Frequently Asked Questions About the
Internet
What is the
Internet?
The Internet is a worldwide network of computers. Currently,
there are about 40 million people using the Internet, and
approximately one million new users log on each month. The
Internet consists of many parts. but the two most popular are the
World Wide Web and electronic mail (email).
How do I get connected?
The minimum requirements are a computer and a modem. If you
have a PC, it should have a 486 or Pentium processor, if you have
a Macintosh, it should be a PowerPC or have a high-end 68000
processor. Your modem should communicate at 14.4 Kbps or faster to
minimize delays in viewing Web pages. 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) or special dedicated Internet connections. Most ISPs
provide popular software, including Netscape Navigator (a Web
browser) and Eudora (for email). With an ISP, however, you are
free to use any other available Internet software package. Many
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?
If you have a PC running Windows 3.1, you will need Winsock
software, which should be provided by your ISP. If you have
Windows 95/98, you can use the built-in dial-up networking
feature. If you have a Macintosh, you will need Mac TCP and Config
PPP or Open Transport. These are built-in to the Macintosh OS, but
users of older systems may have to obtain this software from their
ISP. Once connected, you will need a Web browser, an emall program
and software for Usenet newsgroups, file transfers (FTP) and
Telnet. These should also be 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 and Gopher sites begin with "ftp://" and "gopher://"
respectively. 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. Email
addresses are not comprehensively organized, but there are several
Email address search sites on the Web, including Four 11 Directory
Services (http://www.four11.com/). Internet Address Finder
(http://www.iaf net/) and WhoWhere?
(http://www.whowhere.com).
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 currently over 30,000 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.
Adapted from content provided
by Flintridge Consulting.
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