Have
Fun Surfing The Net
Have
Fun Surfing The Net
Here at Elect Services of PA we would like to show you how to surf the Internet and experience all that the Internet has to offer. There are new features coming out every day and you don’t want to be left behind. The Internet is doubling approximately every 100 days. That is mind boggling. We will show you how to use Search engines and explain how they work or we will show you how to set up and personalize your own Home Page. If you would like to see all the features that your E-mail has to offer, we can show you how to manage all your E-mail also. The following are some points of interest that might be useful to you. Hope you enjoy your experiences on the Internet.
Just call Stan at Elect Services of PA
(717) 272-0021 or E-mail him at stan@lmf.net.
WHAT IS THE INTERNET?
The Internet is also called the Net or the Information Highway.
Computers
connected together are called a network. Networks let computers share programs and
information. The Internet is the name for a group of worldwide information resources. These resources are so vast as to be well beyond the comprehension of a single person. Not only is there no one, who understands the entire Internet, there is no one who even understands most of the Internet. In learning to use the Internet, you are embarking upon a great adventure. You are about to enter a world in which people from many different countries and cultures cooperate willingly and share generously of their time, efforts, and products. The Internet is as good as having a library in your own home. It is always open and it never closes. The Internet has no leaders. Nobody actually 'runs' the Internet. Nobody is 'in charge' and no single organization pays the costs. The Internet has no laws, no police, and no army.
The WWW is an interconnecting network web, which jumps from one location to another via links. Its advantage is that is fully capable of handling hypertext data, sound, pictures and graphics. Its disadvantage is that at present, response time on the Web is comparatively slow. Many users are competing for the same data lines. Also, the magnitude of data contained in a graphic takes a long time to transmit.
How do I get connected?
You can use any brand of computer to connect to the Internet. But you do need some special equipment to hook up to the Internet.
You need special Programs to use the Internet. Most of the Service Providers will give you these programs free of charge. Some better known programs are America On Line, Netscape, CompuServe, and MSN.
You will need a Modem to connect to the Internet. You will need a modem of at least the speed of 14,400 bps. With today’s technology the modem speeds are 28,800 bps, 33.6 bps, and 56 bps.
You need to locate an Internet Service Provider (ISP), which is a company that gives you access to the Internet for a fee. Many providers offer you a certain number of hours per day or month for a set fee. If you exceed the total number of hours that you are allotted for that fee, you will be charged extra. Most providers will offer unlimited access to the Internet for a set fee.
Web Browsers
A computer program that lets you access the WWW and "browse" the Internet for information. They are the tools, which enable you to extract information from the Internet. The Netscape and Internet Explorer browsers allow sound and graphics. Both Netscape and Internet Explorer must be loaded onto each personal computer. Netscape can be downloaded from the Netscape’s Home Page and Internet Explorer can be downloaded from Microsoft’s Home Page.
This is the Microsoft Internet Explorer Browser
Address Bar
An Address bar is a space to type and display the address for a Web page. You don't even need to type the entire Web site address to go to that page. Just start typing, and the AutoComplete feature suggests a match based on Web sites you visited previously. With the Address bar, you can also search for Web sites just by typing find, go, or ? followed by a word that you're searching for. An Internet address (sometimes called a URL, or Uniform Resource Locator) typically starts with a protocol name, followed by the name of the organization that maintains the site; the suffix identifies the kind of organization it is. (A protocol is a set of rules and standards that enable computers to exchange information.)
For example, the address http://www.yale.edu/ provides the following information.
http: This Web server uses the http: protocol
www This site is on the World Wide Web
yale The Web server is at Yale University.
.edu This is an educational institution
If the address points to a specific page, additional information—such as a port name, the directory in which the page is located, and the name of the page file—is included. Web pages authored by using HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) often end with an .htm or .html extension.
When you are viewing a Web page, the page's address appears in the Address bar in the browser.
.com stands for commercial
.net stands for network
.edu stands for educational
.org stands for organization
.net stands for network
.mil stands for military
.gov stands for government
Toolbar
Toolbar
The Internet Explorer toolbar consists of buttons that are
shortcuts for menu commands. They make browsing faster and easier. Click any btton on the
toolbar below to find out its function.
