Tuesday, 14 February 2017

Introduction of Internet


  The Internet and the World Wide Web, in combination, are a worldwide broadcast medium for the general public. Using your desktop computer, smartphone, tablet, Xbox, media player, GPS, and even your car and home thermostat, you can access a vast world of messaging and content through the Internet and the Web.
  The Internet is a gigantic hardware network. The Internet's biggest readable content is what we call the 'World Wide Web', a collection of several billion pages and images that are joined by hyperlinks. Other content on the Internet includes: email, instant messaging, streaming video, P2P (peer-to-peer) file sharing, and FTP downloading.
  Below is a quick reference to help fill in your knowledge gaps, and get you participating in the Internet and the Web quickly.  All of these Lifewire.com references can be printed, and are free for you to use thanks to our advertisers.
How Is the 'Internet' Different from the 'Web'? The Internet, or 'Net', stands for Interconnection of Computer Networks. ​ It is a massive conglomeration of millions of computers and smartphone devices, all connected by wires and wireless signals. Although it started in the 1960's as a military experiment in communication, the Net evolved into a public free broadcast forum in the 70's and 80's. No single authority owns or controls the Internet.  No single set of laws governs its content.  You connect to the Internet through a private Internet service provider, a public Wi-Fi network, or through your office's network. 
  In 1989, a growing collection of readable content was added to the Internet: the World Wide Web.  The 'Web' is the mass of HTML pages and images that travel through the Internet's hardware.  You will hear the expressions 'Web 1.0', 'Web 2.0', and 'the Invisible Web' to describe these billions of web pages.
  The expressions 'Web' and 'Internet' are used interchangeably by the layperson. This is technically incorrect, as the Web is contained by the Internet. In practice, however, most people don't bother with the distinction.

What Is 'Web 1.0', 'Web 2.0', and 'the Invisible Web'?

     Web 1.0: When the World Wide Web was launched in 1989 by Tim Berners-Lee, it was comprised of just text and simple graphics.  Effectively a collection of electronic brochures, the Web was organized as a simple broadcast-receive format.  We call this simple static format 'Web 1.0'.  Today, millions of web pages are still quite static, and the term Web 1.0 still applies.
     Web 2.0: In the late 1990's, the Web started to go beyond static content, and began offering interactive services.  Instead of just web pages as brochures, the Web began to offer online software where people could perform tasks and receive consumer-type services.  Online banking, video gaming, dating services, stocks tracking, financial planning, graphics editing, home videos, webmail... all of these became regular online Web offerings before the year 2000.  These online services are now referred to as 'Web 2.0'.  Names like Facebook, Flickr, Lavalife, eBay, Digg, and Gmail helped to make Web 2.0 a part of our daily lives.
    The Invisible Web is a third part of World Wide Web.  Technically a subset of Web 2.0, the Invisible Web describes those billions of web pages that are purposely hidden from regular search engines.  These invisible web pages are private-confidential pages  (e.g. personal email, personal banking statements), and web pages generated by specialized databases (e.g. job postings in Cleveland or Seville).   Invisible Web pages are either hidden completely from your casual eyes, or require special search engines to locate. 
    In the 2000's, a cloaked part of the World Wide spawned: the Darknet (aka 'The Dark Web'). This is a private collection of websites that is encrypted to conceal all of the participant's identities, and prevent authorities from tracing people's activities. The Darknet is a black market for traders of illicit goods, and a sanctuary for people who are seeking to communicate away from oppressive governments and dishonest corporations.

Internet Terms that Beginners Should Learn

   There are some technical terms that beginners should learn.  While some Internet technology can be very complex and intimidating, the fundamentals of understanding the Net are quite doable. Some of the basic terms to learn include:
  • HTML and http/https
  • Browser
  • URL
  • ISP
  • Downloading
  • Malware
  • Router
  • E-commerce
  • Bookmark.

