Sign Up Today for our
Marketing Newsletter! |
Net Profits is our newsletter sent directly to your email
|
|
Sign Up Today for
our Shopping Newsletter. Just what you need if you offer your
customers products to purchase or if you shop yourself |
|
|
Not enough time to write your own newsletter. Riclin House's Professional
writers can produce a monthly newsletter to send to customers
and potentials.
VERY Affordable
See More Here
Featured Site
Tahoe Mall
Wholesale Prices on 1,000's of Gift Items.
|
|
|
More Articles
Sept. 1998 - "Now is the Time"
Oct. 1998 - "What is the Internet?"
Nov. 1998 - "It's an email World"
Jan. 1999 - "Little Help from a ..."
Jan. 1999 - "Is the Internet Safe?"
Mar. 1999 - "Desktop Clutter"
Apr. 1999 - "Searching the Net"
May 1999 - "What's in Domain Name?"
June 1999 - "Inernet Chaperones"
July 1999 - "Mind Your Online Manners"
Aug 1999 - " Chasing the Porsche"
Sept. 1999 - "Buying Hardware"
Oct. 1999 - "Buying Software" |
|
(This article was originally published in The Tahoe Daily Tribune)
The Internet is exploding with unparalleled popularity, but what
is the Internet, really?
Though often used interchangeably, the Internet and Web are not
the same thing. The Internet is a global network of computers
linked together with a common thread, in this case, phone lines.
The Web is a part of the Internet (or global network), and perhaps
the best known because of its graphic attributes.
The Web links millions of computers worldwide so that people can
send, receive and communicate (via email) over normal phone lines.
This is done speedily and often incurring no costs beyond the
monthly charge, about $20.
The Web is designed to display text and graphics (sometimes animated)
using a particular language, HTML. (see glossary below). HTML
also allows different Web pages to be hyperlinked with a single
mouse click. Clicking Hyperlinks is how you travel the SuperHighway.
While traveling the SuperHighway, you can pause to gain information
on anything, buy products and services, play games, communicate
with others, listen to music and a host of other activities. Finding
things is achieved either by using Search Engines, which act as
road maps through the maze of 10 million Web pages, or by typing
in the address in the location section of the Browser. You can
even set up your own place on the Web with little difficulty.
Configuring your computer to travel online (which includes putting
unique information into the Browser and email program), is the
first step in the process. Once completed, your Browser will load
a Start page. This page can be
any Web page.
A common Web address reads like this: HTTP://www.yahoo.com
A Web Address (URL) is similar to a street address and is a unique
way to find a particular location.
A Web address consists of 3 distinct parts:
1. HTTP:// tells the Browser the page's format.
2. WWW tells the Browser that the reference page is on the World
Wide Web.
3. Yahoo.com is the company (or person) that operates the destination
page.
There are several endings to Web addresses and each determines
a different type Web Site: .com is a commercial site, .edu is
educational, .gov is a government site, .org is operated by an
organization, .net is commonly operated by an ISP or other type
Internet company.
Web sites have several pages within their location. Think of it
as a book or pamphlet. The first page is often the index page,
which has a unique address like http://www.yahoo.com/index.html
.
Web pages display text and graphics (another name for pictures,
whether photo or drawing) throughout, complimented by hyperlinks
which whisk you instantly to a new location with a single mouse
click. By moving your cursor over a link (whether text or graphic),
your cursor will change into a hand or other common object. One
click transports you to the next location. Don't worry if you
want to go back because every Browser has a "Back" button so you
can do just that. Most Browsers also track your path so you can
return easily.
Clicking links can take you anywhere to find information about
anything,
and I do mean anything. A question about why a particular flower
is not doing
well, the weather report where a friend lives, recipes, schedules,
reservations, travel agendas and anything else you may wish to
know.
What is the Internet? A limitless source of information. Fun,
educational, entertaining, useful. Something for anyone with an
interest in anything.
Glossary of Common Internet Terms
Browser -- Program which allows you to view the Internet. The most common
are Netscape and Internet Explorer.
Email -- A way to send messages back and forth to people on the Internet.
Perhaps people's #1 reason to get online. Look at the bottom of
this article for my email address.
HTML - HyperText Markup Language. The language which makes images
and text appear in the Browser.
HTTP - HyperText Transfer Protocol. This is a format a Browser can
read.
HyperLink (link) -- Links transfer you to another Internet location.
ISP - Internet Service Provider. These companies work with the phone
company so that consumers can access the Internet.
Modem -- a piece of hardware (internal or external) that connects your
computer to another computer using normal phone lines.
Search Engines -- Internet directories that act like phone books where you can
search information by type.
URL - Universal Resource Locator. This is the Web Address that you
commonly see on advertisements, ie., http://www.yahoo.com.
WWW - World Wide Web.
Rick Langford is founder of Tahoe Mall, The Tahoe Net and Cache-World
Email
|
