Using the Internet
How does one use the Internet? First, one must have a computer with a connection to the outside world either by a modem connection, a fiber connection such as used in local cable television, or a wireless connection, which is becoming more important. The user is then connected to a system of linked computer networks that encircle the globe, facilitating a wide assortment of data communication services including e-mail, data and program file transfers, newsgroups and chatgroups, as well as graphic images, sound, and video of all kinds. One must choose the right tool to accomplish each task. Thus, one needs to understand the tools to travel this information superhighway.
The Internet is in cyberspace; think of it as a number of planets, each with a unique kind of data program or other type of information service. The only hitch is that each planet's communicating language is different, and one needs several communicating applications and tools. A person is responsible for selecting the proper software program or utility to access what he or she wants. Each program performs a specific task, ranging from providing basic connections, to accessing resources, to preparing e-mail. Common Internet tools include the following:
1.Connection and log-on software. This software provides access to logon to cyber-space. The software sets up the connections to the Internet. This software is usually provided by an Internet service provider.
2.Web browser. Web browsers are usually free. The most common Web browsers are Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Netscape's Navigator. These software programs can usually be downloaded free of charge; they also come with office suites such as Microsoft Office.
3.E-mail manager and editor. To communicate by e-mail users must have an e-mail manager and editor. This editor creates, sends, receives, stores, and organizes your e-mail. Again, many of these e-mail editors can be downloaded free from the Web. One of the most common editors is Eudora. However, office suites usually come with an e-mail manager as well.
A custom connect program starts the procedure for logging on to the Internet using TCP/IP. This is a set of standards and protocols for sharing data between computers and the Internet. Once the protocols have connected, a user must establish his or her identity and authorization to use the Internet services. The Internet service provider used has its own identity on the Internet, and this identity is known as a domain. Domain names, as mentioned previously, are all names listed to the right of the @ sign in the address with an extension such as .com or .edu. The computer then sends and receives data from a host computer over the Internet. A program such as Telnet breaks up the data into packets. The protocols specify how packets should be layered, or packaged. Different layers of packets address a variety of software and hardware needs to send information over different networks and communication links. After a user has properly logged on, he or she can begin using the Internet services.
After a user has completed an on-line work session, he or she must logoff the Internet and, depending on the circumstances, disconnect from the Internet service provider. If a user is using an educational service provider such as a college or other educational institution, he or she probably logs off but does not disconnect, since the service is a virtual service provided to many others at the terminal or computer. If one is using a private commercial service provider, one must be sure that a complete disconnection has been made between the computer and provider or one may still be paying fees.
The Internet has spawned an entirely whole new industry called electronic commerce or sometimes electronic business. Businesses sell to other businesses and to consumers on the Internet using secure Web sites. The current market value of U.S. companies with substantial Internet revenue via e-commerce exceeds $3 trillion and is growing annually. It is estimated that by 2003 over 88 percent of all businesses will derive some of their revenue from e-commerce. It has also been said that the growth of the Internet and e-commerce has been one of the main causes of the robust economy in the United States.
Thus, the Internet has been one of the most productive technologies in recent history. The Internet can transport information from nearly any place on the globe to nearly any other place in seconds. The Internet has changed people's notion of how fast things happen. People say now they "did it in Internet time," meaning something was done in a fraction of the traditional or expected amount of time. The Internet is becoming a major cause of time compression.
How does one use the Internet? First, one must have a computer with a connection to the outside world either by a modem connection, a fiber connection such as used in local cable television, or a wireless connection, which is becoming more important. The user is then connected to a system of linked computer networks that encircle the globe, facilitating a wide assortment of data communication services including e-mail, data and program file transfers, newsgroups and chatgroups, as well as graphic images, sound, and video of all kinds. One must choose the right tool to accomplish each task. Thus, one needs to understand the tools to travel this information superhighway.
The Internet is in cyberspace; think of it as a number of planets, each with a unique kind of data program or other type of information service. The only hitch is that each planet's communicating language is different, and one needs several communicating applications and tools. A person is responsible for selecting the proper software program or utility to access what he or she wants. Each program performs a specific task, ranging from providing basic connections, to accessing resources, to preparing e-mail. Common Internet tools include the following:
1.Connection and log-on software. This software provides access to logon to cyber-space. The software sets up the connections to the Internet. This software is usually provided by an Internet service provider.
2.Web browser. Web browsers are usually free. The most common Web browsers are Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Netscape's Navigator. These software programs can usually be downloaded free of charge; they also come with office suites such as Microsoft Office.
3.E-mail manager and editor. To communicate by e-mail users must have an e-mail manager and editor. This editor creates, sends, receives, stores, and organizes your e-mail. Again, many of these e-mail editors can be downloaded free from the Web. One of the most common editors is Eudora. However, office suites usually come with an e-mail manager as well.
A custom connect program starts the procedure for logging on to the Internet using TCP/IP. This is a set of standards and protocols for sharing data between computers and the Internet. Once the protocols have connected, a user must establish his or her identity and authorization to use the Internet services. The Internet service provider used has its own identity on the Internet, and this identity is known as a domain. Domain names, as mentioned previously, are all names listed to the right of the @ sign in the address with an extension such as .com or .edu. The computer then sends and receives data from a host computer over the Internet. A program such as Telnet breaks up the data into packets. The protocols specify how packets should be layered, or packaged. Different layers of packets address a variety of software and hardware needs to send information over different networks and communication links. After a user has properly logged on, he or she can begin using the Internet services.
After a user has completed an on-line work session, he or she must logoff the Internet and, depending on the circumstances, disconnect from the Internet service provider. If a user is using an educational service provider such as a college or other educational institution, he or she probably logs off but does not disconnect, since the service is a virtual service provided to many others at the terminal or computer. If one is using a private commercial service provider, one must be sure that a complete disconnection has been made between the computer and provider or one may still be paying fees.
The Internet has spawned an entirely whole new industry called electronic commerce or sometimes electronic business. Businesses sell to other businesses and to consumers on the Internet using secure Web sites. The current market value of U.S. companies with substantial Internet revenue via e-commerce exceeds $3 trillion and is growing annually. It is estimated that by 2003 over 88 percent of all businesses will derive some of their revenue from e-commerce. It has also been said that the growth of the Internet and e-commerce has been one of the main causes of the robust economy in the United States.
Thus, the Internet has been one of the most productive technologies in recent history. The Internet can transport information from nearly any place on the globe to nearly any other place in seconds. The Internet has changed people's notion of how fast things happen. People say now they "did it in Internet time," meaning something was done in a fraction of the traditional or expected amount of time. The Internet is becoming a major cause of time compression.
No comments:
Post a Comment