Module 007 Introduction to the Internet

At the end of this module you are expected to:

1. List two reasons for the Internet creation.
2. Identify three ways in which people commonly use the internet.
3. Explore and navigate the World Wide Web.
4. Use standard search tools to search for content on the web

Introduction to the Internet

It seems impossible to make it through a day without hearing a reference to the Internet.
This is true for a good reason: The Internet has become much more than a collection of telephone
lines and computers. It has exploded into a powerful force that reaches into our very way of life,
changing the way we work, play, study, express our ideas, and spend money.
The Internet, in fact, has become so important that it use is considered an essential part of
computer use. In other words, mastering the Internet is one of the
No introduction to the Internet is complete without a short review of its history. Even though
today's Internet bets little resemblance to its forebear of 30-plus years ago, it still functions in
basically the same way.
The Beginning of"Network of Networks"

The seeds of internet was planted in 1969, when the Advance Research Projects
Agency (ARPA), of the US Department of Defense began connecting computers at
different universities and defense contractors. The resulting network was called ARPANET.
The goal of this early project was to create large computer network with multiple paths in
the form of telephone line that could survive a nuclear attack or other disaster. If one part of
the network were destroyed, other parts of the network would remain functional because
data could continue to flow through the surviving lines. ARPA also wanted users in remote
locations to be able to share scarce computing resources.
At first, ARPANET was basically a large network serving only a handful or users, but
it expanded rapidly. Initially the network included four primary host computers. A host is
like a network, providing services to other computer that connect to it. ARPANET host
computers (like those on today's Internet) provided file transfer and communications
services and gave connected systems access to the networks high speed data lines. The
system grew quickly and spread widely as the number of host grew.
 The network jumped across the Atlantic to Norway and England in 1973, and it never
stopped growing. In the mid of 980, another federal agency, the National Science
Foundation (NSF), joined the projects after the Department ofDefense drop its funding. NSF
established five supercomputing centers that were available to anyone who wanted to use
them for academic purposes.

The NSF expected supercomputing users to use ARPANET to obtain access, but the
agency quickly discovered that existing network could not handle the load. In response, the
NSF created a new higher capacity network called NSFNET. The link between the ARPANET
and NSFNET and other network was called internet. A collection of networked network is
described as being inter-networked, which is where the internet world wide network gets
its name.

NSFNET made Internet connections widely available for academic research, but the NSF
did not permit users to conduct private business over the system. Therefore, several private
telecommunication companies built their own network backbone that function in match the
same manner as NSFNET. A network backbone is the central structure that connects other
elements of the network.
 The original ARPANET was shutdown in 1990, and the ARPANET discontinued in
1995. By the mid of 1990 interest in the internet expands dramatically.
Using your Web Browser and the World Wide Web
To access the web you need a special software program called a Web Browser. The
two most popular Web Browsers are Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator.
There are, however, many other browsers, each with its own unique features and
capabilities. Web browser provide tools that let you navigate the Web, moving from one
page to another as easily as you flip through the pages of a magazine.

Launching Your Browser

Your Web browser is an application program that is stored on your computers disk.
You must launch the program before you can view any Web pages. You may need to connect
to the Internet before launching the browser. Once you have established a connection.
Launch your browser by following these steps.
1. Click the start button on the Windows taskbar. The start menu open.
2. Point to programs, to open the program menu. When the program menu opens, fined
the name of you browser and click it.

Depending on how your browser is configured, a Web page may open in the browser window
as soon as you launch the program. This page is called the start page. You can set the
browser to open any page (either from a web site or from your computers disk) when it
launches it.
Navigating the Web

Navigating the web means moving from one web page to another, or from one
web site to another. A web page is a document formatted with Hypertext Markup
Language (HTML) tags. A web site is a collection of related web pages.

UsingURL

Every Web page has a unique address, called a uniform resource locator, or
URL. When you provide a URL for the browser, the browser loads that URL. You can
specify a URL in several ways. For example, you can type the URL in the browser
address box, or you can click a hyperlink that is linked to the URL in your browsers
favorites or bookmarks lists.

