INTERNET.
Why
Study about the Internet?
√
To understand what the Internet
is, the services that it offers, what is required in order to get connected, as
well as to establish a connection and log out of the Internet.
What is the Internet?
v It is a large no. of connected computers (or a large set of computer
networks) linked together that communicate with each other, over telephone lines.
v It is a worldwide computer network connecting thousands of computer
networks, through a mixture of private & public data using the telephone
lines.
v It is a worldwide (global
or an international) network of computers that provide a variety of resources
and data to the people that use it.
v Internet refers to a global inter-connection of computers and computer
networks to facilitate global information transfer. It is an interconnection of computers
throughout the world, using ordinary telecommunication lines and modems.
The Internet uses VSATS (Very Small Aperture Telecommunication Systems) such as Telephone lines, Satellite.
The other names for the Internet are:
-
The Net.
-
Information Superhighway.
-
Cyber space.
Internet is a facility that links the Internet users to the actual Internet
documents. Therefore, it is a system
that links together many kinds of information all over the world. This technology allows computers equipped
with telecommunication links to exchange information freely, and as such, the
Internet has enhanced what is being referred to as a global village.
Internet enables companies, organizations,
individuals, schools and governments to share information across the world.
A computer on the Internet can be located
anywhere in the world. The Internet
enables the computer to communicate with any other computer.
HISTORY (DEVELOPMENT) OF THE INTERNET.
The Internet was started by the U.S
Department of Defence in 1969 as a network of 4 computers called ARPANET. Its aim was to connect a set of computers
operated by several Universities and Scientists doing military research so as
to enable them share research data.
The original network grew as more computers
were added to it. By 1974, 62 computers
were already attached.
In 1983, the Internet split into 2 parts;
one dedicated exclusively (solely/only) to military installations (called Milnet), and the other dedicated to
university research (called the Internet),
with around 1,000 host computers.
In 1985, the Canadian government developed
the BITNET to link all the Canadian Universities
In 1986, the U.S National Service
Foundation created NSFNET to connect
leading U.S universities. By the end of
1987, there were 10,000 host computers on the Internet and 1,000 on BITNET.
In 1987, the National Science Foundation
leased (acquired/rent) high-speed circuits to build a new high-speed backbone
for NSFNET. In 1988, it connected 13
regional internal networks containing 170 LAN’s and 56,000 host computers.
The Canadian Research Council followed in
1989, replacing BITNET with a high-speed network called CA*net that used the Internet protocols. By the end of 1989, there were almost 200,000
host computers on the combined U.S and Canadian Internet.
Similar initiatives (plans/projects) were
undertaken by other countries in the world, such that by the early 1990s, most
of the individual country networks were linked together into one worldwide
network of networks.
Each of these individual country networks
was different (i.e., each had its own name, access rules, and fees structure),
but all the networks used the same standard as the U.S Internet network. So, users could easily exchange messages with
each other.
By 1990s, the differences among the
networks in each of the countries had disappeared, and the U.S name; Internet began to be used to mean the
entire worldwide system of networks that used the Internet TCP/IP protocols.
A
Protocol - a set of rules and standards that computers use to communicate
with each other over a Network.
Features of the Internet.
(i).
The Internet is a
collection of networks; it is not owned or controlled by any single
organization, and it has no formal management organization. However, there is an Internet Society that co-ordinates and sets standards for its
use.
In addition,
Networks have no political boundaries on the exchange of information.
(ii). Networks are connected by Gateways
that effectively remove barriers so that one type of network can “talk” to a different
type of network.
(iii). To join the Internet, an existing network will only be required to
pay a small registration fee and agree to certain standards based on
TCP/IP.
The costs are
low, because the Internet owns nothing, and so it has no real costs to
offset. Each organization pays for its
own network & its own telephone bills, but these costs usually exist
independent of the Internet.
(iv). Networks that join the Internet must agree to move each other’s
traffic (data) at no charge to the others, just as it is the case with mail
delivered through the International Postal system. This is why all the data appear to move at
the cost of a local telephone call, making the Net a very cheap communication media.
FUNCTIONS OF THE INTERNET.
The Internet carries many kinds of traffic,
and provides users with several functions.
Some of the most important functions are:
1. Communication.
Many people all
over the world use the Internet to communicate with each other.
Internet
communication capabilities include; E-mail, Usenet Newsgroups, Chatting and
Telnet. You can send e-mails to your
friends anywhere in the world, chat with your friends, send instant messages,
etc.
2. Information retrieval.
The Internet is
a library. Thousands of books,
magazines, newspapers and encyclopedias can be read on the Internet.
3. Easy-to-use offerings of
information and products.
You can find
information for your school assignments, buy books online, check what the
weather is like anywhere in the world, and much more.
INTERNET SERVICES.
The following are some of the services
offered by Internet:
(i).
Electronic mail (e-mail).
(ii).
Fax services.
(iii). Conference services.
(iv). Online chatting.
(v).
Downloading of programs.
(vi). Online shopping.
(vii). File transfer.
(viii). Entertainment (Games, Music and Movies).
(ix). Free information retrieval (e.g., Educational information).
(x).
Formation of Discussion
groups, e.g. Usenet Newsgroups.
(xi). Video Conferencing.
(xii). Access & Use of other computers.
Electronic Mail (E-mail).
An E-mail
is a system that enables sending & receiving of messages electronically
through computers. It is used for
communication between organizations or departments in the same organization.
E-mail is a quick, cheap, efficient &
convenient means of communication with both individuals and groups. It is faster than ordinary mail, easy to
manage, inexpensive and saves paper.
With Internet mail, it is possible to send
and receive messages quickly from businesses, friends or family in another part
of the world. An E-mail message can
travel around the world in minutes.
Fax services.
Fax services enable individuals &
businesses to send faxes through e-mail at a lower cost compared to the usual
international Fax charges.
Conference services.
Conferencing
on the Web can be defined as the dynamic exchange
of all kinds of information – text, graphics, audio, video, etc – in a
situation whereby the conversations are organized by item and allows a
participant to contribute spontaneous responses to any item in the
conversation.
Application
of Conferencing on the Web.
The conversation can:
·
Provide important information
that can assist in decision-making.
·
Provide any required technical
support.
·
Help in community-building,
project management & distance learning.
·
Help to organize electronic
meetings, etc.
The Internet also allows you to have access
to various types of information you might require to make accurate and informed
decisions, E.g., it provides information on business, education, sports,
politics, etc.
Chatting.
Internet
Relay Chat (IRC)
is a chatting system on the Internet that allows a large no. of people from
various locations of the world who are on the computer to chat (i.e.,
simultaneously hold live and interactive electronic conversations) among
themselves.
You can join discussion groups on the
Internet and meet people around the world with similar interests. You can ask questions, discuss problems and
read interesting stories.
Anyone interested in chatting can join a
discussion forum on one of the listed topics.
Only people who happen to be signed on at the same time are able to talk
because messages are not stored.
This discussion can be an effective
business tool if people who can benefit from interactive conversation set a
specific appointment to meet and talk on a particular topic.
Disadvantage.
(i).
Usually, the topic is open
to all without security; so intruders can participate.
4. Information
retrieval.
The Internet is a voluntarily decentralized
network with no central listing of participants or sites. Therefore, End-users, usually working from
PCs are able to search & find information of interest located in different
sites assisted by special software and data stored in readily usable formats.
The Internet gives you information on
almost any subject. This is because of
the Worldwide Web (www).
The World
Wide Web is a global (an international) system of connected Web pages
containing information such as, text, pictures, sound and video. The WWW is hypertext based (i.e., it is able to access text and graphical data
formatted for easy search, retrieval and display).
With the WWW, you can review Newspapers,
magazines, academic papers, etc. In
addition, Governments, colleges, universities, companies and individuals offer
free information on the Internet. E.g.,
you can inquire (find out) about universities in Britain
or America
Note. Its major problem is
finding what you need from among the many storehouses of data found in
databases and libraries all over the world.
5. Dowloading
of Programs.
There are thousands of programs available
on the Internet. These programs include;
Word processors, Spreadsheets, Electronic cards, etc.
You can therefore, look for the latest
software over the Internet, e.g., you can get the latest Anti-virus software,
and in addition, retrieve a free trial issue.
6. Entertainment.
There are hundreds of simple games
available on the Internet. These include;
Chess, Football, etc. The Internet also allows
you review current Movies and hear Television theme songs.
7. Online
Shopping.
You can order goods and services on the
Internet without leaving your desk.
E.g., you can view a catalogue of a certain clothes shop over the
Internet and fill in an online Order form.
Commercial
enterprises use the Web to provide information on demand for purposes of
customer support, marketing and sales.
8. File
Transfer.
Data in the form of files can be
transferred across the Internet from one site to another using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
FTP software is needed at both ends to handle the transfer. It is through FTP that the two pieces of software
manage to ‘understand’ each other.
9. Discussion
Groups.
A Discussion
group is a collection of users who have joined together to discuss some
topic.
There are many discussions on different
topics including Cooking, Skydiving, Politics, Education, recreational,
scientific research, etc.
Two of the commonly used discussion groups
for business are;
¨
Usenet newsgroups.
¨
List Servers.
(a). Usenet newsgroups.
These are the
most formally organized of the discussion groups.
Using a facility
on the Internet called USENET,
individuals can gain access to a very wide variety of information topics.
Usenet Newsgroups are
usually worldwide discussion groups in which people share information and ideas
on a defined topic through large electronic Bulletin Boards where anyone can
read any articles or write articles and post messages on the topic for others
to see and respond to.
The individuals
can add messages to different topics and read those contributed by others. For
instance, users such as students can ask questions about problems they face, or
they could contribute or give an advice on how to improve the teaching of the
subject.
Messages can be
easily linked so that it is easy to know messages that are related.
Establishing a
new newsgroup requires a vote of all interested people on the Internet. If enough people express interest, the new
topic is established.
Note. To join a Newsgroup
and be able to read messages on various topics, your computer must have
Newsreader software such as Outlook
Express, or Internet News.
Any Internet
user can access some of these newsgroups, while other newsgroups will require to
subscribe to a specific topic or set of topics.
Once you have subscribed, each time you
access the newsgroups you are informed of any new messages added to the
topics. You can then read these messages
and respond to them by adding your own message.
The Usenet
software receives “postings” of information and transmits new postings to users
who have registered their interest in receiving the information. Each individual posting takes the form like
that used for e-mail.
There are over
10,000 such newsgroups; however, each Usenet site is financed independently
& controlled by a Site Administrator,
who carries only those groups that he/she chooses.
(b).
List Server
A List
Server (or list serve) group is similar to the Usenet newsgroups, but is
generally less formal.
Anyone with the right e-mail server
software can establish a list server, which is simply a mail list.
The processor of the List Server
processes commands such as request to subscribe, unsubscribe, or to provide
information about the list serve. The
List serve mailer directs messages to everyone on the mailing list.
To use a List server, you need to know
the addresses of both the Processor and the Mailer.
To subscribe to a List server, you send
an e-mail message to the List server processor, which adds your name to the
list. Many different commands can be
sent to the List server processor to perform a variety of functions. These commands are included as lines of text
in the e-mail messages sent to the processor.
List servers are more focused that the
Usenet newsgroups and have fewer members.
They are harder to find than the Usenet newsgroups because literally
anyone can create one.
Video Conferencing.
Video conferencing provides real-time
transmission of video & audio signals to enable people in 2 or more
locations to have a meeting.
The fastest growing form of video
conferencing is Desktop video
conferencing.
Small cameras installed on top of each
camera enable meetings to take place from individual offices.
Special application software (e.g., CUSeeMe) is installed on top of each
client computer. It transmits the image
across a network to application software on a video-conferencing Server. The server then sends the signals to the
other client computers that are to participate in the video conference. In some areas, the clients can communicate
with each other without using the server.
Some systems have integrated other types of
GroupWare with desktop video conferencing, enabling participants to communicate
verbally to attend the same “meeting” while sitting at the computer in their
offices.
Advantage
of Video conferencing.
(i).
Saves time & cost, as
it reduces the need to travel.
10. Access
& Use of other computers.
The Internet has a facility called TELNET that enables a user on one
computer to use another computer across the network, i.e., the user is able to
run programs on the other machine as if he/she is a local user.
Telnet is a protocol, which
enables a user on one computer to log in to another computer on the Internet.
TELNET establishes an error-free, rapid
link between two computers, allowing a user to log on to his/her home computer
from a remote computer even when traveling.
You can also log on to and use third-party computers that have been made
available to the public.
TELNET will use the computer address you
supply to locate the computer you want to reach and connect you to it. You will, of course, have to log in & go
through any security procedures you, your company, or the third-party computer
owner have put in place to protect that computer.
Telnet requires an
application image program on the Client computer and an application layer
program on the Server of the host computer.
Many programs conform to the Telnet Standard (e.g., EWAN).
Once Telnet
enables the connection from the Client
to the Server, you can log in by use
of commands. The exact commands to gain
access to these newsgroups vary from computer to computer.
Telnet enables you
to connect to a remote computer without incurring long-distance telephone
charges.
Telnet can be
useful because, it enables you to access your Server or Host computer without
sitting at its Keyboard.
Telnet can be
faster or slower than a modem, depending on the amount of traffic on the
Internet.
