computer skills

IMC444
TEAM

Done by:Lamia Alharbi

Tele: @Lamia1416
 History of the Internet
• Developed for secure military communications
• Evolved from Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET)
• Funded by the U.S. government in the 1960s
• Enabled computers at leading universities and research organizations to communicate with each other
•Scientists were asked to come up with a solution to secure communications between large computer centers in case of a nuclear attack. They responded by
inventing packet switching and routers. By taking data messages and breaking them into small packets, each packet could be addressed and sent individually
to a destination through a series of routers. The routers would send each packet along the optimum path to the next router, depending on traffic and availability.
•The Internet: is a network of networks that utilizes a common communication protocol so that computers from different manufacturers can communicate.
•Today we can’t imagine life without the Internet. It is the way we communicate, shop, research, entertain, and express ourselves.
The Web vs. the Internet A-

• The Web is part of the Internet, distinguished by

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– Common communication protocols

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– Hyperlinks
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• 1989: Web invented by Tim Berners-Lee

• 1993: Mosaic browser released
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• 1994: Netscape Navigator marked beginning of the Web’s major growth

•What distinguishes the Web from the rest of the Internet is its use of:
•Common communication protocols enabling different computers to talk to teach other and display information.
•Special links (called hyperlinks) enabling users to jump from one place to another on the Web.
•The Web was invented long after the Internet, in 1989 by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN in Switzerland.
•In 1993, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) released the Mosaic browser.
•Netscape Navigator heralded the beginning of the Web’s monumental growth.
Internet Communications
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1- E-mail 2- Instant messaging

3- Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) 4- Group communication
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such as chat rooms,

newsgroups, listservs, and
1- E-Mail social networks
• Electronic mail
• Asynchronous communication
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• Types of e-mail accounts: 1– Client-based 2– Web-based

• Not private At
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– Can be printed or forwarded – Employer can monitor 2=5

•E-mail: is short for electronic mail and has quickly caught on as the primary method of electronic communication because it’s fast and convenient and it
reduces postage and long-distance phone call expenses.
•With e-mail, the sender and receiver don’t have to be available at the same time to communicate. a

•Some e-mail accounts are client-based and use programs such as Microsoft Outlook. Client- based systems are normally tied to a local Internet service
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provider (ISP) and use that domain for an address. If a user changes ISPs, his or her e-mail address changes.
•Web-based e-mail, on the other hand, finds the messages at a host site received by and stored on a mail server and can be accessed from anywhere. A
Web-based e-mail address will stay the same no matter what ISP is used. Free e-mail accounts such as Yahoo! or Hotmail use Web-based e-mail clients.
•Be careful what you say in an e-mail message because it might come back to haunt you.

2- Instant Messaging
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• Real-time, text-based conversations

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•Instant messaging (IM) uses real-time text-based conversations, similar to chat rooms
• Personal and business uses sÑ → \
•Examples include:
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• List of contacts: buddy list •AOL Instant Messenger •Yahoo! Messenger •Windows Live Messenger
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• IM software detects members’ presence WH "
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•Many of the popular IM services are proprietary, but universal chat services are now
available to allow users to communicate no matter which service they use.
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Messaging • Example: AOL Instant Messenger

3- Voice over Internet Protocol '

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• VoIP: Using the Internet to place phone calls

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• Uses technology similar to e-mail to send voice data digitally Voice is digitized as an alternative to analog phone lines.
VoIP minimally requires I 2 3 4 £ ix.

• Requires speakers, a microphone, an Internet connection, and a VoIP provider

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• VoIP services differ: A

1– Free services require an account on both ends like Skype

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2– Paid services connect phone to computer like Vonage through a special adapter.
3– Cable/DSL providers offer phone through broadband

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4– Wi-Fi IP phones call through Internet hotspots and wireless networks

Advantages VoIP Disadvantages
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•Sound quality varies based on available bandwidth. 1• Lower sound quality

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1• Free or low cost affordability

2• Portability 2• Less reliability
3• Convenience 3• Loss of service when
power is interrupted
•If proper security and encryption are not used in the 4• Security issues
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transmission process, calls can easily be monitored.

