Internet Guide for New Users |
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HELP! I'M GOING AROUND IN CIRCLES! How do I get started? You are probably saying to yourself, "I'm here now, but I don't know what to do next." When I first started using the Internet, I was afraid that I would never be able to learn everything. I was overwhelmed by all of the "computer speak". The vastness of the information amazed me. But with patience, trial and error, and the Help File, I persevered. So, I decided that people need a simplified way to learn how the Internet works. Think of using the Internet like using a huge library. Once you learn how to use the card catalogue or online computer, then you can find your book. A card catalogue system uses subject, author, and title cards. A library uses a system to organize books. The Internet uses a similar method of organization. Once you know the system, you'll be "surfing" in no time. |
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| What is browsing? A browser connects you to the world wide web. It will be Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Explorer. Because you are using Netscape in this course, this tutorial will show you how to use Netscape. Browsing is simply getting connected to the web and looking around. |
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How do I open a new page? |
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This is the location window. It contains the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) or address of the website you are seeking. You can type in the address in the window. If you use a search engine, the address will appear in the window. A URL will begin with http://, followed by the rest of the address. Not all websites contain www. |
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What are the parts of the navigator window? |
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| The navigator window contains
many parts. Let's take a look at them. Menu Bar
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Title Bar
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Navigator Bar
Back: Push this button to return to the previous page. Forward: Push this button to go to the next page. Reload: Push this button to refresh or reload your page. Home: Push this button to go to your home page. In this course, your home page will be the MUSC Library home page. You may change your home page on your own computer. Search: Push this button to go to some of the search engines, which are preset by Netscape for you. Netscape: Push this button to go to the main page for Netscape. This page will lead you to many useful websites and provide information for you. Print: You may push this button to print or click on file to print. Security: This button provides security information about a website. Stop: Push this button to stop a website from loading.
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Location Bar
This includes the Location field, where you type the web address of a page you want to see, and the What's Related button. PC users will also see the bookmarks menu here, rather than as part of the menu bar. |
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Personal Toolbar
This is a place for accessing and filing the bookmarks you want to use most often. |
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Status Bar
When a page is loading, download information, such as how much data has been received, appears in the status bar. The status bar also contains a security icon, which you can click to get security information about a page. An icon is a small image. |
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Component Toolbar Navigator connects you with Email. The Inbox (green arrow is lit) tells you if you have Email. If you would like to subscribe to a newsgroup, the information will be found here. A newsgroup is a way for you to talk to other people about a particular topic. There are many excellent teacher forums. The address book allows you to store other people's Email addresses. The Composer allows you to send an Email message. |
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History List The history list tells you the recent websites that you have visited. By using the history list, you can easily return to a previous page.
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What is a link? |
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| Every web page has links. A link takes you to another page or website. Look for a word that is a different colour from the text. When you click on this word, you will go somewhere else. To return, use your back button at the top of the page. After you click on a link, it will change to another colour. This way, in the future, you will know you have been to this place before. | |||
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How do I save files or images? |
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You can click on file at the top of the page. Always click on save as... for a new file. Choose the directory and folder. When you save from the Internet, make sure you make this as a txt. file, unless you want an html file. You can also save an image (picture or graphic) in the same way. |
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| With your mouse, you can click on the right button (right click) to save a file or an image. This is much easier than clicking on file. It takes time to get used to doing this. | |||
What is a bookmark? |
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 If you find websites that you like,
you can bookmark them. This is just like marking a favourite page in a book.
Click on add bookmark. You can edit your bookmarks. You can work on your
bookmarks offline. You can also put photos behind each file. This is really
fun. The bookmark feature will save you a lot of time. |
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What is a search engine? |
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 A search engine is a device that
allows you find information on the web in a fast manner. It helps you locate
specific information. You can search by pushing the search button. This will bring
up some search engines. As a research historian, I used to spend time going to
personally look at records in libraries and other places. Sometimes, I had to travel
to other cities. Now, I can use the search engines to locate this information
faster, cheaper, and from home. Eventually, after you have used the Internet for awhile,
you will discover all of the advantages. Watch out! Using the Internet is
addicting! You may have to join Webaholics Anonymous.You can search by categories. Go to http://www.yahoo.com/ for an example. You can search by being specific. Type in a specific name or title. You can search by concept or keyword. Go to http://www.lycos.com/ to try using concept and keywords within a search. You can use Boolean language. This uses words like and or and not. You can type in "Jefferson and not Thomas" for example. This is a feature to limit your searches.
