Explantation of terms used about the Internet

The Internet is actually a number of services that all use the same infrastructure to communicate. While there are more services than we will cover here, the use of these services is greatly diminished in the light of the WWW. Even though the same computers, routers and wires are used by all of the Internet services, they distinguish themselves by using different protocols. It is these protocols and the programs based on them that we will discuss below.

The first area that is important to us is the World Wide Web. The Web is not the Internet, just a portion of it. The WWW is the part of the Internet that is designed to provide graphic and text viewing through the use of a "browser." Browsers are the Graphical User Interface (GUI) program that is used to access the web. There are two main browsers of choice today, Netscape and Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Netscape holds about 70% of the market, MSIE about 20%, with the remainder representing three or four others.

The Web operates on the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP). This is the protocol that provides the language for creating "pages" that display graphics and text on the various browsers. Addresses on the WWW typically begin "http:". This tells the browser that it will be asking for the proper protocol.

Secondarily, the Internet supports the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). This protocol provides for the transfer of many types of files using the Internet infrastructure. This is the protocol that is used to upload files to the Runway server; files that would usually contain your home page code and graphics, or your website if you have created such. Usually these transfers are done using an FTP program (cleverly enough), although such programs as Norton Navigator and Netscape Gold have an FTP function in them (Netscape Gold's is limited to uploading files).

Another way to realize some of the functionality of the FTP mode is through your web browser. Almost any browser will allow the user to view a page that includes various downloadable files. By selecting a file, the download process is begun. Again, this is only a one way transfer and uploading is not available.

Finally, there are two protocols related to sending and receiving mail; Point To Point (PPP) and Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMPT, usually pronounced "simpte"). The technical aspects of these protocols will not overly concern us, suffice it to say they work to deliver our Internet mail and one can use them for years and not need to delve into them.

Introduction to the Internet

• Brief History of the Internet
  
• Explanation of Terms (definitions)
  
• Areas of the Internet
  
  • Controls
    
  • Settings
    
  • Search Engines
    
  • Shareware and Freeware
    
  • Downloading Files
    
  • Viruses