MTHATHA CAMPUS – NMD

COMPUTER LITERACY NOTES

MODULE CODE: CLT15M2 & CLT12M2

Module:
Internet
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Table of Contents
UNIT 1: INTERNET BASICS ....................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 3
What is the Internet? .......................................................................................................................... 3
What is the Web ................................................................................................................................. 3
How does the Internet work? ............................................................................................................. 4
UNIT 2: CONNECTING TO THE INTERNET ................................................................................................ 5
How to connect to the Internet? ........................................................................................................ 5
Types of Internet service .................................................................................................................. 5
Choosing an Internet service provider (ISP) ....................................................................................... 6
Hardware needed ............................................................................................................................ 6
Setting up your Internet connection................................................................................................... 7
Home networking ............................................................................................................................ 7
UNIT 3: UNDERSTANDING THE CLOUD ................................................................................................... 8
What is the cloud? .............................................................................................................................. 8
Why use the cloud?............................................................................................................................. 8
UNIT 4: USING A WEB BROWSER ............................................................................................................ 9
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 9
URLs and the address bar ................................................................................................................... 9
Links .................................................................................................................................................... 9
Navigation buttons ........................................................................................................................... 10
Tabbed browsing............................................................................................................................... 10
Bookmarks and history ..................................................................................................................... 11
Downloading files.............................................................................................................................. 13
UNIT 5: DOWNLOADING AND UPLOADING .......................................................................................... 14
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 14
Downloading ..................................................................................................................................... 14
Uploading .......................................................................................................................................... 15
UNIT 6: USING SEARCH ENGINES .......................................................................................................... 15
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 15
How to search the Web .................................................................................................................... 15
Search suggestions ............................................................................................................................ 17
Refining your search ......................................................................................................................... 17
Content-specific searches ................................................................................................................. 19
Advertisements ................................................................................................................................. 20
UNIT 7: CHOOSING A WEB BROWSER.................................................................................................. 21
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Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 21
Choosing a Web Browser .................................................................................................................. 21
UNIT 8: ELECTRONIC MAIL (E-MAIL) ..................................................................................................... 23
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 23
Structure of an E-mail address .......................................................................................................... 23
How to send and receive e-mail ....................................................................................................... 23
Using E-mail program ................................................................................................................... 23
Using Online e-mail ...................................................................................................................... 23
Writing an e-mail .............................................................................................................................. 24
 Click Send button to send your e-mail ...................................................................................... 25
What can be sent in an e-mail? ........................................................................................................ 25
Advantages of e-mail ........................................................................................................................ 25
REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................................... 27
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UNIT 1: INTERNET BASICS

Introduction

The Internet has increasingly become an important part of everyday life for people around
the world. After studying this unit you will have answers to some basic questions you may
have about how the Internet works, how to connect to the Internet, and how to browse the
Web.

What is the Internet?

The Internet is a global network of billions of computers and other electronic devices. It is the
largest computer network in the world. It is a collection of local, regional, national and
international computer networks. These networks are linked together to exchange data and
share processing tasks. With the Internet, it's possible to access almost any information,
communicate with anyone else in the world, and do much more.

You can do all of this by connecting a computer to the Internet, which is also
called going online. When someone says a computer is online, it's just another way of saying
it's connected to the Internet.

What is the Web

The World Wide Web—usually called the Web for short—is a collection of
different websites you can access through the Internet. A website is made up of related text,
images, and other resources. Websites can resemble other forms of media—like newspaper
articles or television programs—or they can be interactive in a way that's unique to
computers.

The purpose of a website can be almost anything: a news platform, an advertisement, an

online library, a forum for sharing images, or an educational site.

Once you are connected to the Internet, you can access and view websites using a type of
application software called a web browser. Web Browsers include examples like Microsoft
Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft edge etc. Just keep in mind that
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the web browser itself is not the Internet; it only displays websites that are stored on the
Internet.

How does the Internet work?