Back. Lets you return to pages you've viewed, beginning with the most recent. With Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4.0, right-click the Back button, and select from a list of recently visited sites.
Forward. Lets you move forward through pages you've viewed using the Back button. With Internet Explorer 4.0, right click the Forward button, and select from a list of recently visited sites.
Stop. Halts the process of downloading a Web page. Click this if you want to stop downloading a page for any reason-if you're having trouble downloading it, for example, or if you don't want to wait for it to download. Then try downloading it again or browse elsewhere.
Refresh. Updates any Web page stored in your disk cache with the latest content. (When you return to a page that you've visited, your browser displays the file stored in your disk cache, rather than the current page on the World Wide Web. This saves download time.) By clicking the Refresh Button you will get the latest update to the Web Page.
Home. Returns you to your home page. You can designate any Web page as your home page. Usually it’s the Internet Service Provider’s Web Page who you are hooked up to that is your Home page because you will be updated with any changes or specials that they might be running at a time. It is totally your choice.
Search. When you click the Search Button the Web Browser viewing area will split into two panes. One displays a choice of popular Internet search engines in the left pane. Your search results appear in the left pane, too. When you click a link, the page appears in the right pane, so you don't lose sight of your search results.
Favorites. Displays a list of the Web sites that you've saved as Favorites. When you come to a site that you find interesting and you think you would like to come back to it at a later date then you click on the Favorites in the File Menu and select Add to Favorites. Now you can click on any item in the list to jump to it right away.
Print. Prints the page you're viewing. This is one way to save information from the Internet so that you don't have to reconnect to view it again. You can even print the URL associated with each hyperlink, making it easy to navigate to the site later.
Font. Lets you display text in a larger or smaller font with Internet Explorer 4.0.
Mail. Connects you to Microsoft Outlook™ Express messaging and collaboration client so you can read e-mail and newsgroup messages.
Edit. Opens a file in Microsoft Word word processor that contains the HTML code for the page you're viewing so you can see and even edit it.
What is a Home Page?
The Home Page is the page that appears each time you start a Web Browser on the Internet. You can designate any Web page as your home page. Usually it’s the Internet Service Provider’s Web Page who you are hooked up to that is your Home page because you will be updated with any changes or specials that might pertain to their clients. It is totally your choice.
HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. It is used to create the hot spots on the screen, which allow you to jump from one location to another. These hot spots are actually pre-established links to a given location. They may be found on a menu screen or within the text of a long document. For more detailed information on HTML, take a look here. (Example)
When you move your cursor
over a link, it turns into a pointing finger The Internet is a worldwide network of computers that allows you to send and receive information practically instantly. You'll be amazed at what you can find on the Internet with just a little bit of surfing. Whatever you can think to look for, someone else has probably thought to provide.
What's on the Web?
The World Wide Web is home to millions of Web sites, set up by businesses, agencies, institutions, individuals, and others. You name it, it's probably somewhere on the Web. Ever heard of a narwhal? It's a whale that sports a long horn on its forehead and lives in the Arctic ocean-and, yes, it's the subject of multiple sites on the Web. Here's a guide to some of the slightly less obscure Web information that you might want to explore.
Shopping
Shop and buy instantly on the Web at the sites of individual companies or through mall-like sites that connect you to thousands of "stores." Such sites allow you to browse through products and services and even order and pay for them online
Banking and investing
The Internet is full of information and services related to banking and investing, from
general advice about planning for retirement to up-to-the-minute stock prices. Plus, more
and more banks are offering their customers online access to their bank accounts. You can
also manage your own stock portfolio online
News
No need to wait for the morning paper to find out what's happening in the world. Many news
sites on the Web are updated repeatedly throughout the day. So you can get the latest on
world events, sports, weather, and more, whenever you want it.
Reference
The Internet provides you with access to numerous reference materials, including the
collections of many libraries, research facilities, museums, and similar institutions. You
can find information as simple as the definition of a word and as complex as the latest in
scientific research.
Miscellany
Part of what makes the Web interesting and valuable is that it's easy for not only large
companies and organizations but also smaller entities and even individuals to maintain
their own Web sites. So there's something for everyone on the Web.
Shopping, banking and investing, news, and reference materials are just the tip of the iceberg. There's also plenty in the way of entertainment and fun, obscure topics, and eccentric interests.
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