Note. Telnet is insecure, because everyone on the
Internet can attempt to log in your computer and use it as they wish. One commonly used security precaution is to
prohibit remote log ins via Tel-net unless a user specifically asks for his/her
account to be authorized for it, or permit remote log ins only from a specific
set of Internet addresses., e.g., the Web server at a university can be
configured to only accept telnet log ins from computers located on the Kabete
Campus network.
11. Electronic
Commerce.
Many people are actively using the Internet
for Electronic Commerce (i.e., doing business on the Internet).
The use of the Internet in E-commerce is not
necessary for making money as such, but mainly to find information, improve
communication and provide information.
Many people automatically focus on the
retail aspect of e-commerce, i.e., selling products to individuals. However, this is just one small part of
e-commerce. The fastest group and the
largest segment of e-commerce is business-to-business settings.
There are 4 ways in which the Web can be
used to support E-commerce;
(i).
Electronic Store.
Electronic Store is a
Website that lists all the products or services a business wishes to sell, thus
enabling customers to purchase them by using the Internet itself.
E-store sites
provide physical goods and services.
The cost of
providing information on the Web is low (unlike a Catalog, in which each page
adds to the cost), and therefore, electronic stores can provide much
information. In addition, electronic
stores can also add value by providing dynamic information.
E-mail can also
serve the purpose of E-store. This is
because, e-mail is essentially a collection of e-stores. The mail usually provides all the computer
information needed for e-commerce, and advertises the mail to potential
customers. In return, the stores pay the
mail a monthly fee or some percentage of sales.
(ii). Electronic Marketing.
E-marketing
sites focus on the products or services of one company with aim of increasing
sales.
This type of
site supports the sales process, but does not make actual sales. The goal is to attract and keep
customers.
By doing so,
such sites provide a wealth of information about the firms and products
complete with technical details and photos.
Customers can review these but cannot buy over the Web. The idea is to encourage the user to visit a
local dealer, who will then make a sale.
Computers also
use e-marketing sites to provide newsletters with information on the latest
products and tips on how to use them.
Other companies enable potential customers to sign up for notification
of new product releases.
E-marketing is
cheaper in many ways than traditional marketing (radio, direct marketing, TV or
print media). This is because while it
costs the same to develop these traditional media, it costs nothing to send
information to the customers. It is also
easier to customize the presentation of information to a potential customer,
because the Web is interactive. In
contrast, the other media are fixed once they are developed, and they provide
the same marketing approach to all who use it.
(iii). Information / Entertainment
provider.
The
Information/Entertainment provider supplies information (in form of text or
graphics) or entertainment. These
providers provide information from many sources with an aim of helping the
users.
Several radio
and TV stations are using the Web to provide broadcast of audio and video. The Web also offers new forms of real
entertainment e.g., enables new multiplayer interactive games, which are not
available in any other media. The
information / entertainment providers generate revenue by selling advertisement
printouts.
(iv). Customers Service sales.
This provides a
variety of information for customers after they have purchased a product or
service – to allow customers access most commonly needed information 24 hrs a
day.
Many software
companies post updates that fix problems so that customers can download for
themselves.
Customer service
sites benefit both the company and the customers. They enable customers to get a 24 hr support
and easy access to needed information.
They often
reduce the no. of staff needed by automating routine information requests that
previously had to be handled by an employee.
12. GroupWare.
GroupWare is a software
that helps groups of people to work together more productively.
They are often
organized using a two-by-two grid.
|
Same place
|
Same time
|
Different time
|
|
|
Group support
systems
|
Group support
systems
|
|
Different place
|
Video
teleconferencing, Desktop video teleconferencing
|
E-mail,
Discussion groups, Document-based GroupWare
|
GroupWare allows
people in different places to communicate either at the same time (as on a
telephone) or at different times.
GroupWare can also
be used to improve communication and decision-making among those who work
together in the same room, either at the same time or at different times.
GroupWare allows
people to exchange ideas, debate issues, make decisions, and write reports,
without actually having to meet face to face.
Even when groups meet in the same room at the same time, GroupWare can
improve meetings.
The major
advantage of GroupWare is its ability to help groups make faster decisions,
particularly in situations where it is difficult for group members to meet in
the same room at the same time.
The 3 most popular
types of GroupWare are;
-
Discussion groups.
-
Group support systems.
-
Video Conferencing.
Group Support Systems (GSS).
Both e-mail and documents-based GroupWare
are designed to support individuals and groups working in different places at
different times. They are not suited to
support groups working together at the same time and in the same place. In addition, they don’t provide advanced
tools for helping groups to make decisions.
Group
Support Systems (GSS) are software tools, designed to improve group’s
decision-making. GSS are used with
special-purpose meeting rooms that provide each group member with a network
computer plus a large screen video projection system that acts as electronic
blackboards. These rooms are equipped
with special-purpose GSS software that enables participants to communicate,
propose ideas, analyse options, evaluate alternatives, etc. Typically, a meeting facilitator assists the
group.
The group members can either discuss
verbally or use computers to type ideas and information, which are then shared
with all other group members via the network.
For large groups where only one person can speak at a time, typing ideas
is faster than talking. Everyone has the
same opportunity to contribute and ideas can be collected much faster. In addition, GSS enables users to make
anonymous comments. Without anonymity,
certain participants may withhold ideas because they fear their ideas may not
be well received.
The system also provides tools to support
voting and ranking of alternatives, so that more structured decision-making
process can be used.
Just like in document-based GroupWare,
vendors use the Web browser as their client software. So, almost anyone can access GroupWare
Server.
Note. Discussion groups,
document-based GroupWare and GSS all focus on the transmission of text and
graphical images.
Information Superhighway.
A term coined by U.S Clinton administration
referring to advanced information infrastructure accessible to individuals,
groups and firms.
In general, the Information superhighway
can be defined as;
v A facility that provides a global electronic data interchange
between computer users at a higher rate of message exchange, and at cheaper
costs. E.g., the Internet that allows
researchers, businesses, and electronic media to exchange information.
v An Information Communication Technology (ICT) network, which
delivers all kinds of electronic services – audio, video, text, and data to
households and businesses.
The communication services on the
superhighway can be one-to-one way
(Telephones, e-mail, fax, etc); one-to-many (Broadcasting, interactive TV,
video conferencing, etc), many-to-many (typified by bulletin boards and forums
on the Internet).
Origin.
Information superhighway is a mass
technology project aimed at creating a National Information Infrastructure
(NII) in the U.S.
The concept emerged as the brainchild
(idea) of U.S vice president Al Gore. It
is an alliance between the Federal government and a no. of industries.
The Information superhighway describes
networks of Optic fiber and Coaxial cable linked by sophisticated switches that
can deliver voice, data, image, text, and video signals all in the same digital
language.
In the U.S, it has been proclaimed
(declared) as the foundation for a national transformation to an
information-based society, and a key element in the national efforts to sustain
leadership in the world economy.
Governments and industries are developing a
new method of competition, which will enable telecommunications, cable
television, computer hardware and software companies, and entertainment
corporations to work together to create and operate information superhighways. These activities will finally result into a
wide range of electronic services including electronic Shopping malls,
collaborate electronic Education and distance learning, electronic Libraries,
Multimedia information, messaging, and entertainment.
Web casting.
Web casting (or “Push
technology”) is a special application of the Web that has the potential to
dramatically change the way we use the Web /Internet.
With Web casting,
the user signs up for a type of information on a set of channels. Regularly (minutes, hours, days), the user
browser contacts the Web server providing these channels to see if they have
been updated. If so, the browser will
load the information, and if required by the user, will automatically display
the information on the user screen.
Web casting
changes the nature of the Web from one in which the user searches for
information (a “pull” environment) into an environment in which the user
accepts whatever information is on the Webcast
Server (a “push” environment). This
is called the “Push” because the user does not request specific information,
but rather permits the Web server to “push” the information when it becomes
available.
The Web has been
likened to a library because users move form site to site and page to page just
like they move from shelf to shelf and book to book in a library.
Web casting is
more like TV because the content and time of delivery is selected using the Web
caster, the user only chooses the channels.
Web casting can be
used for news (e.g., CNN) or financial reports (e.g., Stock market quotations),
Corporate announcement, and as a replacement for broadcast e-mail. It even has the potential to provide
automatic updates to software packages.
Importance of services provided on the Internet.
The services offered by the Internet can be
used as important tools in various ways:
1). As a research tool:
To learn about
new developments or products, competitors, market news and customer opinions.
2). As an advertising / trading tool:
To help in
selling goods or delivering information through the Web pages to customers on a
24-hour basis.
3). As a communication tool:
To support
communication with customers, suppliers or staff through Electronic mail
(e-mail).
4). As an Entertainment channel:
Most of the
Games, Movies, and Television theme songs are available for free on the
Internet.
In addition, you
can have live, interactive conversations with people around the world including
celebrities.
Users of the Internet.
Considering the facilities & the
various tools offered, the Internet has attracted among others the following
users;
¨
Researchers can get
information.
¨
Writers and Scientists use the
Internet to compile, compare and analyse their work.
¨
Individuals use the Internet
for their work or to communicate with each other.
¨
People with the same interests
can share ideas.
¨
Large organizations use the
Internet to communicate with each other, and also to keep in touch with
subordinate (subsidiary) companies or their suppliers.
¨
Students can communicate and
gather information.
¨
Business people can advertise,
communicate and sell their goods.
¨
Sales people use the Internet
to keep in touch with their home offices.
¨
Buyers can do their shopping
online.
Exercise (a).
1. (a). What do you understand by the term Internet?
(b). What are the other names of the Internet?
2. Describe the Functions of the Internet.
3. List 6 services that are offered on the Internet.
4. Identify 6 categories of people who can benefit through the use of
the Internet.
Exercise (b).
1. Define the Internet.
2. Briefly describe six services offered by the Internet.
3. Discuss the growth of Internet in recent days.
4. Explain the importance of Information superhighway (Internet).
5. Write short notes on the following:
(a). E-commerce.
(b). Webcasting.
(c). Telnet.
(d). Information Superhighway.
CONNECTING (LOGGING ON) TO THE INTERNET.
Log
On -To identify yourself & gain access to a
computer. To log on, type a user name
& a password.
Facilities Needed.
To use the Internet, you must have access
to it. In order to get connected to the
Internet and access the World wide Web, you will require the following
facilities:
1). A Computer.
The computer to
be used must have the following desirable elements;
(i).
A Fast processor, e.g.,
Pentium 1 & above - to quickly access and download information &
programs from the Internet.
(ii).
RAM memory of 32 MB &
Above.
(iii). Hard disk capacity of at least 400 MB.
(iv). A high-quality Colour Screen – to enable you view the various
graphics and images.
(v).
Free disk space on which to
download the information or programs from the Internet.
2). Web Browsers.
Web browsers are
application programs that are used to retrieve Web pages from the Internet onto
your Personal Computer.
One of the most
popular Web browsers is Internet
Explorer from Microsoft.
Each Web page in
the World Wide Web is based on an HTML (HyperText
Mark Language) file. A Web browser
decodes the information in an HTML file and displays a Web page on your
computer screen according to its instructions.
This process is called Downloading.
v Downloading is the process of copying files from one computer to another by
using a Modem or a network connection. You
can also download files from the Web to your hard disk.
v HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
-The language used to create Web pages.
To view HTML documents, use Web browsing Software.
3). Telephone lines.
4). Modem (Modulator/Demodulator).
On the Internet,
computers exchange information through Telephone
lines. Therefore, to use the
Internet, you need a Modem & a Telephone line.
A Modem is a device that enables you to
connect to the Internet, and access information.
As a
Transmitting modem, it translates computer information (which is in digital
form) into analogue form (the form that can transmit over telephone lines). This process is called Modulation.
As a Receiving
modem, it translates the information back into digital form (a form that your
computer can understand); a process called Demodulation.
The Modem must
be fast. This helps to reduce the amount
of time spent waiting for Web pages, files, or messages from the Internet.
Modem speeds are
expressed in Bits per second (bps). The typical speeds are 9,600 bps, 4.4 Kbps
(Kilobits per second), 28.8 Kbps, 56 Kbps, etc.
Internet
Service Provider (ISP).
When connecting
to the Internet using a modem, you need to sign up with an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
v Internet
Service Provider (ISP) is a commercial organization
(or a company) that provides Internet connections, along with a set of support
services usually for a fee. It maintains a Server that is directly connected to the Internet.
v Internet Service Provider - A company or organization that provides Internet Access, usually
for a fee. To connect to your ISP, use a
modem.
Most people and
organizations connect to the Internet over a Telephone line through an
ISP. However, some larger businesses and
institutions (such as universities) have their own Internet connections.
An ISP usually
has a no. of Host computers. These host computers usually provide space
for the storage of user’s electronic mail messages, storage of user’s Web sites
and a set of related facilities such as, advice, support software and
appropriate security.
Examples of the
local ISPs include;
¨
Africa Online, Kenya Web, ISP Kenya, Swift Kenya
Connecting to an
ISP involves calling the provider and setting up a PPP account. When you open an account with an ISP, you
will be provided with a User name and a Password.
(i).
Username – Every time you get connected,
you require a name to identify yourself on the Internet.
(ii).
Password – This is needed for security
purposes. It ensures that your Internet
account is secure.
Note. ISPs charge for the
services rendered.
5). Website.
This is an area
in the Internet where information of a particular organization is kept. The Website must be updated on daily basis.
Content
Provider - A business that uses the Internet to
supply you with information such as news, weather, business reports &
entertainment.
