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FAQ
: Internet Basics
What
is the Internet?
In
simplistic terms, the Internet is a collection of computers
that are all linked together like a spider web. These
computers, called servers, are located alll over the
world and have documents residing on them, called web
pages, that can be accessed from anyone connected to
the Internet. In recent years the internet has evolved
even more into a medium for conducting electronic commerce.
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How
do people connect to the Internet?
To
connect, all that is needed are the following:
- a
computer
- web
browser software to access the web
- a
connection to an Internet Server Provider, or ISP
- servers
to host the data
- routers
and switches to direct the flow of data
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How
do I access a page on the Internet? What is happening
on my computer?
Web
pages are stored on web servers around the globe. You
view those pages using your web browser software. To
access a page, there are three main ways to move between
web pages and web sites:
- Clicking
a text link (often known as a "hyperlink")
- Clicking
a hyperlinked graphic image, such as a button, photograph,
or drawing
- Typing
the URL of a web page in the location box (also known
as the address field) of your web browser and the
pressing the Enter or Return key
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Why
does a page look differently on my computer at work
than it does at home?
It
probably has to do with the fact that at work you are
using different web browser software. A browser resides
on your home PC, and is used to retrieve data from the
various web servers and displays a web page. The two
most popular browsers come from Netscape and Microsoft,
but there are slight differences between the two of
them that has some differences in the way a page appears.
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What
does that address line mean?
That
special name is called a unique URL address that identifies
its location on the web server. Special software sends
the request to the web server that hosts that page,
and then the server sends the web page to your computer
and your web browser displays it on your screen.
Something
similar happens when you click a link on a web page.
The link also contains a URL to go to, and so when you
click on that link your browser will then take you to
that web page. The location box or address field on
your browser indicates the URL of the page you arrived
at after clicking a link, so you can see where it is
that you went.
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What
if I have no idea where I want to go, I just want to
look up some information?
With
hundreds of millions of web pages online, you could
spend a lifetime surfing the Web, following links from
one page to another. Amusing perhaps, but not very efficient
if you are after some specific information.
The
best way to find specific information is to go to a
search engine, such as Yahoo, Google, or Alta Vista,
and type in what you are looking for into their search
screen. This will limit the web pages that result and
you can then click the resulting links and browse from
there.
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