Using Hyperlinks

A hyper link is simply a part of the web page that is link to the URL. When the text
has a hyperlink assigned to it, you can click it and jumped from present location to
another location to the URL specified by the hyperlink. Hyperlink textbox look
different from normal text in a Web page: It is usually underlined, but it can be
formatted in any number of ways.
 Many web pages provide hyperlinked pictures or graphical buttons- called
navigator tools-that direct you to different pages, making it easier to find the
information you need.

Using the Browser Navigation Tools

Web browsers offer a variety of tools to help you move around the Web. These
tools can save you the trouble of typing URLs searching for links, and they allow you
to quickly go back to pages that you have already visited.

The back and forward buttons return you to recently viewed pages, similar to
flipping through a magazine. The back button returns you to previously opened web
pages. After using the back button, you can click forward to move forward again,
returning to the last page you opened before you clicked the back button.
Most browsers allow you to "bookmark" web pages that you visit frequently.
Instead of typing the pages URL, you simply select the pages title from list of
bookmarks. Depending on the browser you use, your bookmarks may store in a list
called Bookmarks from that list, and the browser return to that page.

When you type URL into the address bar your browser saves them, creating
history list for the current session. You can choose a URL from this list and return to
a previously opened page without having use the back button or any other tools.

Searching the Web

It is not easy to find what you want on the Web. That is because there are tens of
millions of unique Web sites, which include hundreds of millions of unique pages. The
two most basic and commonly used Web-based search tools are the following.
• Directories. A directory enables you to search for information by selecting
categories of subject matter. The directory separate subjects into categories,
which are broken into increasingly specific sub categories. Sites listed in the
directory generally will provide relevant information. This is because before
adding sites to its lists. A directory reviews the site contents.
Ex: http:/I www.!ooksmartcomj
 • Search Engine. A search engine let you search for information by typing one
or more words. The engine then displays a list of web pages that contain
information related to your words. This type of look-up is called keyword
search. Any search engine lets you conduct a search based on a single word.
Fortunately, most of the search engines provides other tool to help you search
more accurately and find web pages that are more relevant to your interest.
These include Boolean operator and advance search tools.
• Meta search engine. A Meta search engine is helpful if you arc not certain
which keywords to use of. If you want to get a very long list of website that
meet your criteria.

Web Server
Web servers are computers that deliver (serves up) Web pages. Every Web server has
an IP address and possibly a domain name. For example, if you enter the URL
http:/ jwww.something.com/index.html in your browser, this sends a request to the Web
server whose domain name is something.com. The server then fetches the page named
index.html and sends it to your browser.
Any computer can be turned into a Web server by installing server software and
connecting the machine to the Internet. There are many Web server software applications,
including public domain software from NCSA and Apache, and commercial packages from
Microsoft, Netscape and others.

Common features of Web Server

• Virtual hosting to serve many Web sites using one IP address.
 • Large file support to be able to serve files whose size is greater than 2 GB on 32 bit
OS.
• Bandwidth throttling to limit the speed of responses in order to not saturate the
network and to be able to serve more clients.
• Server-side scripting to generate dynamic Web pages, still keeping web server and
website implementations separate from each other.

Website Types and Purposes

A website is a collection of different types of data, which can be anything like text,
graphics, videos etc, combined together to provide some kind of useful information.
All the data found on a website is bounded together by code, which can range from
simple markup like Html to Jess Simple scripting languages like PHP, Perl or Asp.
To find out about different types of websites, we will have to think how they are
different from each other. The difference can be based on the purpose the website serves or
the technology/method by which it was implemented or made.

Types ofWebsites According to Purpose or Function

• Personal websites
• Business websites
• Informative websites
• Search Engines/Directories
Personal Websites
Personal websites are mostly build by individuals. The theme and content of these
websites is based mostly around personal information. These websites can include the
following:
• Sites that give information about the builder, like what he/she does or something
about their family etc.
• Hobby sites.
• Resume sites.
• Websites that are built by people doing some work that they want to show others,
like a website build by an artist to show others his/her work or a student showing
others the projects he/she is working on or similar.
Business Websites
Business websites are professional websites that are built purely for business
reasons. They generally belong to organizations.
Their tasks include the following:
• Providing company information
• Providing company's products information
• Marketing company's products
• Providing help and support to costumers.
• Selling company's products online.

