In
working with the Internet, you may have noticed that there are a host of new terms
and information to learn. Even the simplest of these terms can leave our heads
spinning, especially since we have a tendency to interchange their concepts.
For example, the Internet and World Wide Web (www) have a tendency to be interchanged
to mean simply the Web. However, the Internet is the connection of computers via
a network (most commonly used for e-mail and access to Web). The World Wide Web
is the collection of "pages" that can be viewed on the Internet.
We use a Browser to view these pages. Our browser is the software that allows
us to view and download pages to our computers. You may know them by Netscape
Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer.
In order for us to join on the Internet, we use an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
Some of us will use local companies such as Fix Net or The Grid. Some of us prefer
national providers such as Earthlink and many of us will use providers that offer
additional services such as American On-Line (AOL). These services may include
their own browser, which often leads to our confusion in understanding terminology.
Our Internet Service Provider will provides us with the address of their server,
which allows us to link with other computers. The system works very similar to
the post office. We send our letters to the house (username/password) in the town
(our ISP's server address). For example wiseowl@fix.net.
When we enter the World Wide Web we use URL's (Universal Resource Locators) to
find specific pages. This would be like working for a large company, where an
internal mailroom distributes information. The URL starts with the familiar http://.
This Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http) is the set of rules and regulations that
are used to make information available over the Internet - just like the Post
Office that sets the rules and regulations for our mail delivery.
Don't worry if your head is spinning after trying to absorb these terms. It's
not necessary to memorize them in order to enjoy the benefits of the Internet
and the World Wide Web. It does, however, make it easier to work with Technical
Support and Help Desk Personnel.
Always remember the more you learn the easier it is to describe your problems
to others for help.