4- Group Communication
1• Chat rooms 2• Newsgroups 3• Listservs •A chat room: is an area on the Web where many people come together to
4• Blogs and vlogs 5• Wikis 6• Podcasts and webcasts communicate online. The conversations are in real time and are visible to
7• Social networks everyone in the chat room.
•Chat rooms are sometimes theme oriented and sometimes not.
1- Chat Rooms •There is no chance for editing out outlandish or offensive opinions or
• Real-time, text-based conversations language. I A-

•People in chat rooms choose an identity and therefore are anonymous.

• Rooms can focus on specific topics or interests or be general interest
•General rules of etiquette (netiquette) include introducing yourself when
• Identity protection you enter the room; specifically addressing the person you are talking to;
– Username can allow anonymous interaction ⇐ 01 I

and refraining from swearing, name calling, and using explicit or

• Netiquette: rules of polite interaction prejudiced language. Users cannot repeatedly post the same text and
should not type in all capital letters.
 •Newsgroups: are sometimes called threaded discussions or discussion groups. Built around topics or
2- Newsgroups interests, participants read entries from other participants and respond, with each respondent adding
– Online discussion forums something new to the discussion, creating a thread. A participant can also start a new thread. Unlike
– Members post and reply to messages chat rooms, threaded discussions don’t rely on instant responses, but on a more thought-out written
– Create or respond to “threads” response. In distance education classes, threaded discussions are often required and serve as the
class participation component of a course.
3- Listservs
– Electronic mailing lists of people interested in a topic
•Listservs: are similar to newsgroups except that the threads are sent out as
– Threads are sent as e-mails
e-mails, with each participant in the thread receiving each new posting.
– Less public than newsgroups

Web 2.0
• Web interactions between people, software, and data

Hi-Fi
•Use of the Web has evolved to emphasize online sharing and collaboration.
• Social web where the user is also a participant •Examples include blogs, wikis, podcasts, and social networking sites.
• New applications that combine the functions of multiple applications

4- Blogs and Vlogs

• Personal journals posted on the Web
• Weblogs: blogs
– Primarily text-based •Blogging: is easy and free. Many blogs are personal logs but some focus on
– Simple to create, read, and manage specific topics. Blogs are public and their content is searchable.
– Entries listed on a single page, with most recent entry at the top •Video logs, or vlogs,: are personal journals that use video as the main form of
– Searchable *I
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expression. You can play vlogs on your personal computer and mobile devices.
• Video logs: vlogs
– Digital video clips playable on media player software

5- Wikis •A wiki: is a type of Web site that allows anyone visiting the site to change its content by
• Wikis: Web sites that allow anyone to change their content adding, removing, or editing the content.
– Provide a source for collaborative writing
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•Wikis provide an excellent source for collaborative writing by eliminating the need to
– Eliminate exchanging e-mails send e-mails back and forth.
– Track revisions •A history of all changes is kept so a previous version can be easily accessed if desired.

6- Podcasts
• Podcasts: Compressed audio or video files distributed on the Internet
• Really Simple Syndication (RSS) technology allows constant and automatic updates for subscribers
• Podcasts are all over the Web
– Need “aggregator” software to gather podcasts – Need media player software to play them
• Simple to create

Webcasts
• Webcasts: Broadcasts of audio or video content over the Internet •Webcasts use streaming media technology to deliver content to
– Often live many simultaneous viewers.
– Delivered to your computer
– Use streaming media
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7- Social Networks
• Online personal and business networks •These sites are easy places for members to hang out, meet new
– Examples include Facebook , MySpace, and LinkedIn people, and share common interests.
• Members share common interests
• Members communicate by voice, chat, IM, videoconference, and blogs
• Growth has been explosive

