Chapter 3

Internet and Web Basics

Chapter Three includes an introduction to how computer networks operate, web browsers, how to search for information, the fundamentals of e-mail, how discussion and chat rooms work and Netiquette.

  What is a Computer Network?

Examples of commercial network sites include:

CompuServe                                                      
http://www.compuserve.com

America Online
http://www.aol.com

The Microsoft Network                                               
http://www.msn.com

Examples of  nonprofit and state computer networks can be seen at the following sites:

Big Sky Telegraph                                                                            http://www.lone-eagles.com/articles/bigsky.htm

FIRN
 
http://www.firn.edu/

What Is a Web Browser?

You can download web browsers for both Microsoft’s Exp,lorer and Netscape Navigator at the following addresses:

Microsoft Internet Explorer
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.htm

Netscape Navigator
http://home.netscape.com

 http://home.netscape.com/browsers/index.html

Other web browsers include:

NCSA Mosaic
http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/SDG/Software/Mosaic/

NetCruiser
http://www.netcom.com/software

Opera 2.12
http://opera.nta.no

  Search Engines and Directories

Some of the most popular search engines for the World Wide Web include:

Alta Vista                                                                      
http://altavista.digital.com

Excite                                                                                   http://excite.com

Infoseek                                                                
http://guide.infoseek.com

Webcrawler                                                              
http://www.webcrawler.com

Some of the most popular web directories include:

Galaxy                                                                        
http://galaxy.einet.net

Magellan                                                                
http://magellan.mckinley.com

Yahoo                                                                        
http://www.yahoo.com

The Yellow Pages                                              
 
http://theyellowpages.com

Examples of meta search engines and directories can be found at:

Google
http://www.google.com/

Metacrawler                                                               
http://www.metacrawler.com

Prime Search                              
 
http://www.delta.com/prime.com/pssearch.htm

All-in-one search pages can be found at:

All-In-One-Search Page
http://www.allonesearch.com/

The Argus Clearing House
http://www.clearinghouse.net/

Galaxy
http://galaxy.tradewave.com/

 http://www.galaxy.com/

Microsoft
http://www.msn.com.access/allonone.asp

 http://search.msn.com/

Netscape
http://www.netscape.com/home/internet-search.html

Savy Search
http://www.search.com/

Reviews and comparisons of search engines can be found at:

A Guide to Web Directories
http://www.crosswinds.net/~directories/home.htm

Understanding and Comparing Web Research Tools
http://www.hamline.edu/administration/libraries/search/comparisons.html

Search Engine Showdown
http://www.searchengineshowdown.com/

Search Engine Watch
http://searchenginewatch.com/

If you are interested in looking up e-mail addresses for friends or famous people, there are several groups that run web sites that will help you. These include:

FAQ: How to Find People’s E-Mail Addresses
http://www.qucis.queensu.ca/FAQs/email/finding.html

 Getting Connected for E- Mail

Useful e-mail sites include:

Eudora
http://www.access-us.com/eud5.htm

A Beginner’s Guide to Effective E-mail
http://www.webfoot.com/advice/email.top.html

Intercultural E-mail Classroom Connections
http://www.stolaf.edu/network/iecc

The Electric Postcard
http://postcards.www.media.mit.edu/Postcards

MSN Greeting Cards
 
http://www.greetingcards.msn.com/

  Discussion Lists and Chat Rooms

A list of web-based discussion groups and information about how to sign up for them can be found at:

Deja News
http://www.deja.com/usenet

Liszt
http://www.liszt.com/

Search the List of Lists
http://catalog.com/vivian/interest-group-search.html

  Netiquette

Rules of appropriate behavior in e-mail and online are provide at:

E-Mail Etiquette
http://www.iwillfollow.com/email.htm

Netiquette Homepage by Arlene H. Rinaldi
 http://www.fau.edu/netiquette/net/netiquette.html