Intro to Internet for Library Patrons

Robin BeaversMultimedia Reference LibrarianGrande Prairie Public Library Hazel Crest, IL2013

What is the Internet? The Internet is a vast

network (group) of computers and devices that communicate with one another via cable or wireless signals.

The Internet is short for "interconnection of computer networks"

 

The Internet provides the framework that carries the World Wide Web as well as chat, messaging and email services. 

Why learn to use the Internet? Information &

Communication!  Becoming an Internet

user allows you to become more independent and informed!

We are moving towards a “Greener” society...the push to use less paper and the rising cost$ of producing printed materials means both business and government are choosing to move many of their resources online.

How do you get the Internet? 

You need an Internet ready device (computer, Smartphone, tablet, e-reader, etc.) and an Internet Service Provider (ISP).  An ISP can connect you to the Internet via, cable, DSL, or dial up services. You can also connect using Wi-Fi.

Wi-Fi allows your device to access the Internet using signals not a cable.  

What is the World Wide Web? 

The World Wide Web (www) is the millions of connected documents known as web pages or websites that you can explore using the Internet. 

http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/internet101/f/the_difference_between_internet_and_web.htm

one tech writer put it “the Internet is the restaurant, and the Web is the most popular dish on the menu”.

The difference between the Internet and the World Wide

Web?They are often used interchangeably, but they are technically different. As one tech writer explains;

“the Internet is the restaurant, and the Web is the most popular dish on the menu”.

How do I access the World Wide Web? 

A computer program called a browser allows you retrieve and view websites.

The most popular browsers today are: 

Search Engines 

Using keywords, a search engine allows you to find websites that are of interest. The most popular search engines today are:Google.com Ask.comYahoo.com Bing.comAsk.comMSN.com 

Web Addresses 

A web address is called a Uniform Resource Locator or URL. 

Reading a web addresswww.grandeprairie.org is read

grandeprairie(dot)org

There are no spaces between characters in a URL and they are not case sensitive. 

Web addresses continued

Sometimes you will see http:// before the address, it means hypertext transfer protocol and it is a way of letting other computers know that a computer is requesting a web page. Many times http:// is implied and not all addresses will show it in the address bar 

What does dot com mean?  

That little dot and those letters behind it are part ofThe Domain Name System (DNS). Generally it lets users know the type of website being represented. .com—commercial enterprise.edu—educational institution.org—non profit organization.mil—military site.net—networks, ISP’s, organizations  Countries have domain names too, to let you know the country of origin..il-Israel.ca Canada.jp Japan.uk United Kingdom.in India 

Navigating the Web 

Users navigate the web using a series of hyperlinks that you click on to move to another section within a website or to a new webpage.

Hyperlinks can be a word, phrase, or image.  If it’s a hyperlink your cursor will go from an arrow to a hand symbol. 

toRead

y to click!

Security

Internet security is a major concern for those who surf the Web.  Websites that require your personal information add layers of security called encryption, to protect your personal information and their reputation. A good way to tell if a website is secure is to look at the web address. A secure web address will begin with https:// which means Hypertext transfer protocol secure. 

Security…continuedWebsites that require you to log in to access your account (email, banks, stores, social media,etc.) should begin with the https:// . This lets users know that the website is encrypted and making every effort to provide secure online access to protect potentially sensitive information.

Resourceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet

http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/i/f/What-Is-The-Internet.htm

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/I/Internet.html

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-the-difference-between-http-and-https.htm#did-you-know

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Wide_Web