Online Storage and Backup •Online storage: is an alternative to portable storage devices such
as flash drives and external hard drives.
• Anytime, anywhere access via Internet •You can back up sensitive or essential files as well. Your
• Preserves and protects valuable files information is stored online in a secure, remote location so it is less
• Examples: vulnerable to potential disasters.
1– Carbonite Online PCBackup 2– Idrive 3– MozyHome Online Backup •Some services offer free, limited online storage. Others offer
unlimited space for a fee.
Web Entertainment
• Multimedia • Games
– Involves forms of media and text – Multiplayer online games
• Graphics – Interact with other players
• Audio
• Video
– Streaming audio and video
• Multimedia: is anything that involves one or more forms of media in addition to text.
• All kinds of multimedia are available on the Web. You can download music files, video files, and even movies.
• Streaming audio and video can deliver on -demand pictures and sounds. Sites like CNN.com offer clips from their broadcasts.
• Some files require a plug - in program like RealPlayer. In recent versions of Windows, Microsoft’s MediaPlayer is built in and automatically loads when a
music file is selected.
• There are many multiplayer online games in which play occurs among hundreds or thousands of other players over the Internet.
• You can interact with other players around the world in a meaningful context by trading, chatting, or playing cooperative or combative mini-games
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E-Commerce
• E-Commerce: conducting business online
– Business-to-consumer (B2C) such as Amazon.com,
– Business-to-business (B2B)
– Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) like ebay.com
Secure Web Sites •Businesses hire security companies such as VeriSign to certify that their online
• Display: transactions are secure. Thus, if a Web site displays the VeriSign seal, you can
– VeriSign seal usually trust that the information you submit to the site is protected.
– Closed padlock or key icon •Another indication that a Web site is secure is the appearance in your browser
of a small icon of a closed padlock (Internet Explorer) or key (Netscape).
• URL changes from http:// to https://
•Additionally, the beginning of the URL of the site changes from http:// to
https://, the s standing for “secure.”
Online Shopping Guidelines To shop safely online, follow these guidelines:
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•Shopping at well-known, reputable sites helps ensure a safe shopping experience. If you are not
• Shop at well-known, reputable sites
familiar with a site, check it out with the Better Business Bureau, and also make sure that the
• Pay by credit card, not debit card
company has a phone number and street address before ordering.
• Check the return policy
•Debit cards do not have the same level of protection as credit cards under U.S. federal consumer
credit card protection laws. Use a card with a small limit, or consider using a prepaid credit card.
•Check and print out the return policy. You might need it when filing a complaint to prove what the
policy showed at the time of your order. Web sites can be changed easily and rapidly and can also
be shut down overnight.
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Web Browsers
•A Web browser is software installed on your computer system that allows you to
• Computer software
locate, view, and navigate the Web.
• Graphical g-
, •Web browsers are graphical, meaning they can display pictures (graphics) in
• Enables Web navigation addition to text, as well as other forms of multimedia, such as sound and video.
• Popular browsers: •Although Microsoft Internet Explorer is the most used Web browser, there are other
1– Microsoft Internet Explorer 2– Mozilla Firefox browsers available, such as Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. Because Microsoft
3– Apple Safari 4– Google Chrome products are the main targets for virus writers, an alternative browser might be less
vulnerable.

Browser Features
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• Quick tabs: Show thumbnail images of all open Web pages in open tabs
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• Tabbed browsing: Multiple pages available in the same browser window

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• Built-in search engine(s)

•Internet Explorer 7 has a much more streamlined approach than its predecessors.

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The browser’s toolbars provide convenient navigation and Web page management tools.
•With tabbed browsing, Web pages are loaded in “tabs” within the same browser window. Rather than having to switch between Web pages on several open
windows, you can flip between the tabs in one window.
•The browser also includes a built-in search box in which you can designate your preferred default search engine.
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•The protocol is generally followed by a colon, two forward slashes, www (indicating World Wide
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URLs Web), and then the domain name. The domain name is also referred to as the host name.
• URL:
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– Uniform Resource Locator •The first part of the URL

indicates the set of rules • At times, a forward slash and
– Unique Web site address
(or the protocol) used to additional text follow the domain
•A URL: is a Web site’s address. It is retrieve the specified
composed of several parts that help name. The information after the
document. HTTP is most < slash indicates a particular file or
identify the Web document it stands for. common. Another popular path (or subdirectory)
protocol is FTP. within the Web site.

Top-Level Domains
•The three-letter suffix in the domain name (such as .com or .edu) is called the top-level domain.
This suffix indicates the kind of organization the host is.
•The most used is the .com or commercial domain, which can be used by anyone.
•There are also domains for countries outside the United States. For instance, a Web site in
Germany has the extension .de, and in Italy it is .it.

