LO 1.2 How The Internet Used

Internet 101
How is the Internet Used?

Introduction
As the Internet has grown, it has developed into a multi-faceted tool with a vast range of uses.
It's now easy to keep in touch with friends, publish your own articles, or even watch your
favorite TV shows using the Internet.
In this lesson, we'll talk about some of the ways the Internet is used today, including blogs,
social networking, instant messaging, VoIP, and media.
Finding information online
The most common way to find information online is with a search engine. All you have to do is
type in a few words, and the search engine will give you a list of results you can click on. There
are many different search engines you can use, but Google is the most popular one.
Intelligent personal assistants
If you're using a mobile device, there are some situations when it's not convenient to type a
search into a search engine. Instead, you can simply talk to your device's intelligent personal
assistant. One example is Siri, which comes pre-installed on all new iPhones.
With Siri, you can ask a question like "What's the weather today?" or "Are there any Thai
restaurants nearby?" Siri will then try to give you an answer. You can also use Siri to do other
things on your device, like setting up reminders. For example, you could say, "Remind me to go
to the dentist on Thursday."
Using the Internet to communicate
The Internet isn't just about finding information. It's also about connecting with friends, family,
and people you've never met before. Today, there are many different ways to communicate
online, including social networking, chat, VoIP, and blogging.
Social networking
Social networking has become one of the main ways people keep in touch. Below are a few of
the most popular social networking sites:
 Facebook is used by about 1 billion people. If you have family or friends who live far away, you
can use Facebook to keep up with their lives. You can also share things you've found online that
interest you.
 Twitter lets you share brief messages (or "tweets") with the entire world or with just your circle
of friends. By following people with similar interests, you can discover new things you wouldn't
have found otherwise.
 LinkedIn is a site you can use for business networking. It allows you to connect with other
people in your field and discover new job opportunities.
Chat and instant messaging
Chat and instant messaging programs allow you to have conversations with your friends or just
write them a quick note. Two examples are Yahoo! Messenger and Microsoft Messenger.
Some sites, such as Gmail and Facebook, allow you to chat within your browser.
VoIP
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), allows you to have telephone service through your
Internet connection. Some services also let you do video conferencing, such as Skype and
Facebook Video Calling. Many of these services are free or very inexpensive, and some people
use them as a replacement for a landline or simply to save minutes on their mobile phones.
Blogs
Today, the average user has the ability to shape the Web by adding to it. If you have knowledge
or interests you're passionate about, you can create your own blog and share your thoughts with
the world.
There are many sites like blogger.com and wordpress.com that let you create a blog for free. You
don't need any web design experience—most of the technical stuff has already been created for
you, and you can choose a predesigned template that has the look and feel that you want.
Media on the Internet
TV, radio, and the Internet used to be completely separate things, but that's no longer true with
today's technology. You can now watch TV shows on your computer, and you can connect to the
Internet on many TVs and DVD/Blu-ray players. In addition, radio stations from around the
world allow you to listen online, and many online-only radio stations now exist.
Streaming media
TV and radio on the Internet are examples of streaming media, which means the media
downloads while it's playing so you don't have to wait for it to download first.
Not all media is streaming. If you've ever bought music via the iTunes Store, you probably had
to wait for it to download before you could listen to it.
Media players and embedded media
Media is often embedded in a webpage, which means it plays within the web browser. Other
times, you'll use a separate program called a media player to play it. Examples include
Windows Media Player and iTunes. An iPod contains built-in media player software that can
play various types of files.
Online media on your TV
You can now access online TV shows, movies, and music on your TV. Many newer TVs are able
to connect to an existing Internet connection. If yours doesn't have this feature built into it, you
can buy a separate digital media receiver, which is a small device that connects to your TV.
Apple TV and Roku are two examples of digital media receivers. Many game consoles, such as
the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, can also be used to access online content.
Using the Internet in the future
The Internet is always changing, and the ways in which we access it will also continue to
change. Technology will continue to become more common and integrated into our everyday
lives. In addition, we'll see many technologies and devices in the future that will allow us to use
the Internet in new and exciting ways.

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LO 1.2 How The Internet Used

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Internet 101

How is the Internet Used?

Finding information online

Using the Internet to communicate

Chat and instant messaging

Media players and embedded media

Online media on your TV

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