CHAPTER 3

WEB BASICS
The World Wide Web

The Web is a collection of files that can be linked and accessed using HTTP
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) - the protocol that allows Web browsers to communicate with Web servers
Many of these files produce documents called Web pages
Web site - location on a computer somewhere on the Internet that stores a collection of Web pages
– http://www.yahoo.com

What is the Web?

Web server - computer with special software for transmitting Web pages over the Internet
Home page - identifies the site and contains links to other pages at the site
Web sites are composed of a series of Web pages
URL (Uniform Resource Locator) - an Internet address of a document on a computer
– Begins with http://


What is a browser?

Web browsers are software programs that run on your computer and help you access Web pages
– Internet Explorer
– Firefox
– Netscape

Exactly what does a browser do?
Fetches and displays Web pages
The server sends your computer data that’s stored
The data consists of information that you want to see and HTML tags, codes that tell your browser how to display it
Web site that provides a variety of tools to help you find information



What is a search engine?


– Helps you locate web pages on certain topics
– Enter keywords or descriptions
– AltaVista, Google, Yahoo, etc.

Exactly what is a query?

Describes information you want to find
You can enter more than one keyword
A search operator describes a relationship between keywords
– AND, OR, and NOT
– Quotation marks
– NEAR
– Wildcards
– Field Searches

How do I use a topic directory?

A topic directory is a list of topics and subtopics

Who can use e-mail?

Any person with an e-mail account
An e-mail account provides the rights to a storage area or “mailbox”
Each mailbox has a unique address
– SHAHPK72@YAHOO.COM
– SHAHPK@YMAIL.COM
– SHAHPK72@GMAIL.COM


Exactly what is an e-mail message?


A document that is composed on a computer and remains in digital form so that it can be transmitted to another computer
Every message includes:
– A message header
– The body of the message

How does forwarding work?

After you receive a message, you can pass it on to other people
The original message is copied and then you can enter the address of the person to receive the message, and even add a note about why you are passing it along


What’s an e-mail attachment?

File that travels with a message to the recipient
MIME provides a way of disguising the file as plain ASCII text that can travel over the Internet


Is e-mail different than other types of communication?

Netiquette is online jargon for “Internet etiquette
Series of customs or guidelines for maintaining civilized and effective communications on-line



What is all this junk in my mailbox?
Spam is unwanted electronic junk mail that arrives in your online mailbox
Globally, spam accounts for about 75% of all e-mail messages

E-mail Technology: What is an e-mail system?

The equipment and software that carries and manipulates e-mail messages
E-mail servers sort, store, and route email
Store-and-forward technology – a communications method in which data that cannot be sent directly to its destination will be temporarily stored until transmission is possible
– POP
– IMAP
– Web-based e-mail


How do POP and IMAP work?

Your ISP/University will offer POP or IMAP
POP server – a computer that stores your incoming messages until they can be transferred to your hard disk
Using POP requires e-mail client software
Outgoing mail is routed by an SMTP server

How do I use Web-based e-mail?
Is POP mail better than Web-based e-mail?

Requires e-mail client software
Transfers e-mail to your computer
Consider the following when deciding:
– Control
– Security
– Travel