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What Is the Internet?

In this section...
• How Does the Internet Work?
• The History of the Internet
• What Kinds of Information are Available?
• How Do People Use the Internet?
• The Sum of Many Parts

It seems like everyone's talking about the Internet these days. But what is it
really? How does it work? How do you access it? And most important, what can it
do for you at work or at home?

Fortunately, accessing and using the Internet is fairly simple. Let this tutorial be
your guide to the Internet as you connect for the first time and explore the
network's vast and useful resources.

How Does the Internet Work?

The Internet is a worldwide collection of computer networks, cooperating with

each other to exchange data using a common software standard. Through
telephone wires and satellite links, Internet users can share information in a
variety of forms. The size, scope and design of the Internet allows users to:

• connect easily through ordinary personal computers and local

phone numbers;
• exchange electronic mail (E-mail) with friends and colleagues with
accounts on the Internet;
• post information for others to access, and update it frequently;
• access multimedia information that includes sound, photographic
images and even video; and
• access diverse perspectives from around the world.

An additional attribute of the Internet is that it lacks a central authority—in other

words, there is no "Internet, Inc." that controls the Internet. Beyond the various
governing boards that work to establish policies and standards, the Internet is
bound by few rules and answers to no single organization.

In February 1996, President Clinton signed into law the Communications

Decency Act, which provides criminal penalties for those who post or transmit
"indecent" material via the Internet. This law, however, has been challenged in
U.S. courts by those who feel it would unfairly prohibit many legitimate uses of
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the Internet, and was ruled unconstitutional in July 1996. The federal government,
however, is preparing an appeal. For the latest status of the CDA, go to
http://www.eff.org/ or http://www.fcc.gov/telecom.html.

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The History of the Internet

Many people think that the Internet is a recent innovation, when in fact the
essence of it has been around for over a quarter century. The Internet began as
ARPAnet, a U.S. Department of Defense project to create a nationwide computer
network that would continue to function even if a large portion of it were
destroyed in a nuclear war or natural disaster.

During the next two decades, the network that evolved was used primarily by
academic institutions, scientists and the government for research and
communications. The appeal of the Internet to these bodies was obvious, as it
allowed disparate institutions to connect to each others' computing systems and
databases, as well as share data via E-mail.

The nature of the Internet changed abruptly in 1992, when the U.S. government
began pulling out of network management, and commercial entities offered
Internet access to the general public for the first time. This change in focus
marked the beginning of the Internet's astonishing expansion.

According to a survey conducted by CommerceNet and Nielsen Media Research

in early 1997, nearly one out of every four Americans over the age of 16 is an
Internet user. And the number of users worldwide is believed to be well into the
tens of millions. Other statistics are equally startling:

• A CNN report stated that Internet traffic in 1996 was 25 times

what it was just two years earlier.
• The market research group IntelliQuest pegged the number of
Internet users in the U.S. in late 1996 at 47 million - a 34 percent increase
over the first quarter of that year.
• According to IBM, 146 countries currently have at least some level
of Internet access.
• The technology research firm IDG estimates that by century's end,
one billion people worldwide will have access to personal computers—
more than doubling the computer-savvy population of 1996.

The Internet explosion coincides with the advent of increasingly powerful yet
reasonably priced personal computers with easy-to-use graphical operating
systems. The result has been an attraction of recent computer "converts" to the
network, and new possibilities for exploiting a wealth of multimedia
capabilities.
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For further details on the Internet's history, go to

http://www.internetvalley.com/intval.html

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What Kinds of Information are Available?

In addition to text documents, the Internet makes available graphics files

(digitized photographs and artwork), and even files that contain digitized sound
and video. Through the Internet, you can download software, participate in
interactive forums where users post and respond to public messages, and even
join "chats," in which you and other users type (and, in some cases, speak)
messages that are received by the chat participants instantly.

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How Do People Use the Internet?

Obviously, the Internet can bring you a whole host of capabilities. But how can
they be put to practical use?

Among the ways that users like yourself are taking advantage of the Internet are:

• Sharing research and business data among colleagues and like-

minded individuals.
• Communicating with others and transmitting files via E-mail.
• Requesting and providing assistance with problems and questions.
• Marketing and publicizing products and services.
• Gathering valuable feedback and suggestions from customers and
business partners.

