Introduction to the Internet
What is the Internet?
It is a global network of computers that are interconnected over telephone lines, cable networks and other communication methods. The World Wide Web and email are an aspect of the Internet. The Internet began as a project of the U.S. Department of Defense in the late 1960's. It was intended to link scientists working on defense and research projects around the country. During the 1980's, the National Science Foundation took over responsibility for the project and expanded the network to include the major universities and research sites in the United States. Links were then established to networks in other countries.
For more information on the history of the Internet, visit: Internet 101: About the Internet
To connect to the Internet from home you need an Internet Service
Provider (ISP).
For a list of ISPs, visit: Find an ISP or contact your local telephone or cable provider to see if they offer this service.
What is a browser?
A browser is a software program installed on your computer that allows you to view the information coming over your phone line, cable connection or other communication method from the Internet. Like your television interprets a signal to allow you to view progams coming in via your antenna or cable connection, a browser interprets the computer language used to create a website and turns it into a page like the one you are reading right now. Netscape and Internet Explorer are the two most popular browsers today.
Internet Addresses -- Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is the string of characters and numbers that make up the "address" or location of an Internet site. Often referred to as a "World Wide Web" address, the URL tells your browser where to find a particular page on the Internet.
Each URL is unique, just like a phone number. If you mis-dial a phone number you will reach the wrong person or get a not in service message. If you mis-type one character or leave something out, you will get the wrong site or an error message.
Much like a mailing address, a URL has several different parts, usually separated by periods, which are always referred to as dots (.) and forward slashes (/) with no spaces between them. Each part of the address is an instruction which helps your web browser find the page you are seeking. The two main parts are the protocol and the domain. Additionally a URL may contain a directory and document
A Protocol defines the format in which the data is
stored and retrieved. The most common protocol found on the Internet today is
hypertext transfer protocol (http). This protocol is used for websites. Other
protocols are used for transfering files, email, newgroups, etc.
A Domain is the computer or server on which the website is
located.
A Directory is the folder or part of the server in
which a particular set of files are located
A Document is a
specific file or page in the directory.
Here is an example of a URL with only a protocol and a domain:
http://www.noblenet.org/
This URL would take you to the
homepage of the NOBLE website.
Here is an example of a URL with a protocol, domain and
directory:
http://www.noblenet.org/beverly
This URL would take
you to the homepage of the Beverly Public Library. As a member of NOBLE, we are
allowed to store our website on their servers and we are given a special
directory or folder in which to store our files.
Here is an example of a URL with a protocol, domain, directory and
document:
http://www.noblenet.org/beverly/internet.html
This URL
would take you to a specific document located in the directory or folder in
which all the documents for the Beverly Public Library website are located.
.com = commercial or business site
.edu = educational institution
.org = non-profit organization
.mil = United States military agency
.gov = United States government agency
.net = internet provider or online network
To visit a site on the Internet, type the URL of the site into the Location bar located under the toolbar.
URLs must be entered exactly as they are displayed. You can often guess a URL, especially if it is a commercial site. Often companies use their own name followed by .com such as http://www.ford.com. This URL will take you to the Ford Motor Company's website. However, sometimes URLs are hijacked by people hoping to sell them to the companies whose names they represent or by sites trying to steal customers. Be careful when guessing. You might be unpleasantly surprised by what you see on your computer screen.
Hyperlinks
A hyperlink is a connection or link from one place on a web page to another location on the Internet. It may connect to another page within the same website or it may be a link to an entirely different site altogether. Hyperlinks, or links for short, are usually displayed as underlined or highlighted text or in some cases a graphic may be the link. In many browsers, including Netscape and Internet Explorer, the mouse will turn into a hand icon when placed over a hyperlink and display the URL for the link at the bottom of the browser window.
More Information
There are a variety of resources for new Internet users on the web. Please visit some of these sites for more information:
- What is the Internet, the World Wide Web, and Netscape - from the University of California at Berkeley
- A basic guide to the Internet - from the University at Albany Libraries
Search Engines and Web Directories
Search EnginesSearch engines are websites where you enter your keywords, click the search button and the engine looks through large portions of the Internet and provides you with a list of results which contain your keywords. One of the best examples is Google.
Meta-Search EnginesMeta-Search Engines are websites where you can enter a single search and get results from multiple search engines instead of searching each one individually. Examples include Dogpile , 37.com and Internet Sleuth .
Web DirectoriesWeb Directories are websites that attempt to classify large portions of the Internet into useful subject divisions. Some Web Directories also have keyword search capabilities and act like a standard search engine. Some examples are Yahoo and AltaVista .
More InformationFor more information about search engines visit
Search Engine Watch.
We've
also compiled a list of Search Engines and Web
Directories to get you started.