ACCESSING
THE INTERNET.
There are 3 common ways in which an
individual user can access the Internet:
(a). Through a connection already setup through the computer in your
organization. Typically, the service is
accessed in a similar way to other services on a LAN.
(b). Through paying for an account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
In order to
access an ISP directly, the user will need a Personal Computer, a Modem,
a Telephone line & a suitable
software in order to connect to the service.
Most ISPs give help and advice on how to connect.
(c). Through a Bulletin Board
Service (BBS), e.g. CompuServe. BBS are commercially run information
providers, each with its own information services and normally offering access
to Internet services.
The BBS
companies normally sell some form of start-up package.
Setting up an Internet account.
Purpose.
√
To be able to gain access to
the facilities that are offered on the Internet, the user needs to log on. To log on, use Dial-Up to connect to the
Internet, and then use a Web browser like Internet
Explorer to load Web pages.
There are several ways to start Internet Explorer;
Method
1.
1. Double-click the Internet
Explorer icon on the desktop.
Method
2.
1. On the taskbar, click Start,
point to Programs, then click Internet Explorer.
You may be
required to make a connection through your ISP in order to log on to the
Internet. To do this, a Dial-up Connection dialog box is
displayed.
2. Click in the User name
box, and type a user name, for instance ‘Iat’.
3. Type in your password in the Password
box, and then select the Save password
checkbox.
The password
appears in asterisk format (***) for added privacy and security.
4. Click the Connect button
to access the Internet.
The Internet
Connection wizard creates an Internet connection for you, and then displays a
list of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and information about their
services.
To sign up for a
new account, click an ISP in the list.
Wizard
- A tool that walks you through the steps of a
complex task.
Selecting
options in the Internet Connection Wizard.
If you are connecting to the Internet using
a modem & an Internet Service Provider (ISP), your ISP will supply most of
the information needed. You will also
need to provide the following information.
Information Needed for.
The ISP you want to use choosing an ISP
Your address & billing information payment for your ISP account
Note.
You may be prompted to restart your computer during
the Internet connection process; save and close any open documents before you
proceed.
5. After successfully logging on, the Internet Explorer displays the “Home page” and a Connection Indicator icon on the taskbar to indicate that you are
online.
Method
3. To open Internet Explorer from Outlook Express.
1. On the Help menu, point
to Microsoft on the Web, then click
the Web option you want.
E.g., click Search the Web to look for a Web site,
a person, a company, or an organization.
– Or-
Click Best of the Web to open the MSN.COM page that lists some of the best
sites on the Web.
Online
Service - An Internet service that provides a wide
range of content to its subscribers including Internet Access.
Parts of the Microsoft Internet Explorer screen.
1). Title bar.
2). Menu bar.
3). Address Bar. It contains the Address box in which you type an
address to open the file you want. The Address Bar provides a method of
opening files that are on the Internet or your computer.
4). Current page, with Links.
5). Scroll bars.
6). Status bar.
7). Standard toolbar; with buttons such as, Back, Forward, Stop, Refresh, Home, Search, Favorites, History, Mail, Print, Discuss.
You can use the
toolbar buttons in the Internet Explorer to move between Web pages, to search
the Internet or to refresh the content of Web pages.
Button description.
Forward moves
to the next Web page.
Back moves
to a previously viewed Web page.
Home jumps
to your home page.
History displays
a list of recently visited sites.
Favorites displays
a list of Web pages that you have selected as your favorites.
Refresh updates the contents of a currently displayed Web page or window.
Search opens
a Web page that lists the available search engines.
Edit opens
FrontPage Express or Windows Notepad so you can edit a Web
page.
Print prints
a Web page.
Stop stops the downloading of a Web page.
Mail opens
Outlook Express or Internet News.
Viewing
connection information.
Purpose.
√
When you register with an ISP,
you acquire an Internet account with them and from time to time, you may want
to view connection information such as, how
long you have been online, the speed
of connection & the activities
done during the online session.
1. Right-click the Connection
Indicator icon on the Taskbar.
2. From the shortcut menu that appears, click Status.
The Connected to <Africa Online> dialog box appears:
Some of the useful
information displayed on this window includes:
-
The speed at which you are
connected, e.g. 26,400 bits per second (bps).
-
The duration you have been
online, e.g., 2 minutes, 50 seconds.
-
The Transfer rate, in case you
are downloading files from the Internet.
3. Click OK, after viewing the details.
Customizing the Web browser.
Purpose.
√
Moving from site to site can be
slow if the ISP or Internet lines are busy, if the Host server (the server storing the site you are trying to access)
is busy, or if you are using a slow modem.
If a site contains graphics (or other
multimedia content like video, audio, etc) you can prevent the graphics from
downloading so as to speed up browsing.
1. On the Tools menu, select
Internet Options….
2. Click the Advanced tab,
then scroll down to the Multimedia
section.
3. Deselect the options or content that you want turned off, e.g., Show
Pictures, play Animations, or Play Videos, then click OK.
Multimedia – A technology that combines data/text, voices/sounds, graphics,
pictures, videos and images into one complete system. Multimedia uses Optical disk, e.g., CD-ROM to
stock all the above in one media.
Multimedia can be used in training.
Logging
out from the Internet.
Purpose.
√
As long as you are connected to
the Internet, you continue to incur Telephone and account usage charges. This can prove to be expensive in the long
run.
It is recommended
that you disconnect or log out from the Internet soon after you have finished
with a session. This is to avoid
incurring extra or unnecessary charges.
1. Right-click the Connection
Indicator icon on the Taskbar.
2. From the shortcut menu that appears, click Disconnect and you will automatically be logged out.
When you log out,
the Connection Indicator icon is
disabled.
Note. Some browsers or ISPs
automatically disconnect you from the Internet when there is no activity
between the user and ISP for a period of about 5 – 10 minutes.
Understanding the World Wide Web.
Purpose.
√
To understand some of the
Internet terminologies like Web pages, Web sites, Web browsers, URLs and Home
page.
The World Wide Web (www).
The World Wide Web is also known as the Web, WWW or W3.
v The Web is an Internet application (software) that uses the Internet
as its network.
v World Wide Web is the graphical, multimedia portion of the Internet.
v The WWW is a collection
of hyperlinked Web pages published on the Internet.
v The World Wide Web is a
global (an international) system of connected Web pages containing information
such as, text, pictures, sound and video.
The WWW is hypertext based
(i.e., it is able to access text & graphical data formatted for easy search,
retrieval and display).
The Web is a
part of the Internet. It is comprised of
millions of Web pages. This huge
collection of documents is stored on computers, called Hosts, around the world.
The documents
may contain text, pictures, sound, small programs or forms to be completed by a
user.
To view files on
the Web, you need Web browsing Software. This software can be used to view different
locations on the Web or to explore the Web pages.
Web pages.
v Web pages are documents published by organizations and individuals who are
interested in putting themselves on the Web.
Web pages can include text, pictures, sound and video.
v Web page is a location on the WWW, usually a Web site.
The Web pages can also be found on company
Intranets.
Intranets and Extranets.
What is an Intranet?
v An Intranet is an
internal corporate network used in organizations to enable the sharing of
documents among coworkers. It supports
users inside one organization (usually on a LAN).
v Intranet
- A private
network within an organization. It can connect all
types of computers within an organization.
Intranet has a
private Web Server, which can be made available to the entire organization,
individual department or to specific departmental workgroups.
An Intranet uses
the infrastructure and standards of the Internet and can be connected to the Internet.
Note. Intranet applications are usually combined with the normal Web
application of other organizations, but are hidden from those outside the
organization.
Extranet:
An Extranet works in much the same manner
as an Intranet, but provides information to selected users outside the
organization.
E.g., a certain university can have an
Internet library containing millions of articles, but only make it available to
staff and students at colleges and universities within the country.
To access the library, you must provide a
password when you connect to the Internet site.
Home Page.
v Home page is the Web page loaded when Internet Explorer is first started,
i.e., when you access the Web.
E.g., the
Internet address of the Windows home page is http://www.Microsoft.com /Windows
v Home page can also the first page of a company or an individual’s Website on
the Web.
Those who offer
information through the Web must first establish a Home page – a www text and
graphical screen that welcomes the user and explains the organization that has
established the page.
v Home page – is the introductory page of a Web site. The home page contains links to other pages
in the site.
Notes.
·
You can set any Web page as
your Home page.
·
Do not confuse your home page
with the home page of the Websites you visit.
Your home page is set through Internet
Explorer. The home page of a Website
is the introductory page for the site.
If you click a
hyperlink such as Home on a Web
page, you will jump to the home page of the Website, not yours. To access your home page, click the Home button on the Explorer toolbar.
Web Site.
v A collection of Web pages belonging to an organization or
individual. These organizations or
individuals maintain the Website.
v Web
site - A group of related Web pages.
v A Web site is a screen or
a collection of screens that provide information in text or graphical form that
can be viewed by Internet users by activating the appropriate icon or commands.
Web Browsers (Web browsing
software).
A Web
browser is a program that lets the user browse through information on (or
surf) the Web.
Information on the Web is structured into
pages. Each page has a specific address
that is used to locate and access information on that page.
A WWW browser program enables the user to
either search for data by name or by specifying locations known as Uniform Resource Location (URL).
The two common Web browsers are:
-
Internet Explorer from Microsoft.
-
Navigator from Netscape.
Browsing the Web.
This is also known as Navigating or ‘Surfing’ the
Web.
v To Browse is to navigate
the Internet or the contents of your computer.
v Browsing can also be defined as moving around and between Web pages.
Using a Web
browsing software you can read documents, listen to music, watch videos, make
purchases, participate in surveys, advertise products, do research, share
interests and download files on the Web.
EXPLORING
/ BROWSING THE INTERNET.
Use the Internet Explorer on your Windows desktop to browse the Web.
There are several ways in which you can
browse the Web pages or “surf the net”.
(a). When viewing a Web page, you can navigate the Internet by clicking Links, Underlined text or special features that cause you to jump to
another Web page.
Hyperlinks.
A Hyperlink
is a coloured or underlined text or a graphic that you click to ‘jump’ from one
location to another. The hyperlinks
enable the user to ‘jump’ to another file, or to another location in the same
file.
All Web pages
have hyperlinks. These links:
(i).
Connect one part of a Web
page to another part of the same Web page.
This is useful if the Web page is large.
(ii).
Connect one Web page to
another Website somewhere on the Web.
(iii). Connect a page to a file, such as a sound clip, video, a Spreadsheet
or a Word document.
The links can
connect to objects stored anywhere on the Internet.
Hypertext links are
indicated by underlined text highlighted usually in blue. Hyperlinks can also be represented by
buttons, graphics or pictures.
To find
hyperlinks on a page, move your mouse pointer over the page and where there is
a hyperlink, the mouse pointer will change into a hand with a pointing
finger. When you click a link, another
Web page appears.
As you browse
the Web, Internet Explorer stores
the sites and pages that you visit.
Usually, the hyperlinks you previously selected are colored
differently. Internet Explorer does this
to remind you that you have already visited the page identified by this link.
(b). You can also use the Standard toolbar buttons in the Internet
Explorer to move between Web pages, or to search the Internet.
History.
Internet
Explorer remembers the Websites and Web pages that
you have visited. It keeps record of
each Web page as it is downloaded. This
is the History feature.
You can therefore, easily return to the
page you have visited. To redisplay the
page you have just left, click on the Back
button. To move to the next page
(available only if you have moved back), click the Forward button.
Web Hosting.
A World Wide Web Server is a computer with programs that answer requests for
documents from Clients (browsers)
over the Internet. Files containing Web
sites are placed on these servers.
A Host
computer is any computer connected to the Internet and stores information
that has been made available to the Web.
ISPs also use host computers to store
user’s electronic mail messages, Web sites and other related facilities such
as, support software and appropriate security.
Web Address (Uniform
Resource Locator – URL).
An Address
is the location of a file.
Each Web page in the world has a unique
Internet address or location. Internet
addresses are also called the Uniform
Resource Locator (URL). E.g., the general URL for Microsoft is http://www.Microsoft.com./
You can use addresses to find files on the
Internet & your computer. You can
instantly display any Web page if you know its URL. E.g., http://www.compaq.com.
AutoComplete - A feature in the Address Bar.
When you begin typing a previously used address, this feature finishes
it as you type.
How the Web Works.
Each Client
computer needs an application software package called a Web browser, such as Navigator,
Internet Explorer.
Each Server on the
network needs an application software package called a Web Server. There are many
different Web servers, such as those produced by Netscape, Microsoft and Apache.
In order to get a
page from the Web, the user must type the Uniform
Resource Locator (URL) for the
desired page, or click on a link that provides the URL. The URL specifies the Internet address of the
Web Server, the directory and the name of the specific page required. If no directory or page is specified, the Web
server will display whatever page has been defined as its Home page. If no server name is specified, the Web
browser will assume that the address is on the same server and directory as the
last request.
In order for the
Web server to understand requests from the Web browser, they must use the same
standard protocol. If there was no
standard, then each Web browser would use a different way to request pages. This means that, it would be impossible for a
Web browser from Netscape to communicate with a Web server from Microsoft.
The standard
protocol for communication between a Web browser and a Web server is the HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
An HTTP request for a Web browser to a Web server has 3 parts, but only
the 1st part is required, the other two are optional.