The Internet's potential is limited only by users' vision and creativity. And as the
Internet grows, new and innovative uses will surely follow.

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The Sum of Many Parts

Unlike many computer networks, the Internet consists of not one but multiple data
systems that were developed independently. The most popular and important
systems are:

• E-mail, for exchange of electronic mail messages.

• USENET newsgroups, for posting and responding to public
"bulletin board" messages.
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• File Transfer Protocol (FTP), a system for storing and retrieving

data files on large computer systems.
• Gopher, a method of searching for various text-based Internet
resources (largely obsolete).
• TELNET, a way of connecting directly to computer systems on
the Internet.
• Internet Relay Chat (IRC), a system for sending public and
private messages to other users in "real time"—that is, your message
appears on the recipient's screen as soon as you type it.
• CU-SeeMe, a videoconferencing system that allows users to send
and receive sound and pictures simultaneously over the Internet.
• The World Wide Web.

The final component listed here is perhaps the most exciting element of the
Internet today. We will learn more about the World Wide Web—and how you can
benefit

What Is the World Wide Web?

In this section...
• The History of the Web
• What Else Makes the Web Unique?
• What Does the Web Empower Me to Do?
• A Quick Tour of a Typical Web Site

Of all the worthwhile features of the Internet, none has captured the public's
imagination and contributed to the Net's growth so much as the World Wide Web.
A method of posting and accessing interactive multimedia information, the "Web"
is a true "information superhighway," allowing users the world over to access a
wealth of information quickly and easily.

The History of the Web

The first rumblings toward this concept began immediately after World War II,
when scientists were desperately seeking ways to organize and share their
accumulated wartime research. In 1945, noted scientist Vannevar Bush published
an essay in Atlantic Monthly titled "As We May Think," which proposed a
massive information index that people from all over the world could access and
search. Although Bush's system was mechanical (and was never developed), his
essay had a profound impact on many who would one day help design the Internet
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and the World Wide Web. For this reason, Vannevar Bush is often hailed as the
theoretical father of the Web.

Given this background, the actual Web was originally conceived as a way for
physicists to share their research data. In 1989, Tim Berners-Lee led a team at
Switzerland's European Particle Physics Laboratory (CERN) in developing the
initial World Wide Web standards. Key among these was the use of hypertext,
or "hot" portions of an online document that, when selected, take the user to a
related, or "linked," document. For instance, if a user was reading a Web
document about dinosaurs and selected the hypertext word "Tyrannosaurus," he
or she would go directly to a document dealing specifically with that species of
dinosaur.

Try it! Click on Tyrannosaurus and see what happens...

Computerized hypertext was pioneered by researcher Ted Nelson in a system

called Xanadu, which he created in the early 1960s. Although Xanadu was never
fully realized, many of the Web's developers—including Berners-Lee—have cited
it as an influence on their work.

The next great innovation for the Web came in 1992, when programmers from the
National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of
Illinois developed the Mosaic browser, a software application that displayed
not only the text of a Web document (or page), but embedded graphic elements as
well. By bringing multimedia to the Web, Mosaic vested it with enormous
potential.

Today, several Web browsers are available for IBM, Macintosh and UNIX-based
computers, and most of the major online services include Web browsers in their
standard software packages. And the Web is growing at a phenomenal rate.
According to Interactive Week magazine, the number of Web servers (computers
that store Web pages) surged from fewer than 3,500 in April 1994 to more than
40,000 in July 1995. And in February 1997, the computing firm Network Wizards
determined the number of commercial domains alone to be well over 700,000.

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What Else Makes the Web Unique?

We have already cited hypertext and multimedia as two of the outstanding

features of the World Wide Web. Among the Web's other distinct advantages are:

• Open standards that allow Web pages to be viewed through most

any computer with an Internet connection and a Web browser.
• The ability to make software and data files available for
downloading.
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• Ease of use; just point and click on your browser to access the
information you need.

For the individual or organization wishing to distribute information, the Web

makes "publishing" easy and cost-effective. Putting information on the Web is
quite inexpensive compared with traditional publishing, yet puts that information
before a potential audience of millions. And unlike a printed publication, a Web
document can be revised and updated at any time.

