GOING OLINE
GOING OLINE
The Internet
The internet (a worldwide collection of interconnected net-works) is comprised of thousands of independent networks in virtually every type organization. Then online world offers a vast network of resources, service, and capabilities. Most of us enter it simply by plugging the phone line into our PC’s modem and running our communications software. There are three levels at witch you can connect your PC to the internet. The easies way to gain access is through a commercial information service’s gateway. When you subscribe to a commercial information service such as America Online or CompuServe, you get commutations software, a USER ID ( sometimes called a screen name), a password (required for logon), and user’s guide. Or you can make the connection via dialup connection trough an internet service (ISP). At the third level, there is direct connection to the internet whereby your PC is wired directly into the internet. Such connections often use a DSL line (up to 9 M bps), a T-1 (1.544 M bps), or a T-3 line (44.736 M bps).the typical internet appliance integrates access to the internet, e-mail, a built-in telephone, and home organization applications. The URL (uniform resource locator), which is the internet equivalent of an address, progresses from general to specific. That portion of the URL before the first colon (usually http) specifies the access method. The http tells the software to expect an http (hypertext transport protocol) file. That portion following the double forward slashes (//) is the server address, or the domain name. it has at least two parts, separated by dots (periods).the top-level domains or TLDs, such as com and org, denote affiliations. HTML (hypertext markup language) is a scripting language used to compose and format most files on the net. A more feature-rich XHTLML is to become the new standard.
Internet Browsers
Internet browser, or web browser, software lets us tap the information resources of the electronic world. The browser opens an HTML/XHTML document and display the information according HTML/XHTML instructions embedded in the document. The HTML/XHTML documents may reference applets or activex controls, witch are small programs. There are a number of complementary applications, called plugins, which can enhance the functionality of browser. Example include shockwave player, QuickTime, and RealPlayer, which lets you listen to streaming audio and view streaming video.
Internet Resources and Applications
There are three ways to search the internet : browser, search, and ask someone. The word wide web is an internet application that permits linking of multimedia documents among web servers on the internet. By establishing a linked relationship between web documents, related information becomes easily accessible. Web resources are designed to be accessed with easy-to-use-browsers. The file transfer protocol (FTP) allows you to down-load an upload files on the internet. Most are anonymous FTP sites. The gopher system is a huge menu tree that allows you to keep choosing menu items until you find the information you want. telnet is a terminal emulation protocol that allows you to work a PC as if it were a terminal linked directly to a host computer. Web casting (internet broadcasting) has emerged as a popular internet application. With pull technology the user request information via a browser. With push technology information is sent automatically to a user. Digital jukebox software records, stores, and plays music on the PC. The internet is an aid to better commutation. The internet e-mail address has two parts, the username and domain name, and is separated by an @ symbol. The letter identifies the e-mail server. An attached file can be sent with an e-mail massage post office protocol refers to the way your e-mail client software gets your e-mail from server. Audio mail lets you speak your internet message instead of typing it.
The internet offers a vast treasure trove of information and service.
