Welcome, readers! As you strive to
make sense of the Internet and the World Wide Web, these 30 terms are
bound to be very helpful.
Jamie Grill/Iconica/Getty Images
1.
The Web vs. the Internet
The Internet is a vast 'interconnection of computer
networks'. It is comprised of millions of computing devices that trade
volumes of information. Desktop computers, mainframes, GPS units, cell
phones, car alarms, video game consoles, and even soda pop machines are
connected to the Net.
The Internet started in the late 1960's as an American military
project, and has since evolved into a massive public spiderweb. No
single organization owns or controls the Internet. The Net has grown
into a spectacular mishmash of non-profit, private sector, government,
and entrepreneurial broadcasters.
The Internet houses many layers of information, with each layer
dedicated to a different kind of documentation. These different layers
are called 'protocols'. The most popular protocols are the World Wide Web, FTP, Telnet, Gopherspace, instant messaging, and email.
The World Wide Web, or 'Web' for short, is the most popular portion
of the Internet. The Web is viewed through web browser software. Grammar and spelling note: Use capitalized 'Internet' and
'Web' when using either word as a noun. Use lowercase 'internet' or
'web' when using either word as an adjective. e.g. 'We were browsing the
Internet on our television last night.' e.g. 'We found a really good
web page about global warming.'
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2.
http and https
http is a technical acronym that means 'hypertext transfer protocol',
the language of web pages. When a web page has this prefix, then your
links, text, and pictures should work in your web browser. https is 'hypertext transfer protocol SECURED'.
This means that the web page has a special layer of encryption added to
hide your personal information and passwords. Whenever you log into
your online bank or your web email account, you should see https at the
front of the page address. :// is the strange expression for 'this is a computer protocol'.
We add these 3 characters in a Web address to denote which set of
computer lanaguage rules affect the document you are viewing. Read more about http and https here...
3.
Browser
A browser is a free software package that lets you view web
pages, graphics, and most online content. Browser software is
specifically designed to convert HTML and XML into readable documents.
The most popular web browsers in 2013 are: Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari. Read more about web browsers here...
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4.
HTML and XML
Hypertext Markup Language is the programmatic language that
web pages are based on. HTML commands your web browser to display text
and graphics in orderly fashion. HTML uses commands called 'HTML tags'
that look like the following:
<body></body>
<a href="www.about.com"></a>
<title></title>
XML is eXtensible Markup Language, a cousin to HTML. XML focuses on
cataloging and databasing the text content of a web page. XML commands
look like the following:
URL's, or 'uniform resource locators', are the web browser
addresses of internet pages and files. A URL works together with IP
addresses to help us name, locate, and bookmark specific pages and files
for our web browsers.
URL's commonly use three parts to address a page or file: the
protocol (which is the portion ending in '//:'); the host computer
(which sometimes ends in .com); and the filename/pagename itself. For
example:
Your computer's 'internet protocol' address is a four-part or
eight-part electronic serial number. An IP address can look something
like '202.3.104.55' or like '21DA:D3:0:2F3B:2AA:FF:FE28:9C5A', complete
with dot or colon separators. Every computer, cell phone, and device
that accesses the Internet is assigned at least one IP address for
tracking purposes. Wherever you browse, whenever you send an email or
instant message, and whenever you download a file, your IP address acts
like a type of automobile licence plate to enforce accountability and
traceability.
Email (formerly spelled e-mail with a hyphen) is electronic
mail. It is the sending and receiving of typewritten messages from one
screen to another. Email is usually handled by a webmail service (e.g.
Gmail or Yahoomail), or an installed software package (e.g. Microsoft
Outlook).
Email has many cousins: text messaging, instant messaging, live chat, videomail (v-mail), Google Waving. Read more about email here...
8.
Blogs and Blogging
A blog ('web log') is a modern online writer's column.
Amateur and professional writers publish their blogs on most every kind
of topic: their hobby interest in paintball and tennis, their opinions
on health care, their commentaries on celebrity gossip, photo blogs of
favorite pictures, tech tips on using Microsoft Office. Absolutely
anyone can start a blog, and some people actually make reasonable
incomes by selling advertising on their blog pages.
Web logs are usually arranged chronologically, and with less
formality than a full website. Blogs vary in quality from very
amateurish to very professional. It costs nothing to start your own
personal blog. Read more on web logs here...
9.
Social Media and Social Bookmarking
Social media is the broad term for any online tool that
enables users to interact with thousands of other users. Instant
messaging and chatting are common forms of social media, as are blogs
with comments, discussion forums, video-sharing and photo-sharing
websites. Facebook.com and MySpace.com are very large social media
sites, as are YouTube.com and Digg.com.
Social bookmarking is a the specific form of social media. Social
bookmarking is where users interact by recommending websites to each
other ('tagging sites'). Read more about social media and social bookmarking here
10.
ISP
ISP is Internet Service Provider. That is the private company
or government organization that plugs you into the vast Internet around
the world. Your ISP will offer varying services for varying prices:
web page access, email, hosting your own web page, hosting your own
blog, and so on. ISP's will also offer various Internet connection
speeds for a monthly fee. (e.g. ultra high speed Internet vs economy
Internet).
Today, you will also hear about WISP's, which are Wireless Internet
Service Providers. They cater to laptop users who travel regularly. Read more on ISP's and WISP's here...
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