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What Does the Web Empower Me to Do?

The World Wide Web brings you all of the advantages of the Internet—and more!
Among the things that the Web allows you to do are:

• Publish and make frequent updates to on-line documents, and

receive direct feedback on those documents via E-mail.
• Connect with a diverse, global audience—a community defined
not by geography, but by interests.
• Keep abreast of the latest news and developments in your
profession... often before such news appears in conventional media.
• Reference other Web resources easily via hypertext.
• Access otherwise obscure information not readily available in
other media.
• Download useful software at little or no cost.

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A Quick Tour of a Typical Web Site

A Web site may consist of a single Web page, or may comprise multiple,
interconnected pages. The following is a view of how the CenterSpan home page
appears through a popular browser:
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1. Browser tools help you navigate around the Web. These vary
among browsers, but most include tools for moving back and forth
between pages, saving data to your hard disk, and controlling how Web
pages will appear on your screen.
2. A "Bookmark" list, "favorites" list or "hotlist" lets you save
the names and locations of favorite sites for easy reference (usually
accessible through pull-down menus).
3. The Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is the address of a Web
site. URLs for Web pages begin with the code http:// ("http" stands for
hypertext transfer protocol).
4. Some Web pages contain special graphic buttons that, when
clicked, take you to another resource as would a regular hotlink.
5. Hypertext hotlinks are connections to other pages and resources.
To access, just click on them with your mouse or trackball. Most pages
contain hotlinks throughout the text, as well as lists of links to other sites
judged by the author/sponsor to be of particular interest. Some sites
contain hotlinks to places where you can download software, listen to a
sound file, or view a video clip.
6. CenterSpan uses several applets, or small program segments run
by Java, ActiveX or some other protocol. Applets are downloaded when
you access a Web site, and run only as long as you remain at that location.
Applets can perform a variety of functions; the applet on the CenterSpan
home page generates a scrolling banner, like the example below:

If your browser does not have the capability to display Java applets, you
will not be able to see this banner.
7. To make it easy to contact the author or sponsor of a Web site,
most contain one or more E-mail links. Clicking on such a link brings up
a form where you can type an E-mail message to a pre-set address (not
shown here).
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CenterSpan is among more elaborate Web sites that contain forms, where you can
submit information in an easy-to-follow format, and bulletin board features that
allow you to post information for others to see.

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How to Connect to the Internet

and World Wide Web
In this section...
• The Right Hardware
• The Right Software
• The Browser
• Extras
• Connection Options
• Locating Internet Access Providers
• What to Look for in an Access Provider

Before you can connect to the Internet and access the World Wide Web, you need
to have certain equipment. In brief, you must have a computer (preferably running
an up-to-date operating system); a modem and access to a telephone line or a local
area network (LAN) that is in turn connected to the Internet; and connection
software that will allow you to establish an account with a service provider and
access the Internet.

A modem is not needed when accessing the Internet through a LAN.

The Right Hardware

To operate most of the current Web browsers and on-line services, you should
have an IBM PC/PC equivalent, UNIX workstation, or Apple Macintosh
computer with at least 8 megabytes (MB) of random access memory (RAM) and
10 MB of free disk space. If you are unsure of how much RAM and disk space
your computer has, consult your user's manual.

NOTE: Although the capacities of both are measured in megabytes, RAM and
disk space are NOT the same thing! RAM refers to the electronic microchips in
your computer that store data for relatively brief periods, and that give your
computer the active capacity to run programs and access data. Disk space refers to
space on the magnetic hard disk inside (or connected to) your computer that stores
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data over the long term.

For best results, use a PC with a 486 or Pentium microprocessor; or a Macintosh

with an 030, 040 or PowerPC microprocessor.

It is possible to connect to the Internet using a computer other than an IBM PC,
Macintosh or UNIX workstation, though the access software available for such
machines is limited.

