Internet and email

Specific Objectives
By the end of the topic, the learner should be able to:
a) Define internet;
b) Explain the importance of internet;
c) Describe internet connectivity;
d) Identify internet services;
e) Access internet;
f) Use e-mail facilities;
g) State the moral, social and spiritual issues that may emerge through access to
the internet.

Content
a.) Definition of internet
b.) Development of internet
c.) Importance of internet
d.) Internet connectivity
• Telecommunication facilities
• Modems
• Internet services providers (ISP)
• Internet software
e.) Internet services e.g.
• World Wide Web (www)
• Electronic mail (e-mail)
• Electronic Commerce (e-commerce)
• Electronic Learning (e-learning)

f.) Accessing Internet

• Log-in/sign-in
• Surf/browse
• Search engines and hyperlinks
• Downloading/saving/printing
g.) Electronic Mail (e-mail)
• Definition
• E-mail software
• E-mail facilities

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 i. Mails (checking, composing, forwarding, sending, saving and printing)
ii. Fax
iii. File attachment
iv. On-line meetings
v. Telephone messages
vi. Contact management
NB: Emphasis is on the procedure and not necessarily on on-line connectivity
h.) Use the internet to access information on emerging issues e.g.
• HIV/AIDS
• Drug abuse
• Environmental issues
• Moral integrity

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Introduction

Definitions of Internet and Intranet

Internet: This is an interconnection of many large computer networks to
enable different computers world wide to communicate.
Intranet: Interconnection of computers within an organization to form a network.

Importance of Internet
Research activities
News and information dissemination
Leisure
Communication
Business transactions

Internet Connectivity Requirements

Data terminal equipment: processor, host computer and transmit data on
networks e.g. mobile phones, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).
Transmission media: physical (wired) or wireless pathway.
Telecommunication lines: fiber optic cables.
Wireless telecommunications like the GSM use GPRS.
Satellite transmission
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): Companies that offer internet services to
end users at a fee.
Software: Help to facilitate you access to internet- Internet Protocol (IP/
TCP), browsers (Mozilla, Opera, Internet Explorer), Email (Ms-Outlook,
Express, Eudora, Yahoo Mail e.t.c)
Modem: Special digital to analog interface card that is changes digital data
to analog so as to be transmitted and on receiving end the data is changed
from analog to digital form for computer to understand

Protocols
A set of rules that governs how two computers can send and receive data on the
network.
Types of protocols are:
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP): Governs how data is transferred from
one computer to the next.

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 Internet Protocol (IP): Determines the addressing system on the internet.

Types of Internet Connection

1. Analog:ISP ancholes.
2. Integrated Service Digital Network (ISDN): Dial up faster than analog.
3. Broadband/ Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)/ Symmetrical Digital
Subscriber Line (SDSL): Faster than dial up.

Internet Architecture

GPRS device using TCP/ IP required for Gateway to reach

GSM Air Each IP gate External IP network
Interface

Internet Services

1. E-mail: Electronic exchange of letters, data and graphics on the internet.

2. E-learning: Learning through interacting with special programs on the
computer.
3. E-commerce: Buying and selling of goods and services on the internet.
4. Video conferencing: Use of computer, digital camera and audio capturing
equipment and communication network to enable people in different
locations to talk to one another.
5. Instant messaging: Allow two or more people communicate directly e.g.
Yahoo! Messenger, Google talk, IzzyTalk.
6. News group
7. Searching: Google, Opera Mini, Yahoo, Excite, Alta Vista.
8. World Wide Web (www): Vast virtual space on internet where
information pages called websites is installed.

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 Website: Group of related web pages or other resources located on a web
server.

Web portal: It offers specialized services like search, email, sports

updates, financial news and links to selected websites.
Blog: Website containing information that can be easily updated. It acts
as resume diary and may be used for business, advocacy and campaigns.
Multimedia: contains photos, movies, music, web TV, and internet radio.

Terms used in accessing the internet

1. Uniform Resource Locater (URL): Address given to every resource on
the internet which specifies the files or data and its location.
2. Log in:
3. Sign up:
4. Surfing/ browsing: Process of accessing internet resources.
5. Hyperlinks: Text or picture on an electronic document especially web pages
that causes other web pages to open when link is clicked.
6. Search engine: program that searches document for specified keywords
anad returns a list of document where keywords are found.
7. Downloading: Process of transferring information from host computer
network to the local storage.
8. Uploading: Process of transferring information from a local storage to a
remote computer on network.
9. Computer Network: This is a collection of independent entities that are
arranged in such a manner so as to exchange data, information or resources
all interconnected with a computer.