¨
The Request Line, which starts with a command (e.g., GET), provides
the URL, and ends with HTTP version number that the browser understands.
¨
The Request Header, which contains a variety of
optional information such as the Web browser being used (e.g., Internet
Explorer), the date, the User ID and Password for using the Web pages as
password protected.
¨
The Request Body, which contains information sent
to the Server, such as information from a firm.
Note. Every Web user must provide the Internet
address of the receiving computer, otherwise, the server would not know where
to send the requested page.
Some browsers also
provide the requestor’s e-mail addresses as well. Most Web servers keep a record of Internet
addresses of all the requests (and the e-mail address, if provided by the
browser). Some companies use this
information to make a follow up with prospective customers.
An HTTP response
for a Web server to a Web browser also has 3 parts, but only the last part is
required, the first two are optional.
¨
The Response Status, which
contains the HTTP version number the server has used as status code (e.g., 200
means ‘OK’, 404 means ‘Page not found’), and reason phrase
(i.e., a text description of the status code).
¨
The Response Header, which contains a variety of
optional information such as the Web server being used, the date, the exact URL
of the page in the response body, and the format of the body (e.g., HTML).
¨
The Response Body, which is the Web page itself.
Internet Addresses.
Internet addresses are strictly regulated,
otherwise, someone could add a computer to the Internet that had the same
address as another computer.
Each address has 2 parts; The computer name and its domain.
The Domain
is the specific part of the Internet to which the computer is connected (e.g., Canada , Australia
The general format of an Internet address
is therefore: computer.domain. Some computer names have several parts separated
by periods. For example, the main
university Web server of an imaginary University like Yairobi can be www.Yairobi.edu, while the college of Humanities
Each domain has an address board that
assigns address for its domain. The
boards ensure that there are no duplicates.
Finding Web pages (information) on the Web.
There are 3 ways you can use to find interesting
and useful Web pages on the Web;
1). You could get the Web address
from an advertisement.
Many businesses
include their Web addresses in their Television and Print advertisements.
2). You click a link that
will enable you jump from one page to another.
Many industries
or organizations, magazines and topic experts maintain pages that provide links
from page to page.
3). Use of Search Engines.
Search Engines / Search
Services.
v A Search engine is
software that helps in locating information in the Web.
v Search engine is a tool that searches the Web
for information that you want to find.
Purpose.
√
If you want to get some
information concerning an area or subject of interest over the Web but you do
not know where to find it, you can use a Search engine to locate sites that
contain the information.
√
Locate particular information
in a Website, e.g., if you wish to read the Sports news you can load a Web site
like http://www.cnn.com/, and then use a
search engine within that site to locate information on Sports.
The following are the various search
engines:
1). Yahoo – www.Yahoo.com.
2). AltaVista – www.altavista.digital.com.
3). Excite – www.excite.com.
5). Infoseek.
6). Lycos.
These search engines offer different kinds
of searching capabilities. However, they
differ in the way they organize information in response to your request.
Yahoo focuses on the largest & most important Websites and organizes
them in a directory format. Small and
little known Websites are excluded.
Therefore, if you are looking for the address of a well-known company or
product or a popular topic, Yahoo is probably the easiest way to find it.
Alta
Vista is the broadest of all. It lists almost everything it can find. It is probably the best choice if you are
looking for an unclear topic or a very specific combination of topics or words
(e.g., to find a famous quote).
The major disadvantage of Alta Vista is
that, you may have to look through dozens of sites before you find the ones you
want. In addition, Alta Vista does not
provide some help in focusing your search.
Excite is easier to use in that, it uses advanced special intelligence
techniques to help you search those pages that best match your interest. E.g., after looking at the result of a
search, you can tell Excite to find more pages that are similar to a specific
page it has found. Excite will then
search again and present those pages first.
In this case, Excite refines the search based on the characterization of
the page you have selected.
Meta
Crawler provides the best search facilities. It does not search the Web and provide a list
of what it finds. Instead, whenever you
enter a search request, it simultaneously sends that request to several search
engines (including Yahoo & Alta Vista), then combines, and organizes the
information it receives from all the search engines into one display.
How Search Engines find Web
pages.
Hundreds of thousands of new Web pages are
created each day.
There are 2 ways that search engines use to
locate Web pages:
¨
Use of Spiders / Robots.
¨
Through Submissions.
(a). Spiders.
Search Engines normally
use software spiders to explore the Web.
The Spiders are usually
automated robots that travel around the Web looking for new pages, and creating
links to them.
These spiders
methodically search all the pages on the Websites they can find and report back
their discoveries. The search engine
builds an index to these pages based on the words they contain. When you connect to a search engine, and type
a few words describing what you want, the Search engine will search its index
for these keywords and provide you with a list of pages that contain them.
(b). Submissions.
These are
derived from people who have created new Web pages and then submit information
about the pages they have created.
1. Select a search engine, e.g., Yahoo, and type its address in the Address box, i.e., http://www.yahoo.com/.
Once the search
engine home page appears, type a keyword or phrase in the Search box, e.g., Kenya
Note. The steps may vary depending on the search
engine you are using.
2. When the search is completed, a list of sites that contain the
keyword or phrase you are looking for is displayed. Select a site whose description comes closest
to the information you desire and click on its link.
3. If there are many sites, an option that allows you to view the next
10 or so matches is displayed. Click on
this if necessary to view the next set of links.
If there are too
many matches, you may want to use an additional keyword to narrow down the
search. E.g., to find the sites that
contain information about the economy in Kenya
4. Click the Search button.
5. From the search results, select the links that may help you get the
information you require.
Locate information within a Website.
Once you access a Website, you can search
for specific text or information on that site or page.
Unlike search engines like Yahoo, Infoseek,
Lycos, Web Crawler, and Excite that present you with the URLs or links of sites
that hold information you are looking for, search engines within a Web page
locate information within that Web page.
1. Load the Web page to browse.
E.g., let’s use a Website: http://www.carleton.ca.
2. Click in the Search box,
and type a keyword(s), e.g., International
AND Student.
Note. When typing in a
keyword, you can use logical words or operators like AND (when you want to display results that meet both criteria) and OR (when you want to display results
that meet one of the two criteria).
3. Click the Search button,
to begin the search.
4. From the Search Results
screen, click on a link that is closest to your requirements.
To
open a favorite Web site from the Start menu.
1. Click the Start button,
point to Favorites, and then click
the Web page you want.
To search the Web from the
Start menu.
1. Click the Start button,
point to Find, then click On the Internet.
To use the Run command to
open a Web page.
1. Click Start, click Run, and then type the Internet address
you want.
If the page you are opening is one
you've viewed before, the AutoComplete feature
can complete the address for you.
To find pages you've recently
visited.
To find Web sites and pages you've viewed
in the last few days, hours, or minutes.
1.
On the toolbar, click the History button.
The History bar appears,
containing links for Web sites and pages visited in previous days and weeks.
2.
In the History bar, click a
week or day, click a Web site folder to display individual pages, and then
click the page icon to display the Web page.
Notes.
·
To return to the last page you
viewed, click the Back button on the
toolbar.
·
To view one of the last nine
pages you visited in this session, click the arrow to the side of the Back or Forward button, and then click the page you want from the list.
To enter Web information more
easily.
The AutoComplete
feature saves previous entries you have made for Web addresses, forms, and
passwords.
When you type information in one of these
fields, AutoComplete suggests possible matches.
1.
When typing an information
in the Address bar, and the AutoComplete
feature suggests what you want to enter in that field, click the
suggestion. If not, continue typing.
Setting or changing a Home Page.
Home page is the page that
is displayed every time you start Internet
Explorer.
Note. Make sure it is a page that
you want to view frequently, or make it one that you can customize to get quick
access to all the information you want, such as the Msn.com
home page.
Purpose.
√
To enable
the user to choose or specify a page that will provide a good starting point
for exploring the Web.
The Home page will appear
each time the user accesses the Web.
1. Go to the page you want set as your Home page.
2. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options....
The Internet Options dialog box
appears.
3. Click the General
tab.
4. Under the Home
Page section, type the address of the new home page in the Address
box. Alternatively, click Use Current to make
the current Website the home page.
5. Click the OK button.
Tips.
·
To restore your original home
page, click Use Default.
·
You can return to your home
page anytime by clicking the Home
button.
Exercise.
1. Mention at least 4 facilities that are needed to connect to the
Internet.
2. How can you establish the time you have been online in a session?
3. In a step-by-step format, illustrate how you can log out of the
Internet.
4. Define the following terms:
(a). Intranet.
(b). Extranet.
(c). Worldwide Web.
5. (i). What is a Web site?
(ii). Give the advantages and disadvantages of a Web site.
6. Give 2 examples of Web Browsers.
7. Explain the term ‘Host computer’.
8. Define the word ‘History’
with reference to a Web browser.
9. (a). What is a Search engine?
(b). Give examples of Search engines.
10. How does the Web work?
Explain with the help of a diagram.
11. Describe the procedure of finding information on the Web.
Downloading Web pages and programs from the Internet.
Purpose.
√
To enable the user to view Web
pages without being connected to the Internet.
√
To be able to browse a site in
a location that does not provide any network access.
√
In order to free your telephone
lines.
Downloading a Web page.
1. Load the Web page you want to download, e.g., http://www.nationaudio.com.
2. Access all the links that you would like to
read offline. Make sure that the whole
Web page is fully loaded before moving to the next one.
3. On the Favorites
menu, click Add to Favorites.
4. Select the option Yes, notify me of updates and download the page for offline viewing.
5. Click OK,
and then Logoff.
Downloading a program.
√
Programmers
and software houses like Microsoft usually develop programs and may decide to
send a test copy to their existing clients or to publish it on the Internet for
interested users to test it for a specified period of time.
To test such software, a user will have to download the program onto the
hard disk. A user can also download a
movie clip or games, etc, and view it offline to save on costs.
1. Locate a site from which you wish to download a
program, e.g., http://softwarenow.iboost.com.
2. Select the category of programs you want to
download, e.g., Games.
3. Select a game category, e.g., Racing Games.
4. Select a game you want to download.
Note. The window lists the properties of the
program, e.g., version, file size.
Ensure that you understand the licence agreement, i.e., whether the
program is freeware or shareware.
Freeware is a program that is absolutely free, while Shareware program is available for a
limited period of time.
5. To download the program, click on the download
link, e.g., Download Cars & Brix.
6. From the File
Download dialog box, select Save
this program to disk option, then click OK.
7. In the Save
As dialog box, select the folder in which you wish to store the downloaded
program, then click Save.
Once the program
is loaded, you can access the folder it was saved in and load it without being
connected to the Internet.
Saving pictures or text from a Web page.
Purpose.
√
You can save information for
future reference or in order to share with other people. You can save the entire Web page or any part
of it: text, graphics, or links.
√
You can print Web pages for
people who don’t have access to the Web or a computer.
To
copy information from a Web page into a document,
1. Select the information you want to copy, on the Edit menu, click Copy.
To
use a Web page image as desktop wallpaper.
1. Right-click the image on the Web page, then click Set as Wallpaper.
Saving information (a Web page) from the Internet to
the Hard disk.
Purpose.
√
When you come across a Web page
you would want to read, but it is too long, you can save the Web page onto your
hard disk so as to read it later on when you are off-line. This helps in reducing the costs of browsing
while online.
1. Load the Web page you want to download.
Make sure the Web page you want to save is
completely transferred to the screen of your Web browser.
2. On the File menu, select Save As.
3. In the Save HTML Document
dialog box that appears, select the drive & folder where you want to save
the page in.
4. In the File name box,
type a name for the page.
5. In the Save as type box,
select a file type.
v To save all of the files needed to display this page, including
graphics, frames, and style sheets, click Web
Page, complete. This saves each file in its original format.
v To save just the current HTML page, click Web Page, HTML only. This will save the information on the Web
page, but it does not save the graphics, sounds, or other files.
v To save just the text from the current Web page, click Text Only. This saves the information
on the Web page in straight text format.
6. Click Save.
The Explorer
program automatically assigns the extension .htm to the file name.
To open a saved file.
√
After saving a Web page, you
may want to read and analyze the information at a later time.
√
You may also want to send the
saved file to another person via e-mail as an attachment.
1. On the File menu, select Open.
This displays the Open dialog
box.
2. Click on the Browse
button in order to locate the folder where the file is stored.
3. Click the file, then choose Open.
Note. When you save a file in a
local disk, only the text on the page is shown.
The graphics in a site are displayed in graphics placeholders (which
appear as small rectangles).
Graphics and Download time.
When designing Web pages, graphics have to
be incorporated sensibly into the Web page.
Although they are appealing to the eye, the
more graphics you use on a Web page, the longer the Web browser will take to
download the page.
File Formats.
The most common file formats found on the
Internet are:
-
Graphic Interchange Format
(GIF), and
-
Joint Photographic Experts
Group (Jpeg).
Generally, GIFs are used for simple page
design elements like lines, buttons and dividers, while JPEGs are mostly used
for complex photographs and images.
Movie (video) files usually have the
extension .avi, .mpg, or .mov, while
Sound (audio) files have the extension .au,
or .ra, or .ram, or .wav.
Printing Web pages.
Purpose.
√
To obtain a hard copy of the
information that you have researched on and collected, for the purposes of
reviewing later or filing.
Change how a page looks when it
prints.
Before printing a Web page, it is advisable
to check the settings in the Page Setup
dialog box.