It's important to realize that the Internet is a global network of physical cables, which can
include copper telephone wires, TV cables, and fiber optic cables. Even wireless connections
like Wi-Fi and 3G/4G rely on these physical cables to access the Internet.

When you visit a website, your computer sends a request over these wires to a server. A
server is where websites are stored, and it works a lot like your computer's hard drive. Once
the request arrives, the server retrieves the website and sends the correct data back to your
computer. What's amazing is that this all happens in just a few seconds!

Things you can do on the Internet

One of the best features of the Internet is the ability to communicate almost instantly with
anyone in the world. Email is one of the oldest and most universal ways to communicate and
share information on the Internet, and billions of people use it. Social media allows people to
connect in a variety of ways and build communities online.

There are many other things you can do on the Internet. There are thousands of ways to keep
up with news or shop for anything online. You can pay your bills, manage your bank
accounts, meet new people, watch TV, or learn new skills. You can learn or do almost
anything online.
Research: The Internet is an electronic encyclopaedia. Information on any subject can be
found on the Web. This information can be downloaded. saved, printed or copied.
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UNIT 2: CONNECTING TO THE INTERNET

How to connect to the Internet?

Once you've set up your computer, you may want to purchase home Internet access so you
can send and receive email, browse the Web, stream videos, and more. You may even want
to set up a home wireless network, commonly known as Wi-Fi, so you can connect multiple
devices to the Internet at the same time.

Types of Internet service

The type of Internet service you choose will largely depend on which Internet service
providers (ISPs) serve your area, along with the types of service they offer. Here are some
common types of Internet service.

 Dial-up: This is generally the slowest type of Internet connection, and

you should probably avoid it unless it is the only service available in
your area. Dial-up Internet uses your phone line, so unless you have
multiple phone lines you will not be able to use your landline and the
Internet at the same time.

 DSL: DSL service uses a broadband connection, which makes it much

faster than dial-up. DSL connects to the Internet via a phone line but
does not require you to have a landline at home. And unlike dial-up,
you'll be able to use the Internet and your phone line at the same time.

 Cable: Cable service connects to the Internet via cable TV, although
you do not necessarily need to have cable TV in order to get it. It uses
a broadband connection and can be faster than both dial-up and DSL
service; however, it is only available where cable TV is available.

 Satellite: A satellite connection uses broadband but does not require

cable or phone lines; it connects to the Internet through satellites
orbiting the Earth. As a result, it can be used almost anywhere in the
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world, but the connection may be affected by weather patterns.

Satellite connections are also usually slower than DSL or cable.

 3G and 4G: 3G and 4G service is most commonly used with mobile

phones, and it connects wirelessly through your ISP's network.
However, these types of connections aren't always as fast as DSL or
cable. They will also limit the amount of data you can use each month,
which isn't the case with most broadband plans.

Choosing an Internet service provider (ISP)

Most ISPs offer several tiers of service with different Internet speeds, usually measured
in Mbps (short for megabits per second). If you mainly want to use the Internet
for email and social networking, a slower connection (around 2 to 5 Mbps) might be all you
need. However, if you want to download music or stream videos, you'll want a faster
connection (at least 5 Mbps or higher).

You'll also want to consider the cost of the service, including installation charges and monthly
fees. Generally speaking, the faster the connection, the more expensive it will be per month.

Hardware needed

Modem

Once you have your computer, you really don't need much additional hardware to connect
to the Internet. The primary piece of hardware you need is a modem.

The type of Internet access you choose will determine the type of modem you need. Dial-
up access uses a telephone modem, DSL service uses a DSL modem, cable access uses
a cable modem, and satellite service uses a satellite adapter. Your ISP may give you a
modem—often for a fee—when you sign a contract, which helps ensure that you have
the right type of modem. However, if you would prefer to shop for a better or less
expensive modem, you can choose to buy one separately.
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Router

A router is a hardware device that allows you to connect several computers and other
devices to a single Internet connection, which is known as a home network. Many routers
are wireless, which allows you to create a home wireless network, commonly known as a Wi-
Fi network.