Business websites can be divided into

1. Small Business - Small Business websites range from individuals running business to
groups of people running small businesses. They have a budget more than personal
websites but less then large business websites.
2. Large Business - Large business websites belong to large organizations and have more
budget than small business websites. In large organizations, generally a section of staff is
dedicated for the maintenance and management of these sites. Examples of these sites
include the following:
• www.intel.com (Intel inside)
• www.hp.com (Hewlet Packard)
Informative Websites
Informative websites are built for the purpose of providing information. They can
include anything like
• News websites.
• Science websites.
• Encyclopedias.
• Business news websites.
• Websites giving analysis on some subject.
• Medical information websites.
• Educational websites.
• Website that give information on a subject like this website.
• University/college/school website and others.
Examples of informative websites include the following
• www.wikipedia.com (online encyclopedia)
• www.howstuffworks.com (online science/general information)

Search Engines /Directories

• Search Engines or directories do look like websites but they are much more than that.
Search Engines search through the entire web to find websites and lists them on their
servers. This searching procedure of search engines is called crawler and it does its work
 automatically. The web interface we see on our browsers fetch these results from the
compiled list and show us those results. Example; www.google.com

0
Directories on the other hand are not search engines. Their entries are maintained by
people and are submitted by users. They are based on categories and subcategories.
Example; dir.yahoo.com (yahoo's directory)

Web Browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing
information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a
Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of
content[2) Hyperlinks present in resources enable users easily to navigate their browsers
to related resources. A web browser can also be defined as an application software or
program designed to enable users to access, retrieve and view documents and other
resources on the Internet
Although browsers are primarily intended to access the World Wide Web, they can
also be used to access information provided by web servers in private networks or files in
file systems.
List of Web Browsers
The following is a list of notable web browsers. This is a table of personal computer
web browsers by year of release of major version, in chronological order, with the
approximate number of worldwide Internet users in millions. Note that Internet user data is
related to the entire market, not the versions released in that year. The increased growth of
the Internet in the 1990s and 2000s means that current browsers with small market shares
have more total users than the entire market early on. For example, 90% market share in
1997 would be roughly 60 million users, but by the start of 2007 9% market share would
equate to over 90 million users.

List of top 10 web browsers

1. Google Chrome
Popular Browser by Internet giant Google. Focuses on enhanced performance of web
applications. Hundreds of useful extensions can be downloaded for free from Chrome Store
and can be used for personal use.
A large array of apps and add ons available at Chrome Store. These adds a
considerable amount to the browsing experience of the users.
• Private browsing
 • Fast Startup
• Phishing/ Malware Filter

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December 2018

2. Mozilla Firefox
A web browser designed for simplicity, security, extensibility yet flexibility and
power. Available for Linux and android as well. There are lots ofplugins and extensions with
some powerful developer tools.
Constant updates, high performance delivered and customizable interface is a bliss
for advanced users. Firefox allows an open architecture which accepts the installation of
themes and extensions. Themes give the b rowser a customizable new look. Developers can
write extensions to make the browser perform functions as desired like check your Gmail
account when you open the browser, or block all ads.
• RSS Headlines
• Chat Extensions
• Spamf Malware Filter

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3. Opera Web Browser

Constantly evolving and improving and the most popular mobile browser, opera has came a
long way from being a browser to a full fledged internet suite.
Free fast browser with good support for updates. Features like page zoom and developer
shortcuts allow users to have unique experience. There are some compatibility issues found
in certain websites but with constant updates these problems are scarce.
• Email suite
• Phishing Filter
• Bit Torrent
4. Safari Web Browser
Safari is a web browser developed by Apple inc. It is the most popular browser with MAC
users.
Safari is a clean browser, very fast based on the WebKit rendering engine. Safari comes with
the features you want in a modern browser, like tabbed browsing, popup blocking and built-
in search functionality. It also has one of the hest RSS-reading feature available online, it is
easier to keep track a number ofwebsites than using bookmarks.
• Most Popular Macintosh Browser
• Import Bookmarks from any browser
• Private Browsing

