ACCESS THE INTERNET 1

The Internet

The Internet has been described as ‘a network of networks’ since it connects over 50

million computers worldwide. The Internet was started in 1969 in the USA to link up centres in

the event of nuclear attack. Gradually, more networks joined and the focus changed, connecting

thousands of microcomputers, minicomputers, mainframes and supercomputers linked in

commercial, government and educational networks.

Today, businesses set up websites on the Internet because:

 They can advertise that they do and what they sell

 People can email them with enquires, orders and requests

 They can reach an international audience

The main services provided by the Internet include:

 Email: messages which can be sent from one computer to another anywhere in the world.

 Internet relay chat (IRC) allows users to go on-line at the same time and exchange text

or audio messages in real time. Different ISPs have different names for this service, eg.

MNS Messenger Service.

 The World Wide Web (WWW) – popularly known as the Web – is the main way of

accessing information on the Internet. The Web is based on pages of information which

are linked and viewed by a web browser, such as Internet Explorer. By clicking with the

mouse on a hypertext link (links are usually underlined words displayed in different

colours), you can jump to another website. Millions of web pages are available on

virtually on every topic imaginable.

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 File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is the name given to the transfer of files across the

Internet. FTP is the Internet equivalent of a file server, with files made available on

thousands of the net’s computers for downloading onto individual computers. Millions of

users use FTP to download updates to popular software, such as Microsoft Word and

Excel, although it can be used to upload (send) files to websites.

 Newsgroups are on-line discussion groups where users with common interests, anywhere

in the world can share their views. Imagine a topic and there is usually a newsgroup on it!

Connecting to the Internet

Computers can be connected to the Internet in different ways. To access the Internet, you

need a modem which connected to a telephone line, software (web browser and email

package) an Internet Service Provider (ISP). On many personal computers, you can actually

hear the modem dialing and connecting to the ISP. This form of connection is known as dial-

up networking. When users are connected to the Internet, they are said to be on-line.

Telephone companies have been keen to increase the speed of Internet connections. This

has led to two major developments: ISDN and ADSL. ISDN (integrated services digital

network) is a high-speed digital alternative to using the existing telephone network. ISDN

can send and receive data at 128 kbps (or faster when parallel lines are installed). ADSL

(asymmetric digital subscriber line) transforms the existing telephone wires into high-speed

digital data lines. With ADSL, data can be sent and received much faster than with traditional

modems or ISDN, with speeds up to 8 Mbps. ADSL does not require a dial-up connection, as

users are permanently connected to the Internet.

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Many cable television customers can connect to the Internet using a cable modem which

sends and receives digital data through a connection to a fibre-optic cable television system.

Cable television such as Direct TV is a broadband service – a single cable can carry several

channels at once – which results in data being sent and received at very high speeds.

Internet Protocol

With so many different computer networks linked together on the Internet, there has to be

a standard way in which different networks are linked together. The set of rules, sometimes

known as a protocol, for sending and receiving data over the Internet is known as TCP/IP

(transmission control protocol/Internet protocol). TCP/IP breaks down the data into little

chunks, or packets, which are sent to other computers on the Internet. TCP/IP then ensures

that the data is reassembled into its original form.

Services on the Internet

The World Wide Web (WWW) is based on millions of pages of information linked

together and viewed by Internet browsers. An Internet browser is a software application that

allows you to go to resources and websites on the Internet. Popular browsers include

Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. In order to access the services on the

Internet, you need to know what to do.

Internet Address

Every site on the Internet has an address known as a URL (uniform resource locator). To

aces a site, you enter its address (URL) into the Internet browser. There is a space at the top

of the screen (labeled Address) for you to enter the URL. For example, typing
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www.vob929.com would find radio station Voice of Barbados, or www.nationnews.com

would give you access to the Nation Newspaper for up-to-date news and links to other

Caribbean newspapers.

You will see addresses that start http://. The http tells you that it is a website. To save

you time, most browsers today do not require you to type the http://. You just type www

followed by the rest of the address. Sometimes you may also see an address that starts ftp. ftp

sites are not websites, but sites that allow you to transfer files across the Internet.

The name of the web server is next in the URL. A web server is a computer which uses

special software to transmit web pages over the Internet. Many Web server names are

prefixed by www for example www.caribsurf.com www.sunbeach.net. If you enter the Web

server name into the web browser, you will see the Web server name into the web browser,

you will see the home page for the site. This is like the title page in the book from which

other related pages may be accessed. You will get a message if there is no home page

available.

After the server name comes the folder where the file is located then the name of the file

being retrieved. Typical file name extensions on web pages are htm or html.

The Web is an information retrieval system which enables users to connect from one

website to another via hypertext links on the page. That is, when you click on a link, you are

taken from one website to another, which may be on the same computer or a different

computer at a remote location. For example, http://www.guardian.co.tt/ is the home page for

the Trinidad Guardian newspaper whereas http://www.guardian.co.tt/editorial.html is the

ACCESS THE INTERNET 5

address of another page containing a topic called ‘editorial’. Notice that all the letters in the

URl are lower case.

If you do not know the URL of the site you want, you can use a search engine. A search

engine is a software application that finds websites using keywords. Search engines have

their own websites. Some search engines include:

 AltaVista http://www.altavista.com
 Ask Jeeves
 Excite
 Google
 Hotbot http://www.hotbot.lycos.com
 Infoseek
 Lycos http://www.lycos.com
 Yahoo

Activity: You can search for the other websites addresses.

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Understanding Internet Addresses

Complete the table with the missing information which you should place on your blog.