ALWAYS put your words in quotes. Otherwise, you will bring up too much information. I have included a link to search engines with a description of each one.
Which search engines are best? I prefer YAHOO because it is divided into categories. Yahoo is not a true search engine, but it is my favourite. ALTA VISTA is best for very specific information.
My favourites are: DOGPILE, PROFUSION, BEAUCOUP, and ASK JEEVES. Simply go to Yahoo and type in one of these words. Click on search to go to these places.
What is a hit? A hit is a place where you may find information. Hits are usually grouped in tens. After thirty hits, the information becomes far removed from your original topic. How do search engines rank material? The first answer is the best match and so on to the end of the list. Some search engines will give you a percentage from 100% to the end. REMEMBER: JUST BECAUSE THE INFORMATION IS ON THE INTERNET DOES NOT MAKE IT TRUE. Use reliable sources until you know your way around the net. |
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NetWatch |
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NetWatch allows you to choose
safe Internet sites for children. Also, look for the kidsafe sign at each website. |
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HAVE FUN! HAPPY SURFING!
YOU'RE IN CHARGE NOW!
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Web Design by:
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| Some material and graphics were "stolen" from Netscape. Thanks Netscape! All other graphics come from Microsoft Publisher 98. | |||
LINKS |
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Links to Useful Sites for Teachers - http://unr.edu/homepage/sb204/edulinks.htmlThere are great websites here. One of my favourites is Kathy Schrock's Guide. |
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Hasslefree Online Activities - http://www.hasslefree.co.nz/links.htmThis is an Australian/New Zealand site. There are some great links for science teachers. Plus there is helpful information for new users of the Internet. |
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Basic Search Tips - Beatrice's Web Guide - http://www.bguide.com/1997/may/970530.techtip.htmlThere is great advice here. This is an interesting place, especially for women. |
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Newbie-u - http://www.newbie-u.com/web/welcome2.htmlThis is for new users. |
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The Teacher's Lounge - http://edu-ss10.educ.queensu.ca/~hudsonp/index.htmlI love this site. It takes you on a trip using the Internet. I wish I'd thought of this idea! Also, there is some other useful teacher stuff. |
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Glossary |
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A B
Bookmark
A way for web browser users to mark a web page they want
to return to later, in the same way you would put a
bookmark in a book. Choose Bookmarks from the
Communicator menu in your browser to add or go to
bookmarked pages.
C
Cache
To store on a computer user's hard disk a local copy of
a web page accessed via the Internet. The web browser
compares the cached copy of the page to the original,
and if there have been no changes, the browser and
server programs will use the cached copy rather than
reloading the page onto the client, saving processing
and download time. Also refers to a web site's database
generating static copies of frequently requested dynamic
pages, reducing processing time.
Channel
A section of the Netscape Netcenter site. Each channel
focuses on a particular topic, such as travel,
entertainment, or shopping.
Chat
A feature of Netscape Conference that lets you converse
with other computer users by typing messages in
real-time online sessions.
Classifieds
A service of the Netscape Netcenter site that lists ads
for new and used goods as well as personal ads for those
seeking relationships.
Client
Computer hardware or software used by an end user on a
computer network or the Internet to query a remote
server. A web browser is an example of client software.
Also refers to a local computer.
Client-Server
A computing network in which the functions are divided
between clients (or personal computers or terminals),
and servers that store, process, and transmit the
information. A standard language is used to define
client-server interaction.
Cookie
A unique string of letters and numbers that a web server
stores in a file on a user's hard drive. Web developers
use cookies to store information on a visitor's personal
computer. For example, cookies can keep track of
purchases a visitor wants to make while shopping through
a web catalog. Cookies may work through a single visit
to a web site or may be set to work through multiple
sessions when a visitor returns to a site that includes
customized information, such as My Netscape.
D
Digital Certificates
The digital equivalent of positive identification, such
as a driver's license. Issued by various certificate
authorities, digital certificates are used to prove that
a web site, or a visitor to a web site, is the entity or
person they claim to be.
Digital Signatures
Digital signatures work just like paper-and-ink
signatures, allowing document recipients to confirm the
source of a document. Digital signatures are generated
by digital certificates.