If you are accessing the Internet outside of a LAN environment, you will need a
modem that will connect you with other computers and interpret the data being
sent back and forth. Most any modem that is compatible with your computer will
do, though the higher the kilobits per second (kbps) rate of your modem, the faster
it will transmit data. Modem speed is an important consideration when accessing
sites on the Web that contain lots of digitized data. In general, your modem
should transmit data at 14.4 kbps or faster to give you optimum performance on
the Web. If you are looking to purchase a modem, buy the fastest model you can
afford.

You must also have access to a live telephone line. Most modems accept the
same jacks as do ordinary household telephones, allowing you to connect your
modem to a wall jack using standard phone cord. Some cable TV providers have
begun offering Internet connections via cable. Such connections provide much
faster transmission speeds than standard phone lines, though you will need a
special modem that allows you to link your computer with the cable. If you are
interested in a cable Internet connection, contact your local cable operator to see if
the service is available in your area.

You can also connect to the Internet through a LAN with Internet access. If you
are unsure as to the capacities of your LAN to do this, contact your site's systems
administrator.

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The Right Software

For best results, make sure that your computer is running the most up-to-date
operating system that it can handle. If you have an IBM PC/PC compatible
computer, it should be running Microsoft Windows version 3.1, Windows NT,
Windows 95 or OS/2. If you have a Macintosh, it should be running System 7 or
higher.

To make your connection complete, you will need connection software that
allows your computer to dial into an Internet access provider, establish an
account, and work with the data in a straightforward manner. Many access
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providers will give you software that will allow you to access their systems using
an all-in-one custom interface. Others may give you a collection of separate
software packages that can be used together. But whatever software they provide,
be sure that it is compatible with your computer and operating system before
attempting to use it.

Some Internet access providers may allow you to establish a serial line interface
protocol (SLIP) or point-to-point protocol (PPP) connection, either of which
essentially makes your computer a part of the Internet. Unlike many standard dial-
up software packages, a SLIP/PPP connection allows you to run independent
software packages such as Web browsers, either one at a time or simultaneously.

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The Browser

As you surf the Web, you will come across sites that state, "This site is best
viewed with…" and then name a particular browser. Many will even provide a
link to a site where you can download the specified browser.

Sites make these recommendations because some browsers use special protocols,
allowing site creators to offer extra features beyond the standard capabilities of
hypertext markup language (HTML). Chief among these browsers are Netscape
Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Your Internet service provider will most likely give you a choice of browsers (if
you have a SLIP/PPP account, you may use any browser you wish), so try out a
couple, and use the browser that best suits your needs.

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Extras

The Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer browsers allow for the
use of plug-ins, or extra software applications that run as if they were an integral
part of the browser. To see which plug-ins are currently available for Netscape, go
to: http://home.netscape.com/comprod/mirror/index.html To see the plug-ins for
Internet Explorer, go to: http://www.microsoft.com/ie/download/

Browsers also use helper applications that, while not as integral as plug-ins,
enhance the browser's capabilities by launching when needed. Helper applications
allow your browser to play sound and video files, display animation and other
graphic formats, or access special Internet features such as TELNET. Most Web
sites that require the use of helper applications will provide links to sites where
you can download the necessary software.
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For more information on plug-ins and helper applications, go to the "Useful

Links" section.

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Connection Options

Until recently, the two primary methods of accessing the Internet were through a
network connection, allowing users of local area networks (LANs) to go online
through their school or workplace systems, and dial-up connections through a
modem and phone line. However, new connection options allow for greater
speeds and flexibility, while keeping costs to a minimum.

The following are some of the newer connection options that you might want to
investigate:

• Cable Internet—These systems allow your computer to connect

to the Internet through the same cable that carries your TV signal.
Monthly service charges are usually not much more than standard modem
connection costs, but you have to rent or purchase a "cable modem."
Additionally, your computer will need an Ethernet card (a special circuit
board that allows for network connections). Not all cable service operators
offer this service; call your local operator for more information.
• Satellite connections—DirecPC (http://www.direcpc.com/) allows
you to download Internet files via a satellite connection. This is an
efficient method for receiving large Web graphics and other items, but you
still need a modem connection for other features. You must purchase the
connection hardware as well as subscribe to the service.
• Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)—An ISDN line is a
type of digital phone line that can transmit data many times faster than a
conventional modem and phone line. To learn more about ISDN, go to
http://www.isdn.ocn.com/index.shtml
• Wireless connections—Pagers, cellular phones and personal
digital assistants (PDAs) now allow varying levels of Internet access, from
notification of E-mail to limited Web connections. Many of these services
remain in the experimental stage.
• WebTV—Introduced in late 1996, WebTV
(http://www.webtv.net/) provides Web and E-mail access through ordinary
television sets. The connection is made through a custom high-speed
modem. You must purchase a special set-top unit for your TV, plus
subscribe to the connection service. Recently, similar systems by other
manufacturers have appeared on the market to compete with WebTV.

