how does the internet work? many people wonder. the internet's growth has become explosive in...
TRANSCRIPT
How The Internet WorksBy Nadia Matine
Introduction
How does the Internet work? Many people wonder. The
Internet's growth has become explosive in people’s lives.
Because the Internet has become such a large part of our lives, only a good understanding is needed
to use this new tool most effectively.
The first year of the Internet
On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the world’s first
manmade satellite into orbit. The satellite, known as Sputnik, did
not do much.
What The Internet Is Used For
As well as the World Wide Web, the Internet is used for email, file
sharing, online chat, phone and video calls, online gaining and web browsing. Over the last 10 years,
internet use has gotten very popular. It is now used for things such as paying bills online, online
shopping, advertising, travel information, more games, social
networking, Etc.
Why is the Internet so important?
The Internet is so important to modern day life because it provides information and news that we need to know
about. It has information about everything that is known to man, and can serve various purposes
based on one's requirement.
How the Internet and World Wide Web are used
The Internet is a massive network of networks. It connects millions of computers together globally,
forming a network in which any computer can communicate with any other computer as long as they are both connected to the Internet. Information that
travels over the Internet does so via a variety of languages known as protocols. A protocol is a system of
rules that define how something is to be doneThe World Wide Web, or Web, is a way of
accessing information over the medium of the Internet. It is an information-sharing model that is built on top of the Internet. The Web uses the HTTP protocol, only one of the languages spoken over the Internet, to transmit data. The Web also utilizes browsers, such as Internet Explorer or Firefox, to access Web documents called webpages that are linked to each other through hyperlinks. The web documents also contain graphics, sounds, text and video.
The first Web Page
In 1991 the first Web Page was created.
Internet Addresses
Although the World Wide Web is also known at the Internet, they are not the same. The internet is a network that
links computers together all over the world using a huge range of wires and wireless technologies. Knowing that the internet is a global network of computers each computer
must be connected to a unique address. This unique address is also known as a IP address. Website addresses such as
www.google.com is known as a URL (Uniform Resource Locater).
HTML
Vannevar Bush first proposed the basics of hypertext in 1945. HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language, it is the authoring language used to create documents on the
World Wide Web. HTML is mainly used for defining the structure and layout of a web page, how it looks and any of the special functions needed. HTML does this by using tags
that have attributes. An example of this would be <p>, meaning a paragraph break.
Ex:
<body></body><a href="www.about.com"></a>
<title></title>
HTTP
HTTP meaning, HyperText Transfer Protocol for short, is used by the World Wide Web. HTTP defines how messages are formatted and
transmitted.
JavaScript
Java script is a scripting language that was developed by Netscape. It can interact with HTML source code.
Enabling web authors to spice up their sites.
URL
Known as Uniform resource locators, are the web browsers of Internet pages. A URL works with IP addresses to help us name, bookmark, locate pages and files for our
browsers. URL’s usually use three parts to address a page or a file.
Electronic mail. The sending and retrieving of typewritten mail from one screen to another. Email usually goes
through webmail such as Yahoo! Gmail or Aol.
Browsers
Short for web browser, a software application used to locate, retrieve and also display content on the World Wide Web. This includes,
web pages, pictures, videos and files.
EX: Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari.
Cookies- Web cookies
Web cookies are messages given to a web browser to a web server. The
browser then stores the message in a text file. Then the message is sent back to the server every time the browser requests a page from the
server.
Blogs & Blogging
A blog or web log is a modern online writer’s column. Amateur and professional writers publish blogs on any kind of topic they
want.
Some blogging sites:
www.blogspot.comwww.blog.com
www.blogger.comwww.livejournal.com
www.tumblr.comwww.wordpress.com
Protocols
The many different layers of the Internet.
Downloading
Downloading is a term that is used to describe when you or
someone else makes a personal copy of what you found on the Internet or
World Wide Web. Downloading is legal as long as you are careful not to
download pirated music or movies.