This will ensure that the right Paper size,
Margins and Orientation of the page are set correctly. You can also add headers and footers to a Web
page.
1.
On the File menu, click Page Setup.
2.
In the Margins boxes, type the margin measurements (in inches).
3.
In the Orientation area, click either Portrait
or Landscape to specify whether you
want the page printed vertically or horizontally.
4.
In the Header and Footer boxes,
specify the information to be printed, then click OK.
Printing the Web page.
1.
On the File menu, click Print
to display the Print dialog box.
2.
Set the printing options
you want, then click OK.
Exercise.
1. What are the benefits of saving information from the Internet to
your hard disk?
2. List the type of files that can be downloaded from a Website.
3. In which dialog box would one enter a footer and header of a Web
page to be printed.
4. Graphic objects are visible upon opening of saved Web pages. True/False? Explain.
5. Define the following terms with respect to the Internet:
(i).
Website.
(ii).
Upload.
(iii). Access Provider. (6
marks).
6.
Creating
a Bookmark.
Purpose.
√
When you browse the Web, you
may come across sites that you want to visit regularly.
Examples of such
sites include; news sites like CNN or BBC.
You can decide to ‘bookmark’ the Web page.
The Bookmark feature (also known as a Hotlist or Favorites feature) allows you to store the addresses of Web pages
that you frequently visit. Hence, you do
not have to constantly retype your favourite Web page addresses. When you want to visit the site, simply
select the bookmark from a list.
1. Open the Website that you want to create a shortcut to. E.g., http://www.cnn.com.
2. On the Favorites menu,
choose Add to Favorites.
The Add to Favorites dialog box
appears. The name of the site you are in
appears on the Name box.
3. Under Create in: click
the folder you want to add the site to, e.g., Links, then click OK.
This will add the
title of the Web page in the Favorites list.
To go to a site using a Bookmark.
1. On the menu bar, select Favorites.
2. Select the folder that holds the favorites item, e.g., Links.
3. From the drop-down list, click CNN.com.
To delete a Bookmark.
1. On the menu bar, select Favorites.
2. Point to the item from the Favorites list, e.g., CNN.com.
3. Right-click the item, and then click Delete.
The Confirm File Delete dialog box appears.
4. Click Yes, to remove the
item from the list.
Working Offline.
Connection to the Internet usually means
that you are using telephone lines, and therefore incurring telephone charges
and usage on your ISP account.
Offline - Not connected to a network or the Internet.
BROWSING
THE WEB (INTERNET) OFFLINE.
Purpose.
√
To enable
the user to save on the time spent connected to the Internet, and hence reduce
the general costs of being online.
1. Access the Web site that you want to browse offline.
2. Access all the links to download all the information you require.
Ensure that each
Web page is downloaded completely before going to the next one.
3. On the Taskbar, right-click the Connection
Indicator button, then choose Disconnect.
The Connection Indicator disappears from
the Taskbar showing that you are now working offline.
After
disconnecting the user can go ahead and read all the downloaded
information. The user can also “browse”
through the site while offline provided all the pages and links are downloaded.
Note. Some services like
Internet, Usenet, Newsroom, or Shopping will not be available when you are
offline. To use these services, you need
to re-establish the connection.
Making Web pages available for offline viewing.
Offline
Reading -To view a Web page without being connected
to the Internet.
You can download the page to your hard
disk, disconnect from a network or the Internet, and read the material later.
When you make a Web page available offline,
you can read its content when your computer is not connected to the Internet.
E.g., you can view Web pages on your Laptop
computer when you don't have a network or Internet connection.
1.
On the Favorites menu, click Add to
Favorites.
2.
Select the Make available offline checkbox.
3.
To specify a schedule for
updating that page, and how much content to download, click Customize.
4.
Follow the instructions on
your screen.
Note. Before you go offline, make sure you update your
pages. To do this, click the Tools menu, then click Synchronize.
To make an existing favorite item
available offline.
1.
On the Favorites menu, click Organize
Favorites.
2.
Click the page you want to
make available offline.
3.
Select the Make available offline checkbox.
4.
To specify a schedule for
updating that page, and how much content to download, click Properties.
Get
Help with Internet Explorer.
Purpose.
√
While working with Internet Explorer, you may sometimes need
help on how to perform certain tasks or help on a particular topic of interest.
1. On the Help menu, select Contents and Index (or press F1).
The Internet Explorer Help window is
displayed.
2. Click the Contents tab.
3. Click a book in the list, and then click a Help topic you want to
look at.
The Help topic
contents are displayed on the right-hand side of the Help window.
4. Read the help and click the hyperlinks
(blue, underlined text) if you want to see help on related topics.
5. When you have finished, click the Close button to exit help.
Using the Index to get Help.
1. On the Help window, click the Index
tab.
2. Type in the first few letters of the word or topic that you are
looking for.
In the Index box, all the help topics are
listed in alphabetical order.
3. Click the Display button
to view the information about the topic selected.
Exercise.
1. What is a Bookmark?
Advantages of the Internet.
(i).
One can download (copy)
information from a Website.
(ii).
The Internet has enabled
the interlinking of people worldwide / globally.
(iii). It is convenient in the sense that you can access data 24 Hrs.
(iv). It is cheap, i.e., the operational cost that one may incur is low.
(v).
It has brought in the
technology of doing the following; E-learning, E-Agriculture, E-commerce,
E-governance, etc.
(vi). Provides up-to-date information.
(vii). It doesn’t require a lot of training to browse.
(viii). It provides entertainment facilities.
(ix). Can be used for research.
(x).
Brings harmony in the
world, because people can communicate and exchange ideas.
(xi). The Internet can be accessed at any part of the world.
(xii). There is always a full backup provided by the Servers, hence no data
loss.
(xiii). It’s a fast way of communicating.
(xiv). It provides an easy way to use offers in Information and products.
Internet
provides information from almost all parts of the world that you need in order
to make accurate and informed decisions.
You will get
information you need from business to education, from sports to politics, from
arts to eating out.
Disadvantages of Internet.
(i).
It’s a technology, which is
fetched for (imposed/forced on) the Third world countries.
(ii).
The cost of the Internet
Service Provider is high.
(iii). It is leading to exposure of morally harmful shows such as
Pornography.
(iv). It leads to spread of viruses.
(v).
Has proved to be unreliable
especially accessing information.
(vi). No copyright rules meant to protect the property of an organization.
ELECTRONIC MAIL (E-MAIL).
About e-mail.
Electronic mail (also known as e-mail)
is one of the common services provided by the Internet.
v E-Mail is a worldwide system for sending & receiving
electronic messages from one computer to another.
v E-Mail
(Electronic mail) refers to electronic messages
sent over the Internet or a network.
E-mail can contain both text & files.
With e-mail, users can
create and send messages to one user, several users, or all the users on a
distribution list.
Most e-mail software enable users to send
text messages. In addition, users can attach files from Word processors,
Spreadsheets, Reports, production data, etc, and then send them by e-mail.
Most E-mail packages
allow you to do the same things you do with regular paper mail. You can file messages in electronic file
cabinets, forward copies of messages to other users, send “carbon copies” of
messages, and so on. The E-mail packages
also allow you to filter or organize messages by priority. E.g., all messages from a particular user
(e.g., your boss) could be given top priority, so that they always appear at
the top of your list of messages.
However, E-mail is a
much faster, economical & convenient way of sending messages to family,
friends and colleagues than the paper mail (usually called “Snail mail”). Messages can be sent
or received 24-hrs a day. With “Snail mail” a message or a letter is sent to the
recipient through the Post office and takes days or weeks before reaching the
destination.
Components required.
For one to be able to
communicate using e-mail, the following components are needed:
1). A Computer
- where you will send or receive the e-mail messages.
2). An E-mail
program.
Your computer
must be installed with an e-mail program that lets
you send, receive and manage your e-mail messages.
Examples of E-mail programs;
·
Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express,
& Microsoft Exchange from
Microsoft.
·
Communicator from Netscape.
·
Lotus
Notes.
·
Eudora.
3). E-mail
address of the sender & the
address of the receiver.
4). An Internet
Service Provider (ISP) - company
who will deliver your message to the receiver.
Once you send a letter
or a message, it travels from your computer through a Modem, which connects
your computer to the Internet using the Telephone network. The Mail passes through various computers,
until it reaches the final destination.
How E-mail Works.
The figure below
shows how an e-mail message can travel over a Wide Area Network (WAN) such as
the Internet.
Each Client
computer in the Local Area Network (LAN) runs an e-mail software package called
User Agent, e.g., Eudora, Lotus
Notes, Outlook Express, Microsoft Outlook, etc.
The user writes
the e-mail messages using one of the User Agents, which formats the message
into 2 parts;
(i).
The Header, which lists the source and destination e-mail addresses.
(ii). The Body, which is the
message itself.
The User agent
sends the message header & body to a Mail
Server that runs a special application package called a Message Mail Transfer Agent. The Message Mail Transfer Agent in the Mail
Server reads the envelope & then sends the message through the network
(possibly through dozens of Message Transfer Agents) until the message arrives
at the Mail Server of the receiver.
The Message
Transfer Agent on this server then stores the message in the receiver’s mailbox
on the server.
When the receiver
accesses his/her e-mail, the User Agent on the receiver’s Client computer
contacts the Message Transfer Agent on the Mail Server, and asks for the
contents of the user’s mailbox. The
Message Transfer Agent sends the e-mail message to the client computer, which
the user reads using the user agent.
E-MAIL STANDARDS.
Several standards
have been developed to ensure the compatibility between different e-mail
software packages.
The 3 commonly
used standards are:
1). Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP).
2). X-400.
3). Common Messaging Calls (CMC).
All the 3 e-mail
standards work in the same basic fashion.
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
(SMTP).
SMTP is the most
commonly e-mail standard used on the Internet.
SMTP defines how
Message Transfer Agents operate and how they format messages sent to them. As the name suggests, SMTP is a simple
standard that permits only the transfer of text messages. Non-text files such as graphics or Word
processing documents are not permitted.
However, several
standards for non-text files have been developed that can operate together with
SMTP. They include; Multi-Purpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME), Unencoded & Bin Hex.
A different
standard called Post Office Protocol
(POP) defines how User agents
operate and how messages to & from the Mail Transfer Agents are formatted.
POP is gradually
being replaced by a newer standard called Internet
Mail Access Protocol (IMAP).
The main
difference between POP & IMAP is that, before a user can read a mail
message with a POP user agent; the e-mail message must be copied to the
client’s hard disk and deleted from the mail server. With IMAP, e-mail messages can remain stored
on the mail server after they have been read.
Therefore, IMAP is beneficial to users who read their e-mail from many
different computers (e.g., at home, in office & in computer labs), because
all e-mail is stored on the server until it is deleted.
X-400
The X-400 e-mail
standard was developed in 1984. It is a
set of seven (7) standards that define how e-mail is to be processed by the
User agents and the Mail Transfer Agents.
Common Messaging Calls (CMC).
The CMC standard
is a simpler version of the X-400 standard.
It was developed
in 1994.
It is more popular
than X-400, because it is simple & it is also supported by a large no. of
leading vendors/sellers.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
FTP enables you to
send and receive files over the Internet.
FTP requires an application program on the client server and an
application program on the FTP Server.
Many application packages use the FTP standard (e.g., WS-FTP).
Almost anyone can
establish a FTP server, which permits anyone on the Internet to log in, send
and receive files.
There are 2 types
of FTP sites;
(i).
Closed.
(ii). Anonymous.
Closed FTP site.
A Closed site
requires users to have permission before they can connect and gain access to
the files. Access is granted after the
user provides an Account name with a secret password.
For example, a Network Manager would write a Web page
using software on his/her client computer and their user FTP to send it to a
specific account on the Web Server.
Anonymous FTP site.
Anonymous is the
most common type of an FTP site.
It permits any
Internet user to log in using the account of anonymous.
When using the
anonymous FTP, you will still be asked for a password. You can enter your Internet e-mail address as
the password.
Many files and documents
available via FTP have been compressed to reduce the amount of disk space they
require.
Note. If a file that you want has been compressed
by a compression program that is not in your computer, you cannot access the
file until you get the decompression program it used.
Using Lotus Notes.
One of the
problems with e-mail is that, it lacks a structured way to support an ongoing
discussion. Each mail message is a
separate item, unrelated to the other messages.
Usually, you can group and file e-mail messages into separate file
folders, but it not possible to combine them.
Using Lotus Notes (a document database of
text and graphics), documents with different sections can be organized into a
hierarchical structure of sections, documents and folders.
Lotus Notes can be
used as a computer Bulletin board to support ongoing discussions. Several
topics and sub-topics can be created, and everyone or selected individuals in
the organization can be given access.
Lotus Notes can
also be used to organize a discussion among certain people such as a Project
team working to improve manufacturing quality.
It might reduce the amount of time the team spent in face-to-face
meetings, because many of the issues might be discussed before the meeting
actually starts.
Lotus Notes also
could be used to replace standard Word processors in preparing reports. Each team member could use Lotus Notes to
write a portion of report, which could then be passed to other team members for
editing or comments.
Lotus Notes can
also automate certain document-based processes (called Workflow automation). For
example, insurance claims require people from several different parts of an
Insurance company to work together to process the claim. One person might handle the initial claim,
which would then be passed to an Insurance adjuster to finish a report. Another person would process the
payment. All this paperwork could be
replaced if Lotus Notes were used to prepare and pass the documents from one
person to another.