Hyperlinks
•Once you’ve reached a Web site, you can jump from one Web page to another within the Web site or to
another Web site altogether by clicking on specially coded text called hyperlinks.
•Generally, text that operates as a hyperlink appears in a different color (often blue) or is underlined. Sometimes
images also act as hyperlinks.
•When you pass your cursor over a hyperlink, the pointer turns from an arrow into a hand with the index finger
pointing.
•To retrace your steps, some sites also provide a breadcrumb list—a list of pages within a Web site you’ve
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visited that usually appears at the top of a page. Additionally, the history list in your browser keeps track of
where you’ve visited, organized by date.
Favorites and Bookmarks •While browsing the Web, you might want to remember a site for future reference. Using the Favorites or
Bookmark feature, you can store the site’s URL in a special folder on the hard drive of your computer.
• Allow you to return to Web pages •Firefox offers live bookmarks, which adds the technology of RSS feeds to bookmarking, allowing updates
– Favorites (Internet Explorer and Safari) to be delivered to you as soon as they are available.
– Bookmarks (Firefox and Google Chrome) •Social bookmarking sites such as delicious.com and digg.com allow you to tag and organize Web sites
• Stay up to date and news content using your own keywords and share them with others.
– Live bookmarks (Firefox)
• Organize and share
– Social bookmarking sites

Popular Search Sites

You can search the Web using a search engine or a subject directory.
A search engine is a set of programs that searches the Web for specific keywords you wish to
query and then returns a list of the Web sites on which those keywords are found.
A subject directory is a guide to the Internet organized by topics and subtopics.
The list on this slide gives alternatives to sites such as Google, Yahoo!, and Ask.com.

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•Search engines have three parts. The first part is a program called a spider, which collects data
Search Engines on the Web.
• User keys word or phrase into search box •The second part is an indexer program that organizes the data into a large database.
• Spider or Web crawler program scans Web pages •The third part is the search engine software, which searches the indexed data, pulling out
• Results are indexed and sent to the client relevant information according to your search.
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•You won’t get the same results from each search engine as proprietary algorithms are used and
• Different engines produce different hit lists
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the sites they search differ.

• Multimedia search functionality is also available
•To narrow search results to a list of relevant sites you can search for exact phrases by putting quotation
Improve Search Results marks around keywords so the search engine returns sites where the words are contained in that exact order.
• Place quotation marks around keywords •You can search just a specific Web site by typing in your keyword followed by “site:” and then the site’s
URL.
• Search within a specific Web site
•Wildcards are symbols used to replace a series of letters. The asterisk (*) is helpful when you’re searching for
• Enter wildcard symbols a keyword but are unsure of its spelling, or if a word can be spelled in different ways or contain different
• Use the advanced search form endings. Some search engines let you use a question mark (?) or percent sign (%) to replace a single letter in
a word.

What Can You Borrow from the Web?

• Avoid:
– Plagiarism: Representing someone else’s ideas or words as your own.
– Copyright violation: Using another person’s material for your own economic gain
• Properly credit information you quote or paraphrase
• Obtain written permission from copyright holder
• You cannot borrow information you obtain from the Internet including words, ideas, graphics, data, and audio and video clips. This could be construed
as plagiarism. Use quotation marks around all words you borrow directly and credit your sources for any ideas you paraphrase or borrow.
• Copyright law assumes all original work (including online work) is copyrighted even if it does not display the copyright symbol. Copyright violation is
punishable by law. You need to seek and receive permission from the copyright holder if you are using the other person’s material for your own personal
economic benefit, or if you are taking away from the economic benefit of the originator. Work in the public domain is an exception to this rule.

Evaluating Web Sites

• Who is the author of the article or Web site sponsor? •Like anything else, how well maintained a site is helps determine its believability.
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• Is the site biased?