Router- (Network router)
Hardware device that acts as the traffic cop for network signals into your home. A
router and be wired or wireless or both. Your router provides protection against hackers. If
your router is set up correctly your Internet will be at a fast speed, and hackers will be locked out. If your router is not set up correctly your Internet will be lagging and you will be at a
somewhat high risk of hackers.
Bookmark
A bookmark or favorite is a marker that you place on a web page or file. You would normally bookmark
something because:
You want to return to the page or file later You want to recommend the page or file to someone
else
Bookmarks/Favorites can be made using your right mouse click menu, or the menus/toolbars at the
top of your web browser. Bookmarks/Favorites can also be made on your Mac or Windows computer files.
Add-ons
Add-ons are custom software modifications. Users usually decide if that want to add add-ons or not to improve the power of their web browsers. An
example of a add-on would be a custom eBay toolbar for your Firefox browser.
Plugins
Plugins are a special kind of web browser add-on. They are used to view highly specialized
web pages such as, Shockwave player, Adobe Flash, Adobe Acrobat, ETC.
Spamming & Filtering
Spam has two meanings such as:
1. Spam can mean 'the rapid reptition of a keyboard command'. But more commonly,
2. Spam is the jargon name of 'unwanted/unsolicited email'. Spam email is usually comprised of two sub-categories: high-volume advertising, and hackers attempting to lure you into divulging
your passwords.
Filtering is the popular but imperfect defense against spam. Filtering uses software that reads your incoming email for keyword
combinations, and then either deletes or quarantines messages that appear to be spam. Look for a 'spam' or 'junk' folder in your mailbox to
see your list of filtered email.
Firewall
Firewall is a generic term to describe a barrier against destruction. It comes from the building term
of a protective wall to prevent the spreading of house fires or engine compartment fires. In the case of
computing, 'firewall' means to have software and/or hardware protecting you from hackers and viruses.
Hackers
Individuals who gain unauthorized access to computer systems for the purpose of stealing and corrupting data.
Search Engines
A program for the retrieval of data, files, or documents from a database or network especially the Internet.
Ex:www.google.com
www.ask.comwww.bing.com
www.answers.comwww.eHow.com
Domain names
.edu (Educational Institution)- Students or faculty members can also publish personal pages on these web sites.
.com (Commercial Entity)- This is the most common type of site for companies and is often used to advertise and sell products..org (Organization)- This designation is used for any type of
organization, including nonprofit organizations. .net (Network Provider, etc.)- Net can now be used by anyone --
companies, organizations, and individuals. It is often used by businesses when the desired name under ".com" is already
registered by another organization. .gov (Government)- Originally only for the federal
government, .gov is now used for any level of government. These sites are used to publish tax forms, census information, legislation,
and other government news or information.
Fun facts about the Internet› The first message ever relayed over
the internet was “LOG” which was actually supposed to have been “LOGIN” but there was a huge crash and this difficult task couldn’t be completed for the time being. This was back in the 1960’s at the famous research university known as MIT.
› Over 75% of all email messages are considered total spam. It’s estimated that only about 6% of these annoying messages are actually opened. Hopefully it’s not a virus!
› Each day, about 20 million people “tweet”. Internet experts speculate that over half of all tweets are based on controversial subjects.
› High school students spend an average of six times as many hours on the internet than they do on homework. Most high schoolers are online for about 30 hours per week.
Sources http://
www.oit.edu/libraries/help/internetguides/understanding-the-parts-of-an-internet-address
http://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi
http://internet-browser-review.toptenreviews.com/important-events-in-the-history-of-the-world-wide-web.html
http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/internet-history_b34362
http://dev.opera.com/articles/view/2-the-history-of-the-internet-and-the-w/
http://hahanice.com/18-surprising-funny-facts-about-the-internet/
http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/internet101/u/inetbasics.htm