You don't necessarily need to buy a router to connect to the Internet. It's possible to connect
your computer directly to your modem using an Ethernet cable. Also, many modems include
a built-in router, so you have the option of creating a Wi-Fi network without buying extra
hardware.

Setting up your Internet connection

Once you've chosen an ISP, most providers will send a technician to your house to turn on
the connection. If not, you should be able to use the instructions provided by your ISP—or
included with the modem—to set up your Internet connection.

After you have everything set up, you can open your web browser and begin using the
Internet. If you have any problems with your Internet connection, you can call your
ISP's technical support number.

Home networking

If you have multiple computers at home and want to use all of them to access the Internet,
you may want to create a home network, also known as a Wi-Fi network. In a home network,
all of your devices connect to your router, which is connected to the modem. This means
everyone in your family can use the Internet at the same time.
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UNIT 3: UNDERSTANDING THE CLOUD

What is the cloud?

You may have heard people using terms like the cloud, cloud computing, or cloud storage.
But what exactly is the cloud?

Simply put, the cloud is the Internet—more specifically, it's all of the things you can access
remotely over the Internet. When something is in the cloud, it means it's stored
on Internet servers instead of your computer's hard drive.

Why use the cloud?

Some of the main reasons to use the cloud are convenience and reliability. For example, if
you've ever used a web-based email service, such as Gmail or Yahoo! Mail, you've already
used the cloud. All of the emails in a web-based service are stored on servers rather than on
your computer's hard drive. This means you can access your email from any computer with
an Internet connection. It also means you'll be able to recover your emails if something
happens to your computer.

Let's look at some of the most common reasons to use the cloud.

 File storage: You can store all types of information in the cloud,
including files and email. This means you can access these things
from any computer or mobile device with an Internet connection, not
just your home computer. Dropbox and Google Drive are some of the
most popular cloud-based storage services.
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UNIT 4: USING A WEB BROWSER

Introduction

A web browser is a type of software that allows you to find and view websites on the Internet.
There are many different web browsers, but some of the most common ones include Google
Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox.

No matter which web browser you use, you'll want to learn the basics of browsing the Web.
In this lesson, we'll talk about navigating to different websites, using tabbed browsing,
creating bookmarks, and more.

URLs and the address bar

Each website has a unique address, called a URL (short for Uniform Resource Locator). It's
like a street address that tells your browser where to go on the Internet. When you type a
URL into the browser's address bar and press Enter on your keyboard, the browser will load
the page associated with that URL.

In the example below, we've typed www.bbc.com/travel into the address bar.

Links

Whenever you see a word or phrase on a website that's blue or underlined in blue, it's
probably a hyperlink, or link for short. You might already know how links work, even if you've
never thought about them much before. Links are used to navigate the Web. When you click
a link, it will usually take you to a different webpage. You may also notice that your cursor
changes into a hand icon whenever you hover over a link.
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If you see this icon, it means you've found a link. You'll find other types of links this way too.
For example, many websites actually use images as links, so you can just click the image to
navigate to another page.

Navigation buttons

The Back and Forward buttons allow you to move through websites you've recently viewed.
You can also click and hold either button to see your recent history.

The Refresh button will reload the current page. If a website stops working, try using the
Refresh button.

Tabbed browsing

Many browsers allow you to open links in a new tab. You can open as many links as you want,
and they'll stay in the same browser window instead of cluttering your screen with multiple
windows.
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To open a link in a new tab, right-click the link and select Open link in new tab (the exact
wording may vary from browser to browser).

To close a tab, click the X.

To create a new blank tab, click the button to the right of any open tabs.

