INTRODUCTION:

Globie Says ...

The Internet is a fascinating, productive tool that will likely change your life forever. Very often, users that rarely or never use a computer are compelled to challenge their computer skills and browse the web. More than anything since the invention of the personal computer, the Internet is drawing the less experienced computer users in volume. Why? Primarily due to the ease of use of the World Wide Web. Prior to the inception of the World Wide Web the Internet was a complicated, difficult to use refuge for serious computer users only. Now, even a novice user can become productive almost immediately. Despite the ease of use of the Internet, you really should be somewhat familiar with the basic operation of your computer before getting too involved.

This guide will introduce each of the main features of the Internet and provide enough details so that you will be able to perform most of the basic functions required on the Internet today. You may want to use this guide as a reference (hint: bookmark it or add this site to your Favorites menu) in the future.

While the Internet is phenomenally easy to use, you still need a few basic skills. Before you set out to explore the vast Internet frontier, make sure you know a few things about your computer. Below are a some of the basic things you should know about your computer:

• What operating system do you use? (eg. Windows 98, Windows 95, Macintosh)
• What kind of processor does your computer have? (eg. Pentium, 80486, 68040, Power PC)
• How much RAM (memory) do you have? (It is best to have at least 32MB or more)
• Do you have enough room (storage) on your hard drive? (Should have at least 50MB free)
• What kind, and how fast is your modem? (It is best to have at least a 33.6kbps modem)

You also should be able to handle a few basic tasks on your computer before starting your Internet journey. You should understand how to:

• Startup your computer and be able to restart it if necessary
• Perform simple software installations using a floppy disk or CD-ROM
• Launch programs from the Start menu (Windows 98), Program Manager (Windows 3.1x) or Finder (Macintosh)
• Minimize a window (Windows), move a window or close a window
• Deal with file extensions (eg. .exe, .zip etc.)
• Modify control panel settings as instructed via simple dialog boxes

Once you have this minimal skill level with your computer you know everything you need to know to be immediately productive on the net. However, to better understand what you are doing on the Internet we suggest that you review the following glossary of terms:

