mail messages.
· USENET newsgroups, for posting and responding to public "bulletin board" messages.
· File Transfer Protocol (FTP), a system for storing and retrieving data files on large computer systems.
· Gopher, a method of searching for various text-based Internet resources (largely obsolete).
· TELNET, a way of connecting directly to computer systems on the Internet.
· Internet Relay Chat (IRC), a system for sending public and private messages to other users in "real time"—that is, your message appears on the recipient's screen as soon as you type it.
· CU-SeeMe, a videoconferencing system that allows users to send and receive sound and pictures simultaneously over the Internet.
· The World Wide Web.

Q.] Who runs the Internet?
Ans: Internet is sponcered by various government agencies, university , colleges, and co-operations. These contributions make ISP(Internet Service Provider).
e.g. BSNL, MTNL, VSNL, Satyam


Reasons why people use the Internet
To find general information about a subjectThe Web is like a huge encyclopedia of information - in some ways it's even better. The volume of information you'll find on the Web is amazing.

In fact you can even find online encyclopedias. There are also many free ecyclopedias that may give you a cut-down version of what you would find in a complete encyclopedia.



To access information not easily available elsewhereOne of the great things about the Web is that it puts information into your hands that you might otherwise have to pay for or find out by less convenient means.



To correspond with faraway friendsEmail offers a cheap and easy alternative to traditional methods of correspondence. It's faster and easier than writing snail mail and cheaper than using the telephone.. However if you spell anything wrong in an email address, your mail won't be delivered (you might get it sent back to you or you might never realise).

To discuss their interests with like-minded peopleDid you think you were alone in your obsession with a singer, TV programme, author, hobby? Chances are there's and Internet group for people like you, discussing every little detail of your obsession right now.
To learnOnline distance education courses can give you an opportunity to gain a qualification over the Internet.
To read the news



To find softwareThe Internet contains a wealth of useful downloadable shareware. Some pieces of shareware are limited versions of the full piece of software, other are time limited trials (you should pay once the time limit is up). Other shareware is free for educational institutes, or for non-commercial purposes.



To buy thingsThe security of on-line shopping is still questionable, but as long as you are dealing with a reputable company or Web Site the risks are minimal.



To advertise a productMost company Web sites start up as a big advertisement for their products and services. Companies may also give away some information for free as an incentive for people to visit their pages.



To sell a productInternet shopping (e-commerce) is still in its infancy - it takes a very good marketing strategy to actually make money out of selling items over the Web, but that doesn't stop lots of people from trying.


To make moneyA popular way to make money out of the Web is from advertising revenue. Popular sites have banners at the top of the page enticing people to click them and be taken to the advertiser's Web site. These banners are generally animated and very appealing, with mysterious messages to make users wonder where they will be taken. For each person that clicks the ad, the host site gets commission. Making money this way is only successful if the site gets lots of visitors (thousands a day); so the sites must be very useful and offer something of real value to their visitors.



To share their knowledge with the worldMany individuals write Web pages to share information about their interests or hobbies. They don't expect to make any money out of it - they just feel that the Web has given them so much information that the least they can do is put something into it that may be useful for others. Other rewards come from the prestige of having their site recognised as something good and the contact inspired by their pages with others sharing the same interest


How to Connect to the Internet and World Wide Web

Before you can connect to the Internet and access the World Wide Web, you need to have certain equipment. In brief, you must have a computer (preferably running an up-to-date operating system); a modem and access to a telephone line or a local area network (LAN) that is in turn connected to the Internet; and connection software that will allow you to establish an account with a service provider and access the Internet.
A modem is not needed when accessing the Internet through a LAN.
The Right Hardware
If you are accessing the Internet outside of a LAN environment, you will need a modem that will connect you with other computers and interpret the data being sent back and forth. Most any modem that is compatible with your computer will do, though the higher the kilobits per second (kbps) rate of your modem, the faster it will transmit data. Modem speed is an important consideration when accessing sites on the Web that contain lots of digitized data. In general, your modem should transmit data at 14.4 kbps or faster to give you optimum performance on the Web. If you are looking to purchase a modem, buy the fastest model you can afford.
You must also have access to a live telephone line. Most modems accept the same jacks as do ordinary household telephones, allowing you to connect your modem to a wall jack using standard phone cord. Some cable TV providers have begun offering Internet connections via cable. Such connections provide much faster transmission speeds than standard phone lines, though you will need a special modem that allows you to link your computer with the cable. If you are interested in a cable Internet connection, contact your local cable operator to see if the service is available in your area.
You can also connect to the Internet through a LAN with Internet access. If you are unsure as to the capacities of your LAN to do this, contact your site's systems administrator.
Q.] How can you connect to the internet?
Ans: Connection to internet involves connecting to any of the computer which are connected to each other on a constant basis. These computers are called Server. Which are connected to various other medium Such as: 1) Dial-up Phone line (Modem) 2) Local area network cable 3) Fibre optics 4) Dedicated lines or Lease line 5) Satellite communication 6)Cellular phone.
The Right Software
For best results, make sure that your computer is running the most up-to-date operating system that it can handle.
To make your connection complete, you will need connection software that allows your computer to dial into an Internet access provider, establish an account, and work with the data in a straightforward manner. Many access providers will give you software that will allow you to access their systems using an all-in-one custom interface. Others may give you a collection of separate software packages that can be used together. But whatever software they provide, be sure that it is compatible with your computer and operating system before attempting to use it.
The Browser
As you surf the Web, you will come across sites that state, "This site is best viewed with…" and then name a particular browser. Many will even provide a link to a site where you can download the specified browser.
Sites make these recommendations because some browsers use special protocols, allowing site creators to offer extra features beyond the standard capabilities of hypertext markup language (HTML). Chief among these browsers are Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Connection Options
Until recently, the two primary methods of accessing the Internet were through a network connection, allowing users of local area networks (LANs) to go online through their school or workplace systems, and dial-up connections through a modem and phone line. However, new connection options allow for greater speeds and flexibility, while keeping costs to a minimum.
The following are some of the newer connection options that you might want to investigate:
· Cable Internet—These systems allow your computer to connect to the Internet through the same cable that carries your TV signal. Monthly service charges are usually not much more than standard modem connection costs, but you have to rent or purchase a "cable modem." Additionally, your computer will need an Ethernet card (a special circuit board that allows for network connections). Not all cable service operators offer this service; call your local operator for more information.
· Satellite connections—Direct PC allows you to download Internet files via a satellite connection. This is an efficient method for receiving large Web graphics and other items, but you still need a modem connection for other features. You must purchase the connection hardware as well as subscribe to the service.
· Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)—An ISDN line is a type of digital phone line that can transmit data many times faster than a conventional modem and phone line.
· Wireless connections—Pagers, cellular phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) now allow varying levels of Internet access, from notification of E-mail to limited Web connections. Many of these services remain in the experimental stage.
· WebTV—Introduced in late 1996, WebTV provides Web and E-mail access through ordinary television sets. The connection is made through a custom high-speed modem. You must purchase a special set-top unit for your TV, plus subscribe to the connection service. Recently, similar systems by other manufacturers have appeared on the market to compete with WebTV.