Bookmarks and history

If you find a website you want to view later, it can be hard to memorize the exact web
address. Bookmarks, also known as favorites, are a great way to save and organize specific
websites so you can revisit them again and again. Simply locate and select the Star icon to
bookmark the current website.
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Your browser will also keep a history of every site you visit. This is another good way to find
a site you visited previously. To view your history, open your browser settings—usually by
clicking the icon in the upper-right corner—and select History.
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Downloading files

Links don't always go to another website. In some cases, they point to a file that can
be downloaded, or saved, to your computer.

If you click a link to a file, it may download automatically, but sometimes it just opens within
your browser instead of downloading. To prevent it from opening in the browser, you
can right-click the link and select Save link as (different browsers may use slightly different
wording, like Save target as).
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UNIT 5: DOWNLOADING AND UPLOADING

Introduction

While exploring the Internet, you’ve probably encountered the

terms downloading and uploading. Downloading means receiving data or a file from the
Internet on your computer. Uploading means sending data or a file from your computer to
somewhere on the Internet.

These terms describe activities you may have already learned how to do. If you’ve ever shared
a photo you took on Facebook or another social media site, you've uploaded that photo.

Downloading

Usually, when you download a file you will start the download by clicking a link to that file.

If you click the link, your browser should prompt you to select one of two methods for
downloading the file.

 Open with will download the file and load it immediately in the
specified program.

 Save File will download it and save it to your hard drive.

Either way, once you click OK, the download begins. Your browser will indicate the progress
and time remaining on the download.

Once the download is complete, either the file will be saved to your computer or it will open
in the program you selected. If you have trouble finding the file after you’ve downloaded it,
check out our the Downloads Folder.

Some browsers don’t always start this download process when you click the link to a file. In
these cases, you can right-click the link, then click Save Link As, then select a location to
download the file.
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Uploading

If a site allows uploads, it will have an upload utility to help perform the file transfer. Each site
handles this process differently, but we’ll give some common examples. Usually, the site will
have help pages to walk you through the upload process.

Many sites have an upload button that opens a dialog box. For example, Facebook has a
camera icon that begins the upload process.

A dialog box will appear, prompting you to select a file. Browse to the location where your file
is stored, select it, then click the Open button. Afterward, a progress bar tracking the upload
process will appear on the page.

UNIT 6: USING SEARCH ENGINES

Introduction

With billions of websites online today, there is a lot of information on the Internet. Search
engines make this information easier to find. Let's look at the basics of using a search
engine, as well as some techniques you can use to get better search results.

How to search the Web

There are many different search engines you can use, but some of the most popular
include Google, Yahoo!, and Bing. To perform a search, you'll need to navigate to a search
engine in your web browser, type one or more keywords—also known as search terms—then
press Enter on your keyboard. In this example, we'll search for recipes.
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After you run a search, you'll see a list of relevant websites that match your search terms.
These are commonly known as search results. If you see a site that looks interesting, you can
click a link to open it. If the site doesn't have what you need, you can simply return to the
results page to look for more options.
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Most browsers also allow you to perform a web search directly from your address bar,
although some have a separate search bar next to the address bar. Simply type your search
terms and press Enter to run the search.

Search suggestions

If you don't find what you're looking for on the first try, don't worry! Search engines are good
at finding things online, but they're not perfect. You'll often need to try different search
terms to find what you're looking for.

If you're having trouble thinking of new search terms, you can use search suggestions instead.
These will usually appear as you're typing, and they're a great way to find new keywords you
might not have tried otherwise. To use a search suggestion, you can click it with your mouse,
or select it with the arrow keys on your keyboard.

Refining your search

If you're still having trouble finding exactly what you need, you can use some special
characters to help refine your search. For example, if you want to exclude a word from a
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search, you can type a hyphen (-) at the beginning of a word. So if you wanted to find cookie
recipes that don't include chocolate, you could search for recipes cookies -chocolate.

You can also search for exact words or phrases to narrow down your results even more. All
you need to do is place quotation marks (" ") around the desired search terms. For example,
if you search for recipes "sugar cookies", your search results will only include recipes for
sugar cookies, instead of any cookies that happen to use sugar as an ingredient.
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These techniques may come in handy in certain cases, but you probably won't need to use
them with most searches. Search engines can usually figure out what you're looking for
without these extra characters. We recommend trying a few different search
suggestions before using this method.