Glossary

TERM	DEFINITION
Active X	ActiveX™ is a set of technologies created by the Microsoft that enables a type of interactive content on Web sites. Multimedia effects, interactive objects, and sophisticated applications can be created using Active X controls. Unlike Java applets, Active X controls are typically only downloaded once and potentially reused over and over.
Bandwidth	The amount of information you can send through a connection. Usually measured in bits-per-second. A full page of English text is about 16,000 bits. A 28.8kbps modem can move about 24,000 bits or 3K of information in a second.
Browser	A client software program that is used to view various types of Internet resources.
CGI	Common Gateway Interface - A set of rules that describe how a Web Server communicates with another piece of software on the same machine, and how the other piece of software (the "CGI program") talks to the web server.
Cookie	A piece of information sent by a Web Server to a Web Browser that the Browser software is expected to save and to send back to the Server whenever the browser makes additional requests from the Server. Cookies might contain information such as login or registration information, online "shopping cart" information, user preferences, etc.
Domain	The unique name that identifies an Internet site. Domain Names always have 2 or more parts, separated by dots. The part on the left is the most specific and typically indicates the name of the machine at that domain eg. www). The information on the right is the most general and indicates the domain assigned to that organization (eg. owt.com).
E-commerce	The process of offering business products or services to customers via the Internet.
FAQs	Frequently Asked Questions. A common component of many Internet sites containing quick answers to common questions.
Finger	An Internet function that enables the user to query (finger) the location of another Internet user
Firewall	A combination of hardware and software that protects a local area network (LAN) from Internet hackers
Flame	An insulting, attacking, or enraged Internet message.
FTP	File Transfer Protocol - a method of copying files between computers. Often the term "anonymous ftp" will be used to indicate that the file can be obtained via FTP without requiring a specific account on the computer containing the file.
GIF	Graphics Interchange Format - a format used to display graphics on the Internet. This format works on all platforms.
Gopher	A searching tool that was once the primary tool for finding Internet information before the World Wide Web became popular. Still supported by most web browsers but basically obsolete.
Home Page	Originally, the web page that your browser is set to view when it starts up. The more common meaning refers to the main web page for a business, organization, person or simply the main page out of a collection of web pages. The abused definition refers to practially any web page as a homepage. This is not the proper use of the term but a very common usage nonetheless.
HTML	HyperText Markup Language - the primary language used to program World Wide Web. Text is coded with inline tags that identify various commands to be interpreted by the web server.
HTTP	Hypertext Transfer Protocol - the rules of web file transfer.
IP Address or Number	A unique number consisting of 4 parts separated by dots, sometimes called a "dotted quad." (Example: 204.118.6.2) Every Internet computer has an IP number and most computers also have one or more Host Names that are plain language substitutes for the IP Number (Example: oneworld.owt.com).
IRC	Internet Relay Chat - lets users join a "chat" channel and exchange typed, text messages to a large group of users or in private "rooms".
ISDN	Integrated Services Digital Network - A set of communications standards that enable a single phone line to carry voice, digital network services and video. This digital connection allows up to 128Kbps of data transfer.
Java	Java is a network-oriented programming language invented by Sun Microsystems that is specifically designed for writing programs that can be safely downloaded to your computer through the Internet and immediately run without fear of viruses or other harm to your computer or files. ava programs are called "Applets" and can be included in web pages to perform functions such as animations, calculations, and other tricks.
JavaScript	A scripting language for Web pages. Scripts written with JavaScript can be embedded into HTML documents. JavaScript is an interpreted language meaning that your computer must evaluate each instruction each time it is run. Microsoft is playing with a JavaScript clone called "J-Script".
JPEG (JPG)	Joint Photographic Experts Group - a photographic image-compression standard named for the committee that designed it. JPEG is optimized for compressing full-color or gray-scale photographic-type, digital images and does not work as well for other types of images.
List Server	The most common form of a mailing list.
Mailing List	A typically automated system that allows people to send Email to one address, whereupon their message is copied and sent to all of the other subscribers to the maillist. In this way, people who have many different kinds of Email access can participate in discussions together. This is also a common method of distributing bulk Email.
MIME	Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions - The standard for attaching non-text files to standard Internet mail messages. These files include: graphics, sound files, spreadsheets, formatted word-processor documents,etc.An email program is said to be MIME Compliant if it can both send and receive files using the MIME standard.Generally speaking the MIME standard is a way of specifying both the type of file being sent (e.g. a Quicktime™ video file), and the method that should be used to turn it back into its original form. Web servers use this method to identify the files they are sending to clients so that formatting will be done appopriately. Web browsers typically list pairs of MIME-Types in a table so that you can control what software will be used to handle each type.
MUD	Multi-User Dungeon or Dimension - A usually text-based multi-user simulation environment. Some are purely for fun and others are used for serious software development, or education purposes and all that lies in between. A significant feature of most MUDs is that users can create things that stay after they leave and which other users can interact with in their absence, thus allowing a world to be built gradually and collectively.
NNTP	Network News Transport Protocol - The protocol used by client and server software to carry USENET postings back and forth over a TCP/IP network.
POP	Actually, this has two meanings - Point of Presence - simply a node on the Internet such as that provided by an Internet Service Provider (ISP). The other meaning is Post Office Protocol, which is the protocol used by a mailserver to manage the delivery of Email to subscribers.
PPP	Point To Point Protocol - the method most use to connect to the Internet. This protocol allows the transfer of information via TCP/IP over a dial-up connection.
SMTP	Simple Mail Transport Protocol - mail protocol used on the Internet to send Email from location to location
T-1	A leased-line connection capable of carrying data at 1,544,000 bits-per-second. At maximum theoretical capacity, a T-1 line could move a megabyte in less than 10 seconds.
T-3	A leased-line connection capable of carrying data at 44,736,000 bits-per-second. Not necessarily faster than a T-1 but if needed, it can transmit more data simultaneously.
TCP/IP	Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol -- Suite of protocols that really defines the Internet. This is the protocol that is used to transmit most data over the Internet.
Telnet	The command and program used to login from one Internet site to another. The telnet command/program gets you to the login: prompt of another host. Commonly used on Unix servers.
URL	Uniform Resource Locator - simply the address of a web site (eg. www.owt.com).
Usenet	A world-wide system of discussion groups, with comments passed among hundreds of thousands of machines. Not all USENET machines are on the Internet. USENET is completely decentralized, with over 10,000 discussion areas, called newsgroups.
UUEncoding	Unix to Unix Encoding - A method for converting files from Binary to ASCII (text) so that they can be sent across the Internet via Email.

This glossary is by no means complete. If you wish to see a more complete glossary with related links see NetLingo.

 

Before we get started, we would like to leave you with one piece of advise: don't try to make the Internet more complicated than it is - assume that what you want to do is easy and look for easy solutions. You don't need a secret decoder ring or be a computer expert to benefit from the Internet. Relax, read the information on your screen and have fun!

Previous page...

...Next page