Discussion Groups
A place to meet online and discuss topics with people
who share common interests. Discussion Groups is
Netscape Netcenter's discussion group, where members can
read interviews with top business leaders and discuss
today's hot topics.
Download
To retrieve a copy of a file from another computer using
a modem or computer network.
E
Email
Electronic mail that is sent either over a company's
computer network or over the Internet. See also WebMail.
Encryption
A method of encoding messages to provide privacy for
email, discussion group postings, and other
communications as they move over intranets or the
Internet. Some methods of encrypting, such as 128-bit
encryption, are so difficult to break that U.S. export
laws permit them to be used only within the United
States. Netscape Communicator provides the option of
securing U.S. documents using 128-bit encryption.
Extranet
A specialized virtual community created by linking
business groups via the World Wide Web. Similar to an
intranet, an extranet includes outside vendors and uses
web technology to facilitate interbusiness transactions,
such as placing and checking orders, tracking
merchandise, and making payments.
F
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
A standard that allows users to transfer files from one
computer to another using a modem and telephone lines or
a computer network. Netscape Navigator and Communicator
can both be used to access FTP sites.
Firewall
Computer hardware and/or software that limits access to
a computer over a network or from an outside source.
Used to prevent computer hackers from getting into a
company's computer systems.
H
Home Page
The page a web browser is set to display every time the
browser is opened.
HTML Editor
A software program that makes creating a web page nearly
as easy as typing a memo using a word processor. Instead
of learning HTML commands, users can format web pages
using menus and buttons. The HTML editing tools in
Netscape Composer support bullets, tables, paragraph
alignment, font size, font color, indenting, and other
common formatting features. Many HTML editor packages,
including Netscape Composer, display the page being
edited in the same way it will be displayed on the web -
a feature called WYSIWIG, or what you see is what you
get.
HTTP Publishing
The standard for publishing documents on web servers,
whether on an intranet or the Internet. Netscape
Composer's One-Button Publish feature supports HTTP
publishing and allows users to publish their documents
to any web server with a single mouse click.
Hyperlink
A connection found in web pages and other electronic
documents that, when clicked with a mouse, automatically
opens a file or web page in your web browser. A
hyperlink may be a word, icon, or graphic. When a
hyperlink is text, it typically displays in a different
color and may also be underlined. A text hyperlink that
the user has already visited is usually displayed in a
third color.
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
A language used to create web pages and other documents
that can contain text, graphics, and connections called
hyperlinks.
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
The set of standards that allows computer users to
access the World Wide Web. HTTP:// is the command that
tells the browser that the document found at this
address is HTTP-compatible, and to display it in HTTP
format.
I
Instant Messenger
A service from Netscape and America Online that lets
users exchange messages over the Internet in a flash.
Internet
The "information superhighway" that is made possible by
standard transmission control protocols/Internet
protocols (TCP/IP). Originally developed for the U.S.
military in 1969, it grew to include educational and
research institutions. With the advent of browsers like
Netscape Navigator, the arcane commands formerly used to
access the Internet became unnecessary. The Internet
includes access to email, the World Wide Web, and Usenet
newsgroups.
Internet Service Provider (ISP)
A company or organization that lets users connect to the
Internet by dialing into its computers using a modem.
ISPs typically charge a fee and in return provide the
dial-up telephone number, an email address, and some
technical assistance (usually via email), but no online
content. See also online service.
Intranet
A computer network that functions like the Internet,
using web browser software to access and process the
information that employees need, but the information and
web pages are located on computers within a company.
J
Java
A computer language developed by Sun Microsystems that
can be read by many different computer platforms without
the need for programmers to laboriously create a version
of the program for each platform. Java programs, also
called applets, are automatically downloaded and
executed on the client side by the web browser.
M
Member Directory
A Netscape Netcenter service that lets members connect
with other professionals in their industry and make
business contacts.
Modem
A modulator demodulator, or device that allows a
computer to receive and transmit data over standard
telephone lines. A modem takes digital data and converts
it to analog data, and the modem at the other end takes
the analog data and converts it back to digital. Most
computers use modems to connect to the Internet and the
World Wide Web.
My Netscape
A Netscape Netcenter service that lets users customize a
web page to display the news, stock prices, and local
weather of their choice.
O
Online Service
A company that allows computer users to connect to the
Internet by dialing into its computers using a modem.
Similar to ISPs, these services also offer features and
online content available only to members.
P
Page Footer
At the bottom of every Netscape Netcenter page, a list
of links that let you jump instantly to our Help page
and site map or any of our content channels.