Content-specific searches

There may be times when you're looking for something more specific, like a news
article, picture, or video. Most search engines have links at the top of the page that allow you
to perform these unique searches.

In the example below, we've used the same search terms to look for images instead of
websites. If you see an image you like, you can click to visit the website it originally came from.
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You can use the extra search tools to narrow down your results even more. These tools will
change based on the type of content you're looking for, but in this example we can filter our
images by size, color, image type, and more.

Advertisements

One final thing to note: Most search engines include advertisements with search results. For
example, you can see advertisements at the top of the search results below.
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These ads are based on your search terms, and they often look similar to other search results.
While they may be useful in some cases, it's usually more helpful to focus on the actual search
results.

UNIT 7: CHOOSING A WEB BROWSER

Introduction

A web browser is a type of software that allows you to find and view websites on the Internet.

For many years, especially in the early 2000s, there was one browser that almost everyone
used: Microsoft's Internet Explorer. If you used the Internet at that time, you probably clicked
an icon like this to access the Web:

In the past, Internet Explorer was pre-installed on any PC you buy. Starting in the mid-2000s,
other software companies introduced new browsers, including Mozilla Firefox and Google
Chrome. At the time, these browsers allowed for more experimental features. Because of
this, web developers began creating websites with browsers like Chrome and Firefox in mind,
which meant they didn't always work as well in Internet Explorer. If you have a PC with
Windows 10, you'll have Microsoft Edge as your web browser instead.

Choosing a Web Browser

Using a PC or Android? Try Google Chrome.

Google Chrome is probably the best web browser right now for PCs. It's free to download, it's
very fast, and it's secure. Chrome is also the default web browser for many Android devices.
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Using an iPhone, iPad, or Mac? Try Safari.

Safari is the default web browser for Mac computers and iOS devices, including the iPhone
and iPad. Aside from being fast and secure, Safari has a lot of unique features. For example,
Reader view allows you to see a simplified version of a webpage that's optimized for reading.
It's also easy to add articles you find to your Reading List so you can save them for later. Watch
this video to learn more about browsing in Safari.

Again, we recommend keeping at least two web browsers on your device. Chrome is a good
secondary browser to use on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad. It's also important to note that you
cannot use Internet Explorer on a Mac or iOS device.

Other recommended web browsers

Firefox: This free web browser from Mozilla works on Windows, Mac, and Android. It's built
by an open-source community of developers, so it will usually support even the most
experimental web features. Like Chrome, it will be updated automatically, so you'll be
protected from viruses and other threats online. Next, watch this video about browsing in
Firefox.

Opera: Originally released in 1994, the Opera web browser has been around much longer
than Firefox and Chrome. You may find that some websites don't load perfectly on Opera, but
it's still regarded as a fast and secure alternative to your default browser. It's also available
for all major operating systems (Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS).
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UNIT 8: ELECTRONIC MAIL (E-MAIL)

Introduction

Short for electronic mail, e-mail or email is information stored on a computer that is
exchanged between two or more users over telecommunications. More plainly, e-mail is a
message that may contain text, files, images, or other attachments sent through a network
to a specified individual or group of individuals.

Structure of an E-mail address

Email address example: [email protected]

 The first portion of all e-mail addresses, the part before the @ symbol, contains
the username, group, or department of a company. In our above example, "cltclassrep"
is the username
 Next, the "@" (at sign) is a divider in the e-mail address; it's required for all e-mail
addresses.
 Finally, "wsu.ac.za" is the domain name of where the user belongs.

How to send and receive e-mail

Using E-mail program

To send and receive e-mail messages, you can use an e-mail program, also known as an e-
mail client, such as Microsoft Outlook. When using an e-mail client, a server that stores and
delivers your messages is used. This server is often hosted by your ISP. An e-mail client needs
to connect to a server to download new e-mail, whereas e-mail stored online is always
available to any Internet-connected device.