Note. Lotus Notes has the
ability to replicate. Replication is the automatic sharing of
information among servers when information changes. E.g., Lotus Notes servers can be set to
replicate information they contain within any other Lotus Notes server on the
network, so that a change to a document on the server will automatically be
shared with all other servers that contain the same document.
Setting up (adding) an E-mail or News
account.
To set up an e-mail
account, use an e-mail program such as Outlook
Express. Outlook Express is a Web browsing software that can help you
exchange e-mail messages with colleagues and friends on the Internet or join
newsgroups to trade/share ideas and information.
You will need the following information
from your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or Local Area Network (LAN)
administrator:
♣
For e-mail accounts, you'll
need to know;
-
The type of Mail server you use
(POP3, IMAP, or HTTP)
-
Your Account name and Password.
-
Name of the incoming mail
server and,
-
If you are using POP3 or IMAP,
the name of an outgoing mail server.
♣
For a news account, you'll need
to know;
-
The name of the news server you
want to connect to and, if required, your account name and password.
To add a mail or news
account.
1. On the Start menu, point
to Programs, then click Outlook Express.
2. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
3. In the Internet Accounts
dialog box, click the Add button.
4. Select either Mail or News to open the Internet Connection
Wizard, and then follow the instructions to establish a connection with a mail
or news server.
Tips.
v
After you
set up your account, just double-click the Outlook
Express icon on the desktop to begin sending and receiving e-mail.
v You can get a free mail account from Hotmail, which uses HTTP servers.
E-mail addresses.
Each user has his own e-mail address (or mailbox) in form of computer storage space to
receive messages. The mailbox is
accessed via a computer terminal within the system. In addition, each user has a password to
protect access to his/her own mailbox.
Messages are drawn to the user’s attention
when they enter the system.
Components of an E-mail address.
An e-mail address consists of two parts
separated by the @ symbol. For example, if your e-mail address is Drg@tropicalheat.com:
(i).
The 1st part of
the address to the left side of the @ symbol refers to the person’s identity or login
name. It is the name or identifier
of the specific individual or organization, e.g., “drg”.
(ii).
The 2nd part
following the “@” symbol is the computer
address. It is usually made up of 2
to 3 sub-parts to further identify the individual, organization, ISP or a
country. In this case:
v “tropicalheat” identifies the business.
v “.com” is the extension, which identifies the type of the
organization.
The table below shows some extensions and
what they represent: -
|
Extension
|
Represents
|
|
.org
|
A non-profit making organization
|
|
.edu
|
An educational institution or
organization
|
|
.com
|
A commercial organization
|
|
.net
|
Network
|
|
.mil
|
Military
|
|
.gov
|
government
|
Sometimes, the name of the country is
included in the e-mail address. E.g., Skynews@sky.co.uk or Nation@africaonline.co.ke.
In this case, “.co.uk” refers to a company
in the United Kingdom , while
“.co.ke” refers to a company in Kenya
Examples of E-mail addresses;
Tim@Yahoo.com (free
e-mail address)
Douglas@hotmail.com (free e-mail address)
Exercise.
1. (a). What is E-mail?
(b). Give TWO examples of e-mail software.
(c). Give an example of an e-mail address.
2. Identify institutions whose e-mail addresses end with the following
extensions:
(i).
.org ______________________________________________________
(ii).
.gov ______________________________________________________
(iii).
.edu ______________________________________________________
(iv).
.com______________________________________________________
(v).
.net ______________________________________________________
(vi).
.mil ______________________________________________________
3. Identify the parts of the following e-mail address:
iat@africaonline.co.ke
 |
 |
 |
|
A
B C D
A _________________________________________________________________
B
_________________________________________________________________
C
_________________________________________________________________
D
_________________________________________________________________
Reading E-mail
Messages.
Purpose.
√
Once an
e-mail message that has been sent to you arrives at your computer, to read the
contents you must open it using the program you have installed for sending
e-mail, e.g., Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express.
1. Open the e-mail program, e.g., Outlook
Express from the Start menu or a
shortcut on the desktop.
The Choose Profile dialog box appears to
allow you to select your profile.
Note. A User Profile is a group of settings
that define how the e-mail program is set up for a particular user. It also defines through the information
services how a user can send, store, and receive messages.
2. Select your profile by clicking the down arrow on the Profile Name box, and then click OK.
Usually, all
incoming messages are stored in the Inbox
when you connect to Outlook Express. The Inbox displays all the e-mail messages
that you have received.
3. To open and read e-mail messages, click the Inbox icon either on the Outlook bar or on the Folders list, and
then choose the message that you want to read.
♣
To view the message in the
preview pane, click the message in the message list.
♣
To open the message in a
separate window, double-click the message in the message list.
The lower grid of your screen will have the
full message.
4. When you have finished reading a message, you can close the
window. Choose Exit on the File
menu. This will take you back to the
Outlook Express window. If there are any
e-mails in the Outlook that have not been sent, a message will appear prompting
you to send the e-mail(s) at that particular time or you can send it later.
Tips
·
After Outlook Express downloads your messages, you can click the Send/Recv button on the toolbar, to
read messages either in a separate window or in the preview pane.
·
To view all the information
about a message, such as when it was sent, click the File menu, and then click Properties.
·
As you read the items in your
items in your Inbox, you can reply to, forward, or file them in other folders
that you create.
·
To save the message in your
file system, click Save as and then
select a format (mail, text or HTML) and location.
Reply to E-mail
Messages.
Purpose.
√
If you have
read a message, you may want to send a reply to the original sender.
√
If the
original message that you are replying to was also copied to a no. of other
people, you may want to send a reply to all of them.
When replying to a
mail message, you can choose to reply with or without the original message
insertion. The original message,
sometimes referred to as the History,
appears in the body of the message, and is used for reference purposes.
Reply with the
original message insertion.
1. Open the message you want to reply.
2. Click the Reply button in
the Mail window. The Reply
message window appears containing the message you are replying to at the
bottom.
3. Type the reply where the insertion point is.
4. When you have finished typing and editing the reply, click the Send button (if you are online) to send
the message.
Note. If you click the Send button while you are offline, the
mail will be placed in the Outbox
folder and will automatically be sent the moment you are online.
Reply without
the original message insertion.
To remove the
original message, select the text, and then press the DELETE key or set options in the Options dialog box.
1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. Click the Reading
3. Under When replying to a
message box, click the down arrow, then select Do not include original message, then click OK.
4. Follow the procedure used to reply a message with the original
message insertion.
This time, the Reply message window will not contain
the message you are replying to at the bottom.
Note. After replying to an
e-mail, the E-Mail icon will
indicate a checkmark showing that the mail has been replied to.
Creating and sending an
e-mail message.
Purpose.
√
To
communicate with another user who has an e-mail address. This is cheaper than sending fax or using the
telephone especially for long distance calls.
√
It is also
faster to send e-mail than to post a letter.
E.g., to send a letter around the world using e-mail takes
some few minutes as compared to the weeks ordinary mails take.
1.
Start the Microsoft Outlook window.
2.
On the toolbar, click the New Mail Message button.
The message
composition window is displayed.
3.
In the To… and/or Cc… boxes,
type the e-mail addresses of each recipient.
♣
If you want to sent copies of
the message to other people, type in their e-mail addresses in the Cc… box, separating the addresses with
a semicolon (;).
♣
To add e-mail names from the Address Book, click the book icon in
the New Message window next to To,
Cc, and then select names.
♣
You can also send a Blind Carbon Copy (Bcc). In this case, the
recipients entered receive the message but their names are hidden from other recipients
of the message. To use the Bcc box, click the View menu, and then select Bcc
field.
4.
In the Subject box, type a message title.
5.
In the lower grid of the
message composition window, type in the message that you want to send.
You can format
the e-mail message using the formatting tools like, Bold, Font size, Underline,
etc.
6.
When you have finished
typing the message, editing, and spell checking, click the Send button on the New
Message toolbar.
Notes.
·
To save a draft of your message
to work on later, click the File
menu, then click Save. You can also
click Save as to save a mail message
in your file system in mail (.eml), text (.txt), or HTML (.htm) format.
·
A message that returns to the
sender because it cannot reach its destination is referred to as a Bounced message.
Checking the spelling in mail messages.
Before sending a mail message, you can
spell check it to correct any spelling mistakes in the mail.
Outlook
Express uses the spelling checker provided with
Microsoft Office 97 programs, such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and
Microsoft PowerPoint.
1.
In the New Message window, click the Spelling
button on the toolbar, (or click the Tools
menu, and then choose Spelling).
2.
The Spelling dialog box appears.
The misspelt words are highlighted and shown in the dialog box. Choose the correct word by selecting it, and
then click the Change button.
If the word or
phrase is correct but is not in the dictionary, click Ignore.
3.
Once spell checking of the
mail is complete, and a dialog box appears, click OK.
Formatting e-mail message text.
To add special emphasis or structure to
message text-such as bold, color, or bulleted lists, and also to add graphics
and links to Web sites in your mail messages, use Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) - the standard language for
formatting text for the Internet.
To
use HTML formatting on all outgoing messages.
v
When you create messages using
HTML formatting, only mail programs that support HTML can read the formatting.
If the recipient's mail or newsreading program does not read HTML, the message
is displayed as plain text with an HTML file attached. The recipient can view the attached file by
opening it in any Web browser.
To send the message in HTML formatting;
1. In the main window, click the Tools
menu, click Options, then click the Send tab.
2. In the Mail Sending Format
or News Sending Format sections,
click HTML.
To
use HTML formatting on an individual message.
In an e-mail message window, make sure HTML
formatting is turned on, i.e., Click the Format
menu, then choose Rich Text (HTML).
A black dot appears by the command when it is selected.
To change the font, style, and size of text.
You can change the way the text looks for
all your messages or you can make changes to selected text within a message.
To
change the text style for all messages.
1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. Click the Compose tab,
then click the Font Settings button.
To
format text within individual messages.
1. Select the text you want to format.
To change the font for an entire message, click the Edit menu, then click Select
All.
2. On the Formatting
toolbar, click the buttons for the options you want.
To
format a paragraph.
1. Click anywhere in the paragraph, or select the text you want to
format.
2. Use either the Formatting
toolbar or the commands on the Format
menu to change the text.
To Do this
Change the indentation of a paragraph Click the Increase Indent or Decrease Indent button on the Formatting toolbar.
Add a horizontal line Click where you
want the line to appear, and then click the Insert Horizontal line button on the Formatting toolbar.
Format text written in Rich Text (HTML) mode Click the Format menu, point to Style,
and then choose an option.
To
create a numbered or bulleted list.
1. In your message, click where you want the list to start.
2. On the Format menu, point
to Style, then click either Numbered List or Bulleted List.
3. Type the first item in the list. When you press ENTER, another list entry is started on the next line.
To end the list, press ENTER twice.
Inserting items in a
message.
To
insert a Business card in all messages.
1. On the Tools menu, click Options, then select the Compose tab.
2. In the Business Cards
section, select the Mail or News check box, and then select a
business card from the drop-down list.
Notes.
v
To change information in a
business card, click the Edit
button.
v
To add a business card or
signature to an individual message, in a message window, click the Insert menu, then click either Signature or My Business Card.
To
include a sound in a message.
1. Click anywhere in the message window.
2. On the Format menu, point
to Background, and then click Sound.
3. Enter the name of the file you want to include and the number of
times you want the file to play.
To
insert a picture in a message.
1. In the message, click where you want the image to appear.
2. On the Insert menu, click
Picture, then click Browse to find the image file.
3. Enter Layout and Spacing information for the image file as needed.
Notes.
v
If message recipients are not
able to view your inserted images, click the Tools menu, and then click Options.
Click the Send tab, click HTML Settings, and then make sure that Send pictures with messages is
selected. Then resend your message.
v
To insert a background picture
in your message, in the message window, click the Format menu, point to Background,
then click Picture. Click the Browse button to search for the file
you want to use.
Attaching files to e-mail
messages.
Purpose.
√
You can attach a copy of any
type of file such as a document, spreadsheet, graphic image or a presentation
to your e-mail messages.
1. Click the New Message
button.
2. In the Message Composition
dialog box, enter the e-mail address and type in the message to be sent.
3. Click where you want the file attachment to appear, then click the Insert File button to display the Insert File dialog box.
4. Locate the folder that contains the file you want to attach, and
then click the file.
To select
multiple files, hold down the CTRL as you click each of the files.
5. Click the OK button.
The attached
file is displayed as an icon in the body of the message. The icon indicates the file type and
name. e.g., Sales Results.xls
6. Click the Send button.
To
open or view the attached file.
Documents that contain file attachments
display a paper clip image in the
view or folder next to the document file.
Once the document is open, Microsoft
Outlook displays an icon representing the attachment.
Note. You must have the application in which the attachment was composed
in order to open it. The MIME (Multi-purpose Internet Mail Extension) type of file enables
Internet browsers to access an Internet mail file without prompting the user to
specify the program used to create the attached file.
1. In the Inbox, select the
e-mail message that contains the attachment.
2. Double-click the e-mail message to open it.
3. Double-click the icon that represents the attachment.
Deleting
an attachment.
1. Open the e-mail message that contains the attachment.
2. To delete the attached file, click the file icon, then press the Delete key.
Organizing E-mail messages.