• Is the information current?
• Toward what audience is the site geared?
• Are links available?
Internet Clients and Servers
• The Internet: is a client/server network
• Client computer:
1– Users connected to the Internet 2– Requests data and Web pages • Data travels between clients and servers along pathways, the
• Server computer: largest of which is called the Internet backbone.
•Internet Protocol (IP) addresses: are the means by which all
1– Stores Web pages and data 2– Returns the requested data to the client
computers connected to the Internet identify each other.
• Internet backbone
• IP addresses
Connecting to the Internet •Originally, the only means to connect to the Internet was with a dial-up connection where you connect to the
1• Dial-up connections Internet using a standard telephone line.
2• Broadband connections •However, other connection options, collectively called broadband connections, offer faster means to connect to
– DSL the Internet.
– Cable
– FiOS
– Satellite
Dial-Up Connections
• Use standard telephone line
• Tie up phone line • =

• Require a modem to convert analog and digital signals

• Slowest connection speed (56 Kbps)
• Lowest cost
• A dial-up connection needs only a standard phone line and a modem. A dial-up modem: is a device that converts (modulates) the digital signals the
computer understands to the analog signals that can travel over phone lines. In turn, the computer on the other end must also have a modem to translate
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(demodulate) the received analog signal back to a digital signal for the receiving computer to understand.
• Modern desktop computers generally come with internal modems. Notebooks use either internal modems or PC cards that are inserted into a special slot
on the notebook.
• Current modems have a maximum data transfer rate that is generally five times slower than a broadband connection.
Broadband connections
1- Cable 2- Digital subscriber line (DSL) 3- Fiber-optic service (FiOS)
– Uses coaxial cable and a cable modem – Uses telephone lines – Sends light through fiber optic lines
– Fast connection speed – Faster than dial-up – Faster than cable or DSL
– Speed depends on number of users – Doesn’t tie up phone line – Expensive
– Not available in all areas – Requires special DSL modem – Available only in certain ar
– Not available in all areas
•DSL uses a standard phone line to connect to the Internet. However, the line is split 4- Satellite
between digital and voice, meaning that the digital signal does not have to be – Uses satellite dish and coaxial cable
converted into sounds, and greater speeds can be realized. – Slower than cable or DSL
•Although the monthly fee is higher than that for dial-up, there is no need for a – Expensive
second phone line. •A two-way satellite Internet connection is always on and is faster
•Also, to use DSL, your telephone connection must be within fairly close proximity of than dial-up; however, there is a difference between the upstream
a switching station. and downstream speeds.

Wireless Access
• Increases mobility and productivity
• Requires a Wi-Fi hotspot
• Requires either internal or external wireless access card for device
• Aircards provide wireless access through mobile devices when a Wi-Fi hotspot is not available
• Connecting wirelessly increases mobility and productivity, as the user can access networks and resources from more locations without having to have a
wired connection.
•To connect wirelessly, a Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) hotspot must be within range and the device (i.e., notebook, PDA, or cell phone) must have either an internal
or an external Wi-Fi access card.
•Another expensive option available that’s usually used when a Wi-Fi hotspot is
not in range is an aircard. Aircards provide access through cell phone towers and generally require a separate service plan.

Comparing Internet Connection Options

Internet connection costs vary widely, as does performance. One factor
to consider in choosing the right Internet connection is speed.
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The data transfer rate, also informally referred to as the connection

speed,: is the measurement of how fast data travels between
computers.
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Future of the Internet

• Large scale networking (LSN) sponsored by the U.S. government
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– Research and development of cutting-edge networking and wireless technologies

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– Project sponsored by universities, government, and industry to develop new Internet technologies A major thrust of their research is increased
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– Internet2 backbone supports transmission speeds of 9.6 Gbps bandwidth for the whole Internet.

The Internet will continue to have great influence in the future. Greater bandwidth; wireless access; and the amalgamation of telephone, TV, and Internet
technologies will bring change and spur new, unforeseen developments..

• Internet entrenched in daily life

• Web-based services for personal and professional interactions
• Internet-enabled appliances and systems
• The future Internet will assist us with day-to-day activities and tasks. The Internet is already integral to the way we communicate, shop, research, entertain,
and express ourselves. With increasing wireless accessibility, we will become even more dependent on the Internet.
• More Web-based applications will continue to evolve.
• Internet-enabled appliances and household systems will become more affordable and will allow your home to run itself. For example, your refrigerator will
monitor its contents and restock by placing online orders.