E-mail Facilities
1. Mails

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2. File attachment
3. Online meeting
4. Telephone messaging
5. Contact management

Advantages of Emails over Letters

Precautions when setting an email system

and regularly update antivirus software to reduce virus
infection.

Email Address Parts

[email protected]
- Username
@- Separates username from host
- Host computer on network
- Identifies the type institution or domain.

Web Address Parts

http://www.pioneershomepage.com
- protocol that transfers hypertext.
- Internet (web) server

End of topic

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Questions and answers

1. The first computer Network was set up by ARPA in the United States
of America. What is the full meaning of the acronym ARPA (1mk)
Advanced Research Projects Agency

2. Your manager wishes to be connected to the Internet. He already has

a powerful personal Computer (PC), a printer, and access to a Telephone line.
However, he understands that he will need a Modem.
State why a modem is required to connect him to the internet. (2mks)
A modem enables one to connect to the Internet and access information by
transmitting data from one computer to another across telephone lines.

3. The Internet connects millions of computers and telecommunication

devices that have different hardware and software configurations. For these
incompatible devices to be able to communicate, a protocols? (1mk)
A protocol is a set of rules that govern how tow computers can send and receive
data on a network
Special communication rule that government sending and receiving of messages by
computers on a network

b) Name the two most common protocols for the Internet, and state their
functions. (3mks)
Transmission control Protocol (TCP); - It governs how data is transferred from
one place to another
Internet Protocol (IP); - It is used to provide routing from one network to
another (i.e. it enable data to be sent& received by the different computers on a
network)
4. a) Explain the following terms as used in internet:
i) Website ( ½ mk)
A collection /group of related Web pages belonging to an
organization or individual
ii) Browse/Surf the web. ( ½ mk)
Moving around and between the Web pages
5. a) What is meant by the term e-learning? (1mk)

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 This is learning through interaction with special programs on the
computer.
b) A school intends to set-up an e-learning system. List three problems
that are likely to be encountered. (3mks)
- Lack of capital
- Lack of skilled manpower (required technology to run & support the
e-learning system)
- Spread of computer viruses
- Availability of pornographic material & literature to the students
from the internet.

6. a) Identify the parts of the following e-mail address labelled A, B,

C and D
(4mks)
lat @africaonline . co.ke

A B C D

A Name of the individual or organization

B Name of the host computer in the network on which the e-mail account is
hosted
C Identifies the type of the organization or institution offering a particular
service, i.e. commercial organization
D Name of the country where the site is located, i.e. Kenya.

b) Mention two examples of e-mail software. (2mks)

- Microsoft Outlook
- Outlook express
- Microsoft exchange
- Eudora

7. Discuss four advantages and two disadvantages that electronic mails

have over regular mails. (6mks)
Advantages
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 i) Cheap & economical: -It costs almost nothing to transmit and e-mail
message over the network. There is no need for stamps, envelopes, etc
ii) Secure;-Access to a user’s mailbox can be restricted by use of a
password
iii) Faster: - The delivery of an e-mail message normally takes seconds
or minutes depending on the distance to the receiver.
iv) Efficient:- A message prepared only once can be sent to several
people
v) Convenient: - with e-mail, one can send his/her messages when it is
convenient for him/her & the recipients can respond at their convenient times.
vi) Cheaper in preparing the message: - Most e-mail users accept less well-
formatted messages and slight typing errors are overlooked, unlike in business
letters which are expected to be error-free and formatted according to certain
standards.

Disadvantages
- the initial installation cost is higher
- Messages may be lost before they can be read due to virus infection
- Messages may not be kept for future reference due to the high cost
of storage (2mks)

8. a) What is a search engine? (2mks)

This is a software system designed to carry out web searches.

Examples of search engines are:
 Google .com
 Yahoo. Com
 Hotmail.com
 Excite.com
9. Briefly describe four factors contributing to Internet access and growth
in Kenya. (6mks)
i) Cost: - for effective use of internet, a powerful & costly computer is
needed. The cost of installing internet services, telephone bills is also high hence
discouraging internet growth.
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 ii) Illiteracy: - Many people are computer illiterate and therefore have
no idea of computer internet services.
iii) Inadequate infrastructure: - Lack of infrastructures such as
telephone services in rural areas also hinders growth of internet access. Lack of
electricity discourages people from installing internets in their offices.
iv) lack of awareness of the existence of such services by the public.

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