Purpose.
√
You can use Outlook Express to
organize your incoming messages and make it easy to send mails.
To use your
online time efficiently, use Outlook Express to find messages, automatically
sort incoming messages into different folders, keep messages on a mail server,
or delete them entirely.
Organizing the Inbox.
You can organize the messages in your Inbox
quickly by sorting them.
To quickly sort messages by Subject, Sender or the Date received,
click on the respective column header.
E.g., to sort your messages in alphabetical order by sender, click on From in the column header.
To create a Mail folder.
1. On the File menu, click New, then choose Folder.
2. Enter the name of the folder in the Name box, e.g., My Own.
3. Select the Inbox folder
so that the mail folder created will become a subfolder of the Inbox.
4. You can add details, such as a description of the folder in the Description box, then click OK.
To move or copy a message to another folder.
1.
In the message list, select
the message (s) you want to move or copy.
2.
On the Edit menu, click Move to
Folder or Copy to Folder, then
select the folder you want to move or copy the message to.
To delete a mail message.
1. In the message list, select the message.
2. On the toolbar, click the Delete
button (or press the Delete key).
Notes.
·
To restore a deleted message,
open the Deleted Items folder, and
then drag the message back to the Inbox
or other folder.
·
If you don't want messages to
be saved in the Deleted Items folder
when you quit Outlook Express,
1.
Click the Tools menu, then click Options.
2.
On the Maintenance tab, select the checkbox labeled Empty messages from the 'Deleted Items' folder on exit.
·
To manually empty all deleted
items,
1. Select the Deleted Items
folder.
2. On the Edit menu, click Empty Deleted Items Folder.
Sending a Web page by e-mail.
Purpose.
√
You may find some interesting
and useful material on the Internet that you would like to share with friends
and colleagues.
You can send Web
pages by e-mail to other people even if the recipients are not connected to the
Internet.
1. Access the Web page you want to send.
2. Click the File menu,
point to Send, then click Page By E-mail or Link By E-mail.
3. If necessary, choose the correct profile to use from the Profile dialog box, i.e., Outlook
Express, and click OK.
4. In the Message dialog
box, enter the address of the recipient, then click the Send button.
Note. You must have an e-mail account and an e-mail program set up on
your computer.
Blocking Unwanted messages.
You can control the mail and news messages
you get in Outlook Express . You can block certain people from sending you
mail, you can hide conversations that don't interest you, and you can guard
against being sent damaging code in mail by setting security levels.
To
block messages from a sender or domain.
You can block messages from a particular
sender or domain.
v The Domain is the name
following the @ symbol in an e-mail
address.
v Domain - A group of networked computers that share information &
resources.
When you block a sender or domain, no
e-mail or news message from that sender or domain will arrive in your Inbox or in the news messages you read.
E-mail from blocked senders goes directly
into your Delete folder while
Newsgroup messages from blocked senders are not displayed.
1.
From your e-mail Inbox or
the list of messages in a newsgroup, select a message from a sender you want to
block.
2.
On the Message menu, click Block
Sender.
The e-mail address
of the sender will appear in the Address
box. You can type a different address or domain in the Address box if you wish.
3.
Select the blocking option
you want: mail, news, or both kinds of messages.
Important. Blocking a sender
applies to standard POP mail only. It does not apply to HTTP mail (Hotmail) or
IMAP messages
Differences between E-mail
and General Post office mail.
1). E-mail is computerized, while Post office mail is manually operated.
2). Post office mail is slow, while E-mail is fast & has a wide area
of coverage.
3). E-mail is more secure.
Advantages
of E-mail.
Electronic mail has several advantages over
regular mail.
(i).
It is cheap &
economical.
It costs almost
nothing to transmit an e-mail message over the network, i.e., there is no need
for stamps, envelopes, etc.
(ii).
It is secure, i.e., access
to a user’s mailbox can be restricted by use of a password.
(iii). It is faster, i.e., mails can be sent instantly.
The delivery of
an e-mail message normally takes seconds or minutes, depending on the distance
to the receiver.
(iv). It is efficient, i.e., a message prepared only once can be sent to
several people.
(v).
It is convenient.
With E-mail, you
can send your messages when it is convenient for you and your recipients
respond at their convenient times.
(vi). E-mail is cheaper in terms of the time invested in preparing the
message.
The expectations
and culture of sending & receiving e-mail are different from that of
sending regular letters. Regular
business letters & inter-office memos are expected to be error-free and
formatted according to certain standards.
In contrast, most e-mail users accept less well-formatted messages and
slight typographical errors are overlooked. So, less time is spent perfecting
the appearance of the message.
(vii). E-mail can act as a substitute for the Telephone calls, thus
allowing the user to avoid telephone tag
(i.e., the process of repeatedly exchanging voice mail messages because you or
the other person may not be available when the other calls).
E-mail can often
communicate enough of a message so that the entire “conversation” will take
less time than a phone call.
E-mail is particularly effective for
multinational organizations, which have people working in different time zones
around the world.
Disadvantages
of E-mail.
(i).
The initial installation
cost is higher.
(ii).
Messages may be lost before
they are read due to virus infections.
(iii). Messages may not be kept for future reference due to the high cost
of storage, i.e., it requires regular deletion of messages from the hard disk.
Exercise.
1. How does one send an e-mail message?
2. What is the advantage of filing e-mail messages when you can leave
them in the Inbox and still have them for future reference?
3. List THREE levels of importance one can set on an e-mail message.
4. Lucille has received an e-mail message that contains an
attachment. Can she use any application
to open the attached file? Explain.
5. What are the advantages of e-mail over the ordinary post office
mail.
6. Give THREE differences between electronic mail and the Post office
mail?
Using the Address Book.
Purpose.
√
The Address Book is a directory of personal details, including e-mail
addresses, for the people to whom you send messages (called Contacts).
It is used to
store/keep track of e-mail addresses, mailing addresses, phone numbers, and other
information about your friends and also provides space for notes.
You can store
such addresses in the Address Book so as to address mails more easily, i.e.,
each time you want to send e-mail messages, you simply select the names from
the list of addresses.
This will save
the time used to enter lists of e-mail addresses as well as help maintain their
accuracy. E.g., an e-mail address like Njiiri.mworia@mit.edu.uk can be
difficult to remember. In addition, one
can easily make a typing error when typing the address.
The Address Book is accessible from Internet Explorer, Outlook Express and NetMeeting,
thus enabling you to keep one list of addresses that are accessible by various
programs.
To
add a contact to the Address Book.
1. To open the Address Book, click the Address Book button.
There can be
several types of address books in the Address Book dialog box including the
Global Address list and Personal Address Book.
2. In the Show names from the
box, select the type of address book you want to use.
The Global Address list is the address book
that contains all e-mail addresses for users, groups, and distribution lists in
your organization that you can address messages to. The Administrator creates and maintains this
address book.
The Personal Address Book is the address
book used to store personal distribution lists you frequently address messages
to, such as a list of your friends.
3. Click the New Entry
button.
4. Specify the entry type of the contact, i.e., whether it is an
Internet address or an entry for a distribution list.
5. Type in the display name for the address as well as the full e-mail
address.
6. Complete the dialog box with the rest of the contact details using
the other tabs, e.g., Business or Phone Numbers, then click OK.
The contact
address is added to the Address Book.
To edit a contact in the Address Book.
1. Open the Address Book.
2. Select the contact that you want to edit.
3. On the File menu, click Properties.
4. Make the necessary changes to the information, then click OK.
To create a contact from a mail message.
When you receive a mail message, you can
add the sender’s details (name and e-mail address) to your Address Book.
1. From the Inbox,
right-click a message.
2. Select Add sender to Address
Book, from the shortcut menu that appears.
To delete a contact from the Address Book.
1. Open the Address Book.
2. Select the address that you want to remove from the Address book.
3. Click the Delete button
(or press the Delete key).
4. Click Yes to confirm that
you want to delete the name or entry.
To create a distribution list.
If you send mails to the same group of
people frequently, you can create a group address list. Group address lists are known as Distribution lists.
When you address a message to that group,
each individual in the group receives it.
Note. You must have a Personal
Address Book set up in order to be able to create a personal distribution list.
1. Open the Address Book.
2. Click the New Entry
button.
3. In the Select the entry type
box, click Personal Distribution List,
and then click OK.
4. In the Name box, type a name for the group, e.g. Sales Dept., then
click the Add/Remove Members button.
5. To add members to the group, select a contact or name from the left
hand list box, then click the Members
button (or double-click on a name) to move the name to the right list box.
The contact is
copied to the Personal Distribution List box.
6. Repeat step 5 until you have all the names you want in your group in
the Personal Distribution List, then click OK.
The group or
distribution list is usually listed in the Address Book.
To send a message using the Address Book or
distribution list.
1.
In the Microsoft Outlook
window, click File then select the New Mail Message.
2.
Click the To… button to open the Address Book.
3.
Select the contact names
from the list or select the distribution list, then click on To ->.
Note. To see the full
e-mail addresses, select the name of the person from the lists and click on Properties button.
4.
Click OK to return to the message composition dialog box.
5.
Type out the rest of the
message and click on Send.
Exercise.
1. What are the advantages of using the Address Book as opposed to
typing e-mail addresses each time you send e-mail?
READING
MAIL MESSAGES OFFLINE.
Once you have opened the E-mail program, it
is not necessary for you to be connected directly so that you can read &
write your e-mail messages. You may
choose to work offline to save on costs.
When you are offline, Outlook Express downloads mail messages to your local computer.
When you connect (or choose to work online) again, messages in your Outbox are
sent, messages you marked for deletion are removed, and all other actions taken
offline are completed at once.
There are 2 situations where it is
beneficial to use Outlook Express offline:
(i).
If your ISP charges you by
the hour or if you have only one phone line.
Under these conditions, you might want to reduce time spent online.
(ii). If you use a Laptop to read your messages while you are traveling or
any other time you are not connected to the Internet.
To
set up Outlook Express to reduce online time.
1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. On the Connection tab,
select Hang up after sending and
receiving.
If you connect to an
IMAP or HTTP server, click the server name in the folder list, and then make
sure that the items you want to view offline are checked.
This procedure can be used to set up
Outlook Express so that it automatically disconnects after you select Send and Receive from the Tools menu.
You can then read and compose messages offline
without incurring charges or tying up a phone line.
Note. To reconnect to
send or receive messages, click the Tools
menu, point to Send and Receive, and
then select the option you want.
To
read messages while you are away from your Internet connection.
1. On the Tools menu, select
Options, then click the General tab.
2. Under the field labeled If my
computer is not connected at this time, select Connect only when not working offline.
If you connect to an IMAP or http server, click the
server name in the folder list, make sure
that the items you want to view offline are checked, and then click Sync Account.
3. On the File menu, click Work Offline.
Note. To check the type
of account you have, click the Tools
menu, and then click Accounts.
Select your e-mail account and then click Properties.
The account type is listed on the Advanced
tab.
Viewing and
posting to Newsgroups.
What are newsgroups?
A Newsgroup
is a collection of messages posted by individuals to a News server (a computer that can host thousands of newsgroups).
Some newsgroups are "owned" by
someone who reviews the postings, can answer questions, delete inappropriate
messages, etc.
Anyone can post messages to a newsgroup.
This is because, Newsgroups do not require any kind of membership or joining
fees.
To use newsgroups in Outlook Express, your Internet Service Provider must offer links to
a news server. After you set up an account for the server you want in Outlook Express, you can read and post
messages in any of the newsgroups stored on that news server.
To switch between mail and news reading.
·
In the Folders list, click Inbox to go to your e-mail, or click a
news server name or specific newsgroup to visit newsgroups.
To find newsgroups of interest.
1. In the Folders list, click a server name, then click the Newsgroups button.
2. In the Display newsgroups
which contain box, type the words you want to search for.
To
subscribe to a newsgroup.
Subscribing ensures that the newsgroup is
included in your Folders list for easy access.
You can subscribe to a newsgroup in any of
the following ways:
(a). When adding a news server, Outlook Express prompts you to subscribe
to newsgroups on that server.
(b). Click a news server name in your Folders list, and then click the Newsgroups button. Select the newsgroup
that you want to subscribe to, and then click the Subscribe button.
Note: When you double-click a name in the Newsgroup list, a subscription
is automatically generated.
(c). When you click a newsgroup, its name appears in your Folders list.
Right-click the name, and then click Subscribe.
Tips. To cancel your
subscription to a newsgroup,
1. Click the Newsgroups
button, click the Subscribed tab,
select the group you want, and then click the Unsubscribe button.
-Or-
Right-click the newsgroup in your Folders list, then click Unsubscribe.
To
view a newsgroup without subscribing to it.
To find out if a specific newsgroup is
right for you, read some of the messages in it.
1. From the Tools menu,
select Newsgroups to open the Newsgroup Subscriptions dialog box.
2. Select the news server you want in the Accounts list. All of the
newsgroups on that server appear on the All
tab.
3. Select the newsgroup you want to view, and then click Go To.
Note. The first time
you view a newsgroup, it may take several minutes to download the messages. The
next time you go to that newsgroup, it downloads faster, because Outlook
Express downloads only new messages.
To
read newsgroup messages.
Go to a newsgroup and look through the
message list for a message you want to read (you may need to scroll).
v
To view the message in the
preview pane, click the message once.
v
To view the message in a
separate window, double-click the message in the message list.