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5. Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer by Microsoft is the default browser for Windows operating system. Its still
very popular with many internet users. Startup speed is a big issue with internet explorer.
There are a lot of necessary features like Active X capabilities, SmartScreen Filters, a list of
recommended sites and more. Internet Explorer is still considered to be falling behind in the
race, but latest editions promise fast load, packed with latest features. We can wait and see
if it comes back to top.
• Add ons
• Customization options
• Mouse Gestures
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6. Slimjet Browser
Slimjet is a powerful and one of the best browsers around. It has in built extensions to ease
internet browsing. Powered by Blink Engine, Slimjet supports all Chrome Apps plus a bundle
of more extensive build in apps.
Slimjet is as good as Chrome, has powerful and customizable interface like Fire fox, reliability
features and in built apps which load a power packed browser everytime you use it.
• Ad blocker & Download Manager
• Social Sharing and Youtube Downloader
• Faster, Secure and Reliable

7. Maxthon
A fast browser with a lot of features and reliable user interface. Powered by Maxthon Cloud
Engine, it offers seamless browsing and downloads. Works on all platforms.
Maxthon has Lots of nifty features, including video-ad fast-forwarding, Speedy performance
and Two page rendering engines(Webkit and Trident) for better compatibility.
• Anti Spyware
• Pop up Blocker
• Cloud Browsing

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8. SlimBrowser
A popular choice for users who like speed and security. It is based on Internet Explorer's
Trident Engine and is a robust and powerful browser. It flaunts better usability features and
speed compared to internet explorer browser.
Slimbrowser takes care of your privacy and security every time you are surfing online.
Slimbrowser starts as quickly as possible and allows you to have an amazing web surfing
expenence.
• Omni Bar mode
• Integrated Plugins(Ad Blocker, Photo Salon)
• Low Crash and Bugs
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9. Netscape Browser
Originally published by AOL, Netscape browser has released latest version based on Mozilla
Firefox. It is fast, secure and is a choice of many users online.
• Dynamic HTML
• Integrated Search Engine
• Opensource Development

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 10. UC Browser
A popular browser for both desktop and mobile devices. Tabbed browsing and fast startup
make it a popular choice for thousands of users. Full download manager and full screen
browsing ads on nicely.
• Quick browsing
• Quick Page sharing
• Multiple Apps

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Summary

• The internet was created for the US Department of Defense as a tool for communications.
• Today the internet was a global network of interconnected networks.
• The internet carries messages, documents, programs and data files that contain every
imaginable kind of information for business, educational institutions, government agencies
and individuals.
• Today nearly one half billion of people have access to the internet, and the number of users
continue to grow.
• One of the services available through the internet is the WWW (World Wide Web) .
• To access the web you need an internet connection and a web browser.
• Navigating the web means moving from one page or website to another..
• Web pages can contain navigational tool in the form of hyperlinks - which help the user to
move page to page.
• Most web browser allow the user to navigate the web in various ways by using toolbars,
buttons, hyperlinks, bookmarks, and history list.
• Web browser, like other application program feature an on-line help system .
• To search the web for content on the web you can use the directory, search engine or a Meta
search engine.
References and Supplementary Materials
Books and Journals
1. Denning, Peter).; Martell, Craig H. (2015). Great principles of computing MIT Press
QA 76 03483 2015
2. Oleary, Timothy J. (2015) . Computing essentials : making IT work for you. QA 76.5 042
2011
Oleary, Timothy J.; Oleary, Linda I. (2015). Computing essentials 2014 : making it
work for you WLB McGrawhill QA 76 054 2014
Online Supplementary Reading Materials
1. A brief history od computer;
http:lfpeople.bu.edujbawsjbrief0!020computer%20history.html; August 2, 2018
2. Computer basics; https://edu.gcfglobal.orgjenjcomputerbasicsjbasic-parts-of-a-
computer/1/ ; August 3, 2018
3. Central Processing Unit;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolsfgcsebitesizefjctfhardware/Oinputandoutputdeyicesr
ev3.shtml ; August 3, 2016
Online Instructional Videos
1. The components of computer and their function;
https:jjwww.youtube.comjwatch?v=EC fOWfmtPA; August 3, 2018
2. Computer hardware and software; https:ffwww.youtube.comfwatch?v=8UyjMiYqvs4
; August 3, 2018
3. History and generations of computers;
https:jfwww.youtube.comjwatch?v=xrUvFJWlYCY; August 3, 2018
4. Generations of computers; https://www.youtube.comfwatch?v=sTc4kiVUnoA ;
August 3, 2018
5. The central processing unit; https:fjwww.youtube.comjwatch?v=FZGugFqdr60 ;
August 2, 2018