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Locating Internet Access Providers

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If you already have Internet access but wish to learn about other access providers,
go to TAG Online (http://www.tagsys.com/Provider/provider_search.html) or
Mecklermedia's "The List" (http://www.thelist.com/), where you will be able to
search databases of U.S. and international access providers by name, geographic
location and area code.

If you do not already have Internet access, you can learn about Internet services
that are available in your area by contacting your local library or telephone
company for recommendations, or by consulting a local computer publication or
computer store.

For information about international Internet access, see the section "The 'Net
Around the World."

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What to Look for in an Access Provider

Access providers vary widely in the services and capabilities they offer. The
providers listed at the beginning of this chapter offer local access throughout most
of the United States; however, you might find that a smaller, local provider is
more suited to your needs.

Before committing to a service of any kind, be aware of the following variables:

• Fee plan—Providers may offer a flat monthly fee for unlimited

access, a metered hourly fee, or both. The fee that will be most reasonable
for you depends on how much time you plan to spend online. If you are
online for more than five hours per month, a flat monthly fee will be the
most economical choice. Otherwise, you'll be paying for service you don't
need.
• Start-up fees—Some providers charge a fee for setting up new
accounts that can range from a few dollars to $100. Providers may also
charge "hidden" fees and premium rates for access at certain times. Ask
for a breakdown of all fees charged before you sign on.
• Local access numbers—Unless you can dial in from your local
area, you'll be paying long distance charges for each Internet session.
Make sure a provider offers access numbers for your area, as well as for
any area to which you routinely travel.
• Contracts—You may be offered a yearly or multi-year contract
for service in exchange for a discount rate. However, if you cancel your
account before the contract is up, the provider might charge you a penalty.
Also, make sure that your service provider is stable and reliable before
committing to a long-term agreement, particularly if you are required to
pay up front.
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• Dependable access—The ability to establish a connection during

peak hours has become an important issue as more people go online. A
good service provider, obviously, should have few busy signals and
minimal downtime.
• Good customer support—If you call with a question concerning
your account at an odd hour, will your call be taken? Will your E-mail
queries be answered? The major providers usually have excellent
customer support, but smaller outfits may offer little or no support
services. Also be alert to premiums charged for support calls.
• Proprietary services—America Online, Prodigy and CompuServe
all have their own databases, conference centers and chat rooms not
available on the Internet or any other service. Other service providers offer
nothing more than a straight connection to the Internet.
• Restricted access—Providers can often determine what Internet
services they will provide. For example, some will carry only selected
newsgroups. Providers that lack such restrictions often advertise their
"uncensored" and "unrestricted" access.

For information about international Internet access, see the section "The 'Net
Around the World."

Surfing the Web for the First Time

In this section...
• Getting Online
• Finding Your Way Around
• Using a Web Index
• How Do Web Indexes Know What They Know?
• Where Are the Web Indexes?
• Using Your Browser Tools to Navigate the Web

Getting Online

Once you have established your Internet account, you are now ready to "surf" the
World Wide Web from your computer. To do so, perform the following steps
(specific instructions will vary depending on your access provider and software):

1. Start up your computer, and make sure that your modem is on and
connected to a telephone line.
2. Open your access software.
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3. Initiate the connection. Many access software packages will

display the status of the connection process, which generally takes
between 15 and 30 seconds.
4. Once you have successfully connected, access and launch your
Web browser.

If you have successfully accessed the Web, you will see in your browser window
the home page, or the first page that your browser is set to access. Often the home
page is a site belonging to the manufacturer of the Web browser you're using. On
most browsers, you can change the home page to a site that you'd like to access
each time you begin a Web session.