Using Online e-mail

An alternative way of sending and receiving e-mail (and the more popular solution for most
people) is an online e-mail service or webmail. Examples include Hotmail (now
Outlook.com), Gmail, and Yahoo Mail. Many online e-mail services, including the ones we
mentioned, are free or have a free account option.
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Writing an e-mail

When writing an e-mail message, it should look something like the example window below.
As you can see, several fields are required when sending an e-mail:

 The To field is where the e-mail address of the person receiving the e-mail is placed.
 The From field should contain your e-mail address.
 If you are replying to a message, the To: and From: fields are automatically filled out.
If it's a new message, you'll need to specify the recipients in the To: field by selecting
them from your contact list or by typing the e-mail addresses. If you enter more than
one recipient (e.g., group e-mail), the addresses should be separated by a comma and
a space or by pressing the Tab.
 The Subject should consist of a few words describing the e-mail's contents. The
subject lets the recipient see what the e-mail is about, without opening and reading
the full e-mail. This field is optional.
 The CC ("Carbon Copy") field allows you to specify recipients who are not direct
addressees (listed in the "To" field). For instance, you can address an e-mail to Jeff and
CC Linda and Steven. Although the e-mail is addressed to Jeff, Linda and Steven also
receive a copy and everyone can see who received the e-mail. This field is optional.
 The BCC ("blind carbon copy") field is similar to CC, except the recipients are secret.
Each BCC recipient will receive the e-mail, but will not see who else received a copy.
The addressees (anyone listed in the "To" field) remain visible to all recipients. This
field is optional.
 Finally, the Message Body is the location you type your main message. It often
contains your signature at the bottom; similar to a handwritten letter.
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TO ATTACH A FILE

Click the paperclip symbol,

then browse for the file in
Successfully your device.
attached file

 Click Send button to send your e-mail

What can be sent in an e-mail?

In addition to sending text messages, e-mail can also have attachments. An e-mail
attachment is simply a file sent with an email message. For example, an attachment could be
a picture, PDF, word processor document, movie, program, or any supported file type stored
on your computer. When your recipients open your message, they can double-click on the
attached file to open it with the program assigned to that file type on their computer. If they
do not have a program installed that can open that type of file, they may not be able to open
the attachment.

Advantages of e-mail

There are many advantages of e-mail and the usage of e-mail versus postal mail. Some of the
main advantages are listed below.

 Free delivery - Sending an e-mail is virtually free, outside the cost of Internet service.
There is no need to buy a postage stamp to send a letter.
 Global delivery - E-mail can be sent to nearly anywhere around the world, to any
country.
 Instant delivery - An e-mail can be instantly sent and received by the recipient over
the Internet.
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 File attachment - An e-mail can include one or more file attachments, allowing a
person to send documents, pictures, or other files with an e-mail.
 Long-term storage - E-mails are stored electronically, which allows for storage and
archival over long periods of time.
 Environmentally friendly - Sending an e-mail does not require paper (paperless),
cardboard, or packing tape, conserving paper resources.
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REFERENCES

Du Toit, C. & Van Der Merwe, S. 2003. The practical guide to the ICDL. Cape Town:
Future Managers (Pty) Ltd.

GCFLearnFree.org, 2016. Computer Basics [online Available at

<https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/computerbasics>[accessed 07 December 2020]

Lubbe, M. & Benson, S. 2009. Let’s Do It: ICDL-the practical way. Cape Town. Let’s
Do It.

Parsons, Oja, Beskeen, Cram, Duffy, Friedrcichsen & Reding. 2014. Computer
Concepts and Microsoft Office 2013. Canada: GEX Publishing Services

Veermat. M.E. 2013. Discovering Computers and Microsoft 2013: A fundamental

combined approach. Canada: Nelson Education LTD.