To read and send
international messages.
Outlook Express can usually display
messages in the language in which they were sent. However, some messages,
particularly those from newsgroups, often do not have enough information (or
the information is incorrect) in the header file to display the correct
language.
To change
the language encoding for a message you are reading.
·
In the message window, click
the View menu, point to Encoding, and then click the language
encoding you want to use.
To
set the default encoding for reading messages.
1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
On the Read tab, click Fonts.
2. Select a language at the top, and then click the Set as Default button.
Posting messages to
newsgroups.
There are several ways that you can post
messages, depending on whether you are posting a new message or replying to one
and how widely you want it distributed.
1. In the Folders list, select the newsgroup you want to post a message
to.
2. On the toolbar, click the New
Post button.
Note. To send your message to multiple newsgroups on the same news
server, click the icon next to Newsgroups
in the New Message dialog box. In
the Pick Newsgroups dialog box, hold
down the CTRL key to select multiple
newsgroups, and then click Add.
3. Type the Subject of your
message. Outlook Express cannot post a message that does not contain a subject.
4. Compose your message, and then click the Send button.
To
reply to a newsgroup message.
1. In the message list, click the message you want to reply to.
2. To reply to the author of the message by e-mail, click the Reply button on the toolbar.
To reply to the whole newsgroup, click the Reply Group button on the toolbar.
3. Type your message, and then click Send.
Note. To view
information about a newsgroup message, such as when it was sent, select the
message, click the File menu, and
then click Properties.
To
prevent newsgroup messages from automatically downloading.
On the Tools menu, click Options.
On the Read tab, clear the following check
box: Automatically download messages
when viewing in the Preview Pane.
To view newsgroups efficiently.
View
only unread news messages in a newsgroup.
1. Open the newsgroup, click the View
menu, point to Current View, and
then click Hide Read Messages.
View
the replies to a particular message in a newsgroup.
1. Click the plus sign ( + )
next to the message. The replies to that message appear below it. A message
with its replies is called a "conversation."
To watch a conversation.
In both mail and news, you can watch a
conversation that is of particular interest you. A conversation is an original
message and all its replies.
1. In your Inbox or
newsgroup message list, select the conversation you wish to watch.
2. On the Message menu,
click Watch Conversation.
If your message
list's Watch/Ignore column is turned
on, the watch icon will appear next to all the messages of a watched
conversation.
READING
NEWSGROUP MESSAGES OFFLINE.
Offline
newsreading enables you to read newsgroup messages
without being connected to the Internet, saving connection costs.
To do this,
you must subscribe to the newsgroup whose messages you want to read
offline, mark it to specify whether you want to see headers or whole messages,
and then transfer them to your computer (synchronize). Once this is done, you
can log off from the Internet and then read the messages at your leisure.
Reading message headers only, gives you the
subject, author, and size of the message.
To
set up newsgroups for offline news reading.
For newsgroups you subscribe to, you can
set up Outlook Express to make messages or headers available offline by synchronizing.
This enables you to read them at your leisure when you are not connected to the
Internet.
1. From the Folders list,
select a news server.
2. In the main window, select one or more newsgroups you subscribe to
whose messages you want to read offline. (To select multiple newsgroups, hold
down the CTRL key while you click the newsgroups.)
3. Click the Settings
button, and then click to mark what you want transferred from the server to
your computer during synchronization:
¨
All Messages,
¨
New Messages Only (new to the server
since you last synchronized), or
¨
Headers Only (subject, author, date, and
size of message).
4. Click the Sync Account
button.
Exercise.
1. (a). When can you work offline?
(b). Why should you work
offline?
Methods of Accessing Computer
and Locating Files.
(1). Gopher:
This is a client/server tool that
enables the user to locate almost all textual information stored on Internet
servers through a series of easy-to-use or understand, hierarchical menus that
provide point-and-click interfaces.
The Internet has thousands of Gopher
server sites throughout the world. Each
gopher site contains its own system of menus listing related topics, local
files, and other relevant gopher sites.
To search for a specific topic or
select a related item from a menu, activate the gopher software. The server will automatically transfer you to
the appropriate file on that server or the selected server wherever it is
located in the world. Once on the
distant server, you are presented with more menus of files and Internet
addresses of other gopher site servers that might interest you. You can then move from site to site locating
information that you want anywhere in the world. After finding the information or files you
want, you are free to browse, read them online, or download them onto your own
computer for searching for text that appears in gopher menus.
(2). Archie:
This is a tool for locating data on the
Internet that performs keyword searches of an actual database of documents,
software, and data files available for downloading from servers around the
world.
An individual Archie database can list
only a small percentage of the files in the world. However, clicking on the relevant listing
from one Archie server will bring you to another computer system where relevant
files are stored. While on the other
computer, the Archie server may provide other relevant references, allowing you
to continue your search for related files, moving from database to database,
library to library, until you locate what you need.
Archie database searching uses the
subject keywords entered such as “telecommuting” or “inflation” to display a
list of sites that contain files on that topic.
Once you find the files you want, you may use a file transfer program to
download them.
(3). WAIS (Wide Area
Information Servers):
This is a tool for locating data on the
Internet that require the name of the databases to be searched based on
keywords.
Once you specify specific database
names and key identifying words, WAIS searches for the keywords in all the
files in those databases. When the
search is completed, you are given a menu listing all the files that contain
your keywords.
(4). The Word Video Web:
The Web is another information
retrieval tool similar to gophers, Archie, and WAIS. It is widely used for commercial purposes on
the Net due to the fact that, it is attractive, easy to use, and helpful in
publishing or providing information to anyone interested.
(5). Home Page:
Anyone willing to offer information
through the Web must first establish a Home
Page (a WWW text & graphical display that welcomes the user and
explains the organization that has established the page). The Home page will lead the user to other
pages.
All the pages of an organization are
known as a Website.
Home pages combine text, hypermedia,
graphics and sound, unlike the other methods of locating information on the
Net, which are text-based. This means
that, home pages can handle all types of communication, while making it easy to
link resources that are far apart.
Graphics allow organizations to communicate more effectively, making their
own material more appealing to the eye, more informative, and easy to
understand.
Hypermedia provides a point-and-click connection to related information within
the same document, between documents on the same computer, or to documents
located on another computer anywhere in the world (as long as the computer is
connected to the Net, and the hypermedia connection has been programmed in).
Sound
allows some of the Web displays to talk or play
music.
Note. The specific hypermedia
technology used in the Web is known as Hyperlinks.
Within any web document, there are
certain words or graphics that are highlighted (usually appear bold, in a
different colour, underlined, or a combination of these). The highlighted objects have hyperlinks
embedded within them that contain the path to another location within the same
document, a document on the same computer, or a document on another computer.
Hyperlinks allow the user to move with
ease within complex documents or across the network. If the reader of the document wants more
information on the highlighted word, he/she double-clicks the word, and quickly
that other information will be displayed, even if it is stored in another part
of the world.
Advantages
of Hyperlinks.
(i).
It is easy to use.
(ii). The user is free to jump from place to place following his/her own
logic and interest, and does not have to move according to a static,
pre-programmed, linear sequence.
The user moves around almost as easily
as a book reader might follow keywords and jump around an encyclopedia.
To navigate the
Web requires a graphics Computer to link to the Internet. The user must also have a special software
tool to navigate the Web known as Web
Browser.
BENEFITS FROM THE USE OF THE INTERNET.
1). Reduces the Cost of Communication.
Before the Internet, organizations had
to build their own Wide Area Networks
or subscribe to Value-Added Network
(VAN) service.
Many organizations find the Internet
more cost-effective than building their own networks or paying VAN subscription
fees. Organizations use the Internet to
fulfill a wide range of communication needs.
This lowers other communication costs, including their network
management expenses, telephone and Fax costs.
Reduced communication costs are
beneficial particularly to small businesses because it sometimes enables them
to compete with larger companies in the markets that would otherwise be closed
to them.
2). Enhances Communication
& Co-ordination.
Global companies use the Internet as an
important instrument for coordinating their activities. Such companies have set up internal Web sites
to keep employees informed about company developments. Through the Web, employees are able to see a
company Calendar, the employee Policy manual, product Brochures, interactive
Training tools, and even stock quotes.
The Internet has made it easier and
less expensive for companies to co-ordinate small staffs when opening new
markets or working in isolated places, because they do not have to build their
own networks.
3). Accelerates the
Distribution of Knowledge.
To speed product development and also
to react to an emerging problem, information gathering must be quick and
easy.
The Internet is very useful in the
modern society, which is increasingly dependent on knowledge. Organizations are using E-mail and the
availability of databases all over the world to gain access to information in
such areas as Business, Science, Law, and Government. The Internet can quickly link a computer user
sitting at a computer screen to mountains of data (including Graphics) all over
the world, which would otherwise be too expensive and too difficult to get.
4). Improves Customer service
and satisfaction.
Organizations can also use the Internet
to communicate efficiently to make product information, ordering and technical
support easier and immediately available.
A company can establish a Website on
the Internet in order to distribute useful product information to its customers
and product users. It can also use the
Internet to give engineering support to its customers without the involvement
of engineering staff.
5). Facilitates Sales and
Marketing.
The Internet provides opportunities for
firms to market and sell their products in a way that does not offend others. This is because, the Internet is a passive
instrument, i.e., it requires potential customers to seek out offerings by
companies rather than having those companies actively reach out to potential
customers, as is the case in most marketing and advertising.
Retailers update their Web page
offerings frequently as required.
Suppliers can also update technical materials used by customers
easily. Therefore, the Internet assist
buyers and sellers make contacts.
Firms use their Websites to distribute
more marketing information. A firm can
include its Web address in product advertisements and design their site for
visitors to browse information on pricing, press releases on new products,
technical manuals and sales brochures.
PROBLEMS FACING THE INTERNET.
1). Lack of Security.
Lack of security is one of the reasons
why the Internet, while being widely used to facilitate transactions, is still
in limited use to carry out transactions.
When large amounts of data are stored
in electronic form, they are exposed to more kinds of threats/dangers than when
they exist in manual form.
Through data communication networks,
information systems in different locations on the Internet are
interconnected. The potential for
unauthorized access, abuse or fraud is not limited to a single location but can
occur at any access point in the Internet.
Internet Hackers have found ways of
stealing passwords as they pass through one site and use them to break into
computer system at other sites all over the world.
The hackers can get access to company’s
strategic business plans, profit reports, product development information,
pricing data, marketing plans, sales contracts, and scientific research
data. Such information is too sensitive
and companies are unwilling to have it accessed by unauthorized people.
2). Technology Problems.
(a). The Internet lacks standards for accessing the net and sending
e-mails. A no. of incompatible ways for
accessing the net exist, allowing specific users to perform certain functions
but not others.
(b). The lack of standards also affects the ability of organizations to
establish a stable link to the Internet.
As the traffic on the Internet becomes more complex, it can bring
problems if it does not have good technical support.
(c). Many people and organizations are sending so much data through the
Net, much of it in graphics form, such that telecommunication links are already
overloaded. Frequent users are unable to
access the net, while those who use the graphics-based Web regularly find
connecting to the intended Server very slow or even almost impossible during
busy times.
(d). Moreover, the growing need for bandwidth due to graphics will only
expand as the transmission of sound and full-motion video expands. All this is raising the cost of using the
Net. Some firms are already discovering
that they need more expensive telecommunications connections, Workstations or
higher speed computers with improved graphics capability, and even Information
system specialists with skills related specifically to the Internet.
(e). Individuals and organizations in less developed countries with poor
Telephone lines, limited hardware and software capacity or Government controls
on communication will not be able to take full advantage of Internet resources.
(f). Due to the fact that there is no a comprehensive method of locating
and keeping track of pages in the World Wide Web (www), Internet users often
spend a lot of time in futile (unsuccessful) searches, despite the many new
tools and planned indexes to the Web.
There is no good technology enough to filter/sort out irrelevant
information while allowing people to access the specific information they need.
3). Legal Issues.
Until a greater clarity on several
legal issues is obtained, doing business on the Internet will become
unreliable.
Laws governing E-commerce are mostly
non-existing or are just being written.
There are several open questions that
still exist such as, the legality of E-mail contracts, the role of electronic
signatures, and the application of copyright laws to electronically copied
documents.
4). Anti-Commercial culture.
Initially, the Internet was a
scientific and academic tool. As it
grew, a strong anti-commercial culture grew with it.
Internet users have shown themselves
unwilling to accept the Internet mail.
Many commercial users also fear that allowing commercial organizations
to add very many unasked for marketing messages will make the Internet E-mail
difficult to manage.
Thus, while businesses remain free to
use the Internet for E-mail, research, and other forms of information exchange,
they will have to learn new ways to do their marketing on the Internet; ways
that do not offend the other users.
Exercise I.
1. State the various methods of accessing computer and locating files.
2. Describe the main benefits from the use of the Internet.
3. Give a brief view of the main problems of the Internet.
Exercise II.
1. Briefly describe four advantages of using Internet to disseminate
information compared to other conventional methods. (8
marks).
2. One of the problems of using Internet for business is
insecurity. What are some of the other
problems and what controls should be put in place in order to solve the
problems?. (4 marks).
3. 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.
Required:
(a).
State why a Modem is
required to connect him to the Internet. (2
marks).
(b).
Suggest any four
application areas in which you would expect a Supermarket retail manager to use
the Internet. (4
marks).
4.