SYMBOL/EXTENSION/ABBREVIATION MEANING & EXAMPLE WHEN POSSIBLE

https://get.shop/ .shop is for shopping online and offline. Ex. Converse,

amazon, ebay, apple, Nike, ghd

Activity: 1. What does Oh My Eyes sell? _________

2. In which country is Amedeo originated? ________

3. Which country sells Berdine brands? ____________

//
/
http
ftp
.com
.uk
.edu
.org
.gov
.net
.html or htm

Newsgroups: There are 8 categories

comp Computers and programs.

misc Topics that don't fit in anywhere else.

news Concerning the News system itself.

rec Recreation, hobbies, activities.

soc Social topics.

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sci Scientific topics.

talk Debate concerning politics and social questions.

alt Alternate hierarchy.

http://www.ii.uib.no/~magnus/USENET/paragraph3.2.7.2.1.html

Blog, in full Web log or Weblog, online journal where an individual, group, or corporation
presents a record of activities, thoughts, or beliefs. Some blogs operate mainly as news filters,
collecting various online sources and adding short comments and Internet links. Other blogs
concentrate on presenting original material. In addition, many blogs provide a forum to allow
visitors to leave comments and interact with the publisher. “To blog” is the act of composing
material for a blog. Materials are largely written, but pictures, audio, and videos are important
elements of many blogs. The “blogosphere” is the online universe of blogs.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/blog

Activity: Visit the blog below and write a short comment on any article. Be sure to email
me your comment before posting.

Blog: https://lkfarfromperfect.blogspot.com/

IRC/Instant Messaging: These are services handle exchange of comments between two or more
Internet users in real time. The most popular service is that of MSN Messenger.

Activity: Post a screen shot of your instant chat with someone on the Internet. Make sure

this is academic in nature. Eg. You could search for a library and ask the librarian via the

chat service how can you find information on miracle plants in Jamaica. Screen shot the

response and past it into a Word document and post it to your blog.
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Intranet

Intranet is a private network based on Internet standards but only available within a business or

other organization. No one outside the organization is allowed access to the intranet.

Intranets may depending on how they are set up, consist of local area networks (LANs) and wide

area networks (WANs). A firewall is used to stop computers on other networks, including the

Internet, accessing an intranet. Instead, all communication is through a proxy server that is

outside the network. The proxy server acts as a gatekeeper, filtering Internet sites and deciding

what files or messages should come in to, or go out from, a computer network.

Intranets are used by many businesses and other organizations to:

 Distribute documents

 Share information

 Distribute software

 Access databases

 Help with staff training

 Facilitate group work

 Enable teleconferencing

Extranets

Once intranets were developed, it became clear that businesses and other organizations

sometimes wanted to allow others, such as suppliers and customers, to have limited access to

their intranet. This would lead to a closer relationship with customers, a better exchange of

information and improved efficiency. Therefore, extranets were developed. Extranets allow
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authorized outsiders limited access to an extranet. They must have valid usernames and

passwords and an identity that establishes which part of the extranet they can access.

Contents from Oxford Information Technology for CXC CSEC Glenda Gay and Ronald

Blades 2005 pages 84 – 90

Advantages and Disadvantages of Internet

Last Updated : 07 Dec, 2020

The Internet is the most popular and innovative creation within the world of technology is

the Internet. The web is that the place where all types of data are present and even the

communication process is feasible using the web. The planet has now become internet

dependent due to its vast advantages. Here may be a checkout both its advantages and

drawbacks.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines the web as an outsized system of connected computers

around the world that permits people to share information and communicate with one

another. The web is run and governed by various companies, businesses, governments, and

academic institutions for his or her purpose. It carries a number of data about almost every

subject and has very quickly become an important part of everyone’s lives. Over 4.5 billion

people everywhere on the planet are internet users currently.

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Advantages of Internet:

The internet is perhaps one of the best inventions thus far. As anyone can access the

computer this made people by stripping away geographical barriers and sharing information

instantaneously.

Communication Forum –

The speed of communication becomes faster which is obtained through the web. Families

and friends can confine touch easily. The platform for products like SKYPE allows for

holding a video conference with anyone within the world who also has access.

Abundant Information –

Anyone can find information on almost any imaginable subject. Plenty of resources are

often found through the program in minutes.

Inexhaustible Education –

For instance, students can gain readily available help for his or her homework online.

Entertainment for everybody –

Most folks love using our laptops, smartphones, and, tablets. The web is that the big

reason behind us spending such a lot of time on these gadgets.

Online Services and E-commerce –

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Many services of emails, online banking, online shopping, etc are there. Free mail to

anyone is definitely accessible all around the world. E-commerce enables one in America to

shop for things in Asia, Africa, or other areas within the world through some simple clicks of

the mouse.

Social network –

Social networking is the sharing of data with people across the planet. Aside from being

an entertainment website, it’s many uses.

Learning –

The web has now become a neighborhood of education. Education like homeschooling is

definitely administered using the web. Teachers can upload their teaching videos on the web

Disadvantages of Internet:

The Internet’s drawbacks can’t be overlooked any longer as numerous teenagers are

affected by Internet Addiction Disorder, then many ladies became online shopaholics.

Internet Addiction Disorder –

Internet addiction is detrimental to not only fitness but also psychological state.

Cyber Crime –
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Hacker programs a virus which gets into the pc and ruins valuable data. Users’ personal

information like name, address, master card, bank details, and other information are often

accessed by culprits when used on the web, leading to significant economic loss.

Social Alienation –

Time spent online flies fast without consciousness. After getting attracted the user

trapped into the trap, users are trapped by a “net”, spending less time with people in the real

world. Less interaction and face-to-face communication, actually, may end in a decrease in

social abilities.

Spam –

The unnecessary emails, advertisements, etc. are sometimes said to be spam because they

need the power to hamper the system and make the users face many problems.

https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-internet/