Mobile Internet: Smartphones and Laptops

Laptops, netbooks, and smartphones are the devices we use to surf the Net as we travel. Riding on the bus, sitting in a coffee shop, at the library, or in an airport, mobile Internet is a revolutionary convenience. But becoming mobile Internet-enabled does require some basic knowledge of hardware and networking. Definitely consider the following tutorials to get you started:

Email: How It Works

Email is a massive subnetwork inside the Internet.  We trade written messages, along with file attachments, through email. While it can suck away your time, email does provide the business value of maintaining a paper trail for conversations.   If you are new to email, definitely consider some of these tutorials:

Instant Messaging: Faster than Email
Instant messaging, or "IM", is a combination of chat and email. Although often considered a distraction at corporate offices, IM can be a very useful communication tool for both business and social purposes.  For those people that use IM, it can be an excellent communication tool.

Social Networking
"Social Networking" is about starting and maintaining friendship communications through websites. It is the modern digital form of socializing, done through web pages. Users will choose one or more online services that specialize in groupwide-communications, and then gather their friends there to exchange daily greetings and regular messages. Although not the same as face-to-face communications, social networking is immensely popular because it is easy, playful, and quite motivating. Social networking sites can be general, or focused on hobby interests like movies and music.

The Strange Language and Acronyms of Internet Messaging
The world of Internet culture, and Internet messaging, is truly confusing at first. In part influenced by gamers and hobby hackers, conduct expectations do exist on the Net. Also: language and jargon are prevalent. With the help of Lifewire.com, perhaps the culture and language of digital life will be less daunting...

The Best Search Engines for Beginners
With thousands of web pages and files added everyday, the internet and the web are daunting to search. While catalogs like Google and Yahoo! help, what's even more important is the user mindset... how to approach sifting through billions of possible choices to find what you need. 

The Student's Quick Reference Guide to Web Research

(for College, University, and High School Students)

Here at About Internet for Beginners, we have assembled a quick reference guide to successful online research. Designed specifically for academic purposes, this guide is a living document to help you choose the right browser tools and plug-ins, manage multiple web screens at once, choose the best search engines, sift through thousands of essay and paper examples, and manage the challenges of copyright, plagiarism, and reference authentication.

So if you're a college student, university student, or high school student, then bookmark this page now. The content that follows will be updated weekly to reflect the dynamic web resources at your academic disposal!
Research Fundamentals: The Next 10 Resources
 
1.How to Write a Research Paper
         It's surprising how many students don't know the basics of a good research paper. About.com can fill in the gaps here. 
2.How to Write a Book Report
        A book report is more than just copying Cliff's or Cole's Notes, or typing what a friend dictates to you. Here are the important essentials you should know about book reports. 
3.How to Write a Biography
         Describing the life of George W. Bush or Sir Winston Churchill requires more than just copy-pasting from Wikipedia. Here are some guidelines for how to biograph a person's life in a research piece. 
4.How to Write an Essay
         Essays have varying purposes. How you achieve each of those purposes is key to getting a good grade. Let About.com offer some essay essentials to you here. 
5.When to Cite a Resource
         Is it ok to just say obvious claims like "the US military is the most powerful in the world." Or should you actually get supporting evidence for statements like these? Here are some guidelines. 
6.How to Start a Study Group that Works
        A study group can make a big difference in your learning, especially if you take the time to set it up right. Here are some tips on how to build a good group learning experience. 
7.Cheating
        Have you ever cheated on an exam or essay? Are you considering it for an upcoming grade? Think twice before you do. 
8.The Best Free Downloads for Back to School
        If you are high-tech enough to use software for your studying, definitely check out these suggestions. 
9.The Top 7 Google Tools for Students
       There are tremendous Google products to help students absorb more, and present more effectively. 
10.Start a Student Podcast Club
         Podcasting is a powerful alternative to typing out long papers. If the podcaster has any skills in voicing, a podcast can be much more motivating for the audience. 
11.How to Lighten Your Student Backpack
          If you are going to go to school for years, then don't waste energy hauling unnecessary books and supplies. Here are some tips to save your back and your energy. 
Wait! Did You Skip these Internet Basics Below?
3.Firefox Scholar Tip: Firefox Citation Tool: "Scholar" 


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