Depending on the speed of your modem and the size or complexity of the page
you're accessing, the time necessary to completely load a page can range from a
few seconds to several minutes.

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Finding Your Way Around

Now that you've gotten on the Web, you're probably wondering how to get to all
those great resources that you've been hearing about. Fortunately, there are
several strategies for moving about the Web:

• Type the URL address of a site into the entry field of your browser.

Try it! Type the complete URL for the CenterSpan Web site below, then click on
the "Go!" button:

Go!

This is the most basic method of accessing a Web site. However, you have to
know exactly where you want to go, and then type in the address precisely in
order to get there. The newer browsers can compensate for some typing (for
instance, allowing you to omit the "http://" at the beginning of a URL), but some
URLs are too complicated for a browser to second-guess.

If you simply want to explore and get to know the Web, any one of the following
strategies are preferable:

• Click on hyperlinks to move among resources; your home page

probably has some links to interesting sites.
• Access a jump site, which is a page consisting mainly of
categorized hotlinks to other sites. Again, your home page may function as
a jump site.
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• Access a Web index, which lets you access sites by typing in

keywords.

Jump sites contain collections of special-interest sites that the author has included
for certain reasons. Web indexes, however, usually contain much more eclectic
assemblies of Web resources. If you're on the Web and are not sure where to go,
head to the nearest Web index.

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Using a Web Index

To access and use a Web index, perform the following steps:

1. While logged on to the Web, type http://www.yahoo.com/

in your browser's URL entry field.
2. Press ENTER or RETURN on your keyboard.

This will take you to Yahoo!, one of the most popular Web indexes. Underneath
the Yahoo! logo, you will see a blank search entry form, as well as hotlinks of site
categories.

3. Click on one of the category topics and follow the categories until
you reach a site that matches your interests.

...OR...

4. Click your mouse in the entry form. This will place a blinking
cursor in the form.
5. Type one or more words pertaining to information you'd like to
locate on the Web.
6. Click on the SEARCH button to the right of the entry form, or
press RETURN or ENTER on your keypad.

After a few seconds, Yahoo! will return with a list of hotlinks that match
your search criteria. The more specific your criteria, the fewer and more
specific hotlinks you will see.
7. Scroll down the page and select the hotlink to a page that you'd
like to explore [NOTE: Extensive search results will take up multiple
pages].

If you would like to try searching with a Web index other than Yahoo!, select one
of the index hotlinks listed at the bottom of each page of search results. When you
select any one of these indexes, the keywords you entered for Yahoo! will remain
in force, though the search results will be different simply because of the way that
each Web index processes information.
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How Do Web Indexes Know What They Know?

It would seem that cataloguing everything on the Web would be a monumental

and maddening task. Web indexes meet this challenge using two primary
strategies.

One way of building an index is to let the site creators register their sites with the
index, in order to generate publicity for their sites. The other is to use special
software that automatically scans the Web for new sites and catalogues them;
such software is often referred to as "crawler," "spider," or "bot" (short for
"robot") software. Many indexes use a combination of the two methods, and some
indexes catalog other portions of the Net in addition to the Web (an index called
DejaNews, for example, catalogs messages in USENET newsgroups).

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Where Are the Web Indexes?

In your searches, you will probably want to use various Web indexes, as they vary
in both their content and the way in which they process search queries.

The following are the addresses for a few of the more popular Web indexes:

• Yahoo! (http://www.yahoo.com/)
• Lycos (http://www.lycos.com/)
• WebCrawler (http://www.webcrawler.com/)
• InfoSeek (http://www.infoseek.com/)
• Alta Vista (http://www.altavista.digital.com/)
• Excite (http://www.excite.com/)
• HotBot (http://www.hotbot.com/)
• DejaNews [for searching USENET newsgroup posts]
(http://www.dejanews.com/)

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Using Your Browser Tools to Navigate the Web

Yet another method of navigating the Web involves using your browser's own
controls. Most browsers "memorize" or cache the pages that you've accessed
during a Web session, and have BACK and FORWARD buttons that let you go
back and forth among these pages. Browsers may also have a GO menu that lets
you hop back and forth between memorized pages out of sequence.
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