Platform
A computer operating system such as Unix, Windows, or
Macintosh.
Plug-ins
Small applications that add new functionality,
multimedia, or audio-video capability to a program. For
example, an audio plug-in lets Netscape Navigator users
listen to audio files on a web page or in an email
message.
Push
A software program that retrieves information from web
sites and deposits a copy on the user's computer to view
offline. This is in contrast to traditional pull
technology, where the user must manually seek and find
information on the World Wide Web.
R
Real Time
At the same time, simultaneously. An event where two or
more people communicate simultaneously, similar to the
way people speak on a telephone at the same time. This
is in contrast to time-shifting, where one person leaves
a message and the other person responds later. Examples
of real-time Internet communication include chat,
Internet phone calls, and live broadcasts of concerts or
news events.
S
Search
A button on the Netscape Navigator toolbar that provides
single-click access to the web's leading search engines.
Search Engine
A web-based program that allows users to search and
retrieve specific information from the World Wide Web.
The search engine may search the full text of web
documents or a list of keywords, or use librarians who
review web documents and index them manually for
retrieval. Typically, the user types a word or phrase,
also called a query, into a search box.
Server
A computer that is attached to the Internet, which
automatically stores, processes, and transmits data and
delivers it to a client. A standard language is used to
define this client-server interaction.
Shareware
Copyrighted software that is distributed over the
Internet or from one satisfied user to another user. No
fee is charged for trying the program, but the user is
expected to pay a donation to the owner and tell others
about the program if he or she continues to use it.
Software that is distributed for free, such as Netscape
Communicator, is called freeware.
SmartUpdate
A program that automatically downloads and installs
Netscape Communicator and its plug-ins. SmartUpdate
eliminates the need for configuration, making it simple
to add new features to Communicator.
Spell Checking
Spell checking is integrated throughout Netscape
Communicator components. Users can check spelling in
email messages, web documents, and discussion group
postings.
U
Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
Pronounced as either "U-R-L" or "Earl." The standardized
addressing or naming system used for locating web sites
and other resources over the Internet. Also known as an
Internet address or web address.
User Interface
The part of a computer program that the user sees
displayed on the screen. Also used to describe how
people interact with what they see on the computer
screen. A good user interface makes it easy for users to
do what they want to do. See also graphical user
interface.
Utility Bar
Links at the top of each Netcenter page that make it
easy to search the Internet, check email, go to your
personalized home page, or look up an email address.
W
Web Browser
A software application used to make navigating the
Internet easy for the user by providing a graphical user
interface (or GUI) so the user can click menus, icons,
or buttons rather than learning difficult computer
commands. Also called a web client because the browser
application resides on the client, or the computer of
the individual using it, rather than residing on a web
server.
Web Directory
A Netscape Netcenter service that helps users find what
they are looking for on the web by their topic of
interest, then scanning the subtopics for a list of
recommended web sites and brief site reviews.
Web Page
A single document on the World Wide Web that is
specified by a unique address or URL and that may
contain text, hyperlinks, and graphics.
Web Server
Computer hardware where web pages are stored and
accessed by others using web client software, or the
computer software that allows the user to access the web
pages. See also server.
Web Site
A group of similar web pages linked by hyperlinks and
managed by a single company, organization, or
individual. A web site may include text, graphics, audio
and video files, and hyperlinks to other web pages.
WebMail
Netscape's free, permanent email account that you can
access from home, work, the local library, or your
college computer lab. Your mail is stored on a server,
rather than on your personal computer, so you can access
it from any computer with an Internet connection.
What's Cool
Netscape Netcenter's daily list of the most interesting
web sites.
What's New
Netscape Netcenter's daily list of the newest or most
topical web sites.
White Pages
Online directories that work much the same way as a
telephone book to track down friends or locate business
associates.
World Wide Web
Also known as the web. A portion of the Internet that
has a graphical user interface composed of web servers
that provide access to web sites and web documents. The
"www" in the URL is often pronounced "dub-dub-dub" or
"3-dub."
Y
Yellow Pages
Online directories where users can find phone numbers,
mailing addresses, email contacts, and web pages for
companies around the world.
You Are Here
Netscape Netcenter's navigation system that lets you see
where you are on the Netcenter site. Check the top of
every Netcenter page and use the links as shortcuts to
find your way to related parts of the site.
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