Basic Guide to Using the Internet Related Articles
- Better Business Email Relationships - Email is Not a Platform for Design - Basic Guide to Using the Internet - Setting Up Your Own Internet Server - How to Avoid Trojans In Your Email - CAN SPAM Act Requirments for Commercial Emailers - How To Report A Spammer - Search Engine Basics - Copyright And Education - The TEACH Act - Microsoft Exchange Terms and Definitions - How To Reduce Your Spam - How To Junk Your Junk Email - Guide to Reading Email Headers - Send Emails In Your Own Language - Top 12 Bulk Email Scams - Where Have All the Netscapes Gone? - What is WordNet? - HTML Tutorial The World Wide Web is here to stay, but if you have not yet learned how to use it, you may feel a little bit intimidated. Search engines, browsers, article directories, and instant messaging programs all seem a little confusing at first. If this is the situation you are in, this Internet guide will give you the basics that you need to know.
Browser
A browser is simply a program used to access the Internet. The most popular are Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Opera. Your computer probably already has an Internet browser installed on it. Each browser works a little bit differently, but they all have an address bar where you type the website address you wish to visit. That is the first step in using the Internet.
Search Engine
Most people access the Internet using a search engine. A search engine is a website that contains a program designed to search the Internet and retrieve pages that match your search criteria. For instance, if you want to look at information about poodles, you would type "poodles" into the search engine box, and the software would search the Internet and pull up relevant websites that relate to poodles. You would choose the sites you wanted to visit based on their short descriptions. Some of the most popular search engines are MSN, Google, Yahoo!, and Ask.com. Using the Internet with a search engine is sometimes called "surfing."
Subject Directories
If you would prefer to visit a site that already has relevant information on your topic categorized for you to see, try a subject directory. These are like giant libraries that you can search by topic. As you navigate the directory, you gradually make your way to the site you want. You would then be provided with a wealth of information on poodles, all categorized by real people, not software. Some popular subject directories include Yahoo!, Internet Public Library, About.com, and the WWW Virtual Library.
Email refers to electronic mail, and is one of the most basic forms of communication on the Internet and there are many companies who offer email archiving services as well as others which help manage this system. When you send an email, you type up your letter, put your recipient's email address in the address line, hit send, and the letter is instantly sent to the recipient's "inbox," or email program.
There are many free email programs online, and all you have to do is choose your email name. Many people choose something that highlights their hobbies, while others use their name or initials. Your name will be connected to the email program with the @ symbol. In other words, your email address may look like JohnSmith@emailclient.com. Some free email programs include Hotmail, AOL, Yahoo!, and Juno.
Those are the basics of the Internet. If you are looking for more help, consider these tutorials:
A Beginner's Guide to the Internet
The Internet is not difficult to navigate, but it does take some time to get used to. If you are ready to go online, take it slow, and learn all you can. Soon you will be surfing like a pro.
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