Frequently Asked Questions About the Internet

How do I get connected?
The minimum requirements are a computer and a modem. If you have a digital device such as a personal computer or smartphone, Once you have the necessary hardware, you sign on with an Internet Service Provider (ISP), a commercial on-line service or a freenet.

What is an Internet Service Provider (ISP)?
An ISP provides direct access from your home or office to the Internet through phone lines, Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) or special dedicated Internet connections. Most ISPs provide popular software, including a Web browser and email client. With an ISP, however, you are free to use any other available Internet software package. Most ISPs also give users their own Web space to publish their own information.

What is a commercial on-line service?
Commercial on-line services are designed to provide relatively limited information in an easy-to-use format. Commercial services offer their own news, research resources and discussion forums, which only their members can use. They also provide access to the Internet's vast resources. Because these systems provide proprietary content and point and click software rather than just Internet access, they generally cost more than ISPs.

What is a freenet?
A freenet is essentially a free ISP established to provide access for the community. The principle behind a freenet is similar to that of a public library, allowing everyone access to the Internet, regardless of their ability to pay.

What software will I need?
Any "modern" computer (five years old or newer) will have network capability. Once connected, you will need a Web browser, an emall program and software for decompressing and translating foreign file formats. These should be pre-loaded on your computer or provided by your ISP.

What is a firewall?
A firewall is a combination of hardware and software that separates a Local Area Network (LAN) into two or more parts for security purposes. Users accessing the network from outside the LAN can only reach information on the outside of the firewall, while local users can access any information.

What is a URL?
A URL (uniform resource locator) is the tool used to identify sites on the Internet. Web sites begin with the prefix "http://" and FTP sites begin with "ftp://." The next set of letters refers to a server: "www" for example. The domain name follows the server and indicates who the site belongs to ("adobe", for example), and an extension identifies a business' site (".com"), a school's site (".edu"), a nonprofit site (".org") and so on.

What is the World Wide Web?
The World Wide Web is a collection of pages that can be published by anyone and viewed by millions of Internet users. Web pages can include text, graphics, sound, files and programs. The Web is the most popular method of distributing information on the Internet

What is a home page?
A home page is the opening page of a website. Think of it as the cover and table of contents of a book combined into one electronic page.

What is email?
Email (electronic mail) messages are usually text messages sent from one person to another via computer. Email transmission is almost instantaneous. Email can be sent to a large number of addresses simultaneously by employing a mailing list or listserv. Email addresses are not comprehensively organized, but there are several Email address search sites on the Web.

What are newsgroups?
A newsgroup is a discussion group on the Internet that anyone can join. reading and posting articles in a worldwide forum. There are thousands of groups discussing almost any imaginable topic.

What are "flames" and "flame wars"?
A flame is an electronic insult often directed at the author of a controversial or offensive statement made in Usenet, a portion of the Internet reserved for communication among people with similar interests. Flames can be sent either through email to the author or posted in a Usenet newsgroup. A flame war results when the author of the original article, or a supporter, responds to flamers and flamers retort, creating a cycle of arguing that consumes bandwidth. Many newsgroup have moderators who try to prevent flame wars and block out extraneous material.

What is "netiquette"?
Netiquette refers to rules of good behavior in Internet communication. The cardinal rule, of course, is to be considerate of other people, even though you may never have to face them. Advertising in a newsgroup through email is a fairly common faux pas. These unsolicited ads would create enormous clutter if they weren't so strongly discouraged (their senders may be effectively ostracized if users choose to block out messages from offenders). A website is the most appropriate place to advertise because those who are interested can come to you. Typing your comments completely in capital letters ("shouting") is another Internet taboo. Experienced Internet user recommend that people who are unsure of their grasp of netiquette observe the communications of others before leaping in, a practice known as "lurking".

What are FAQs?
FAQ is the acronym for frequently asked questions, of which this page is an example. A wide range of FAQs are available on-line. Sometimes they're related to newsgroup mailing list topics, and there are multitude of FAQs for Internet-related products and for general Internet questions.