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Quick Guide to Using Internet

Introduction
This guide will help you understand the basic concepts and how to navigate Internet. The approach here is toward understanding key principles with only a few actual addresses. Internet capability and specific addresses change fairly rapidly, so it is important to understand the framework of how Internet operates.

Internet is a communications device that allows many applications to use it for making connections worldwide.
The most common applications for you are electronic mail and the world wide web. Your most common software will be an electronic mail program and a web browser to access the web.
The world wide web can give you information in a multimedia format -- text, graphics, audio, sound, animation, and video. These features can be extended by interactive discussions (simultaneously or over a period of time), or have 3-D features. Often when people refer to "internet" they really mean the "world wide web" application running over internet.
You should learn how to take advantage of the many internet features and contents but not get lost in the massive amount of detail.

Accessing Internet
Skip this section if you do not access internet from your own computer.

The two most common browsers are made by Microsoft and Netscape. To use them from home you will need a special connection (a PPP account) from an Internet Service Provider (ISP). There are several ISP's and many local ones; check your local for advice on both an ISP and recommended electronic mail programs.
If you are using a text based browser (e.g., Lynx) or text electronic mail program (e.g., Pine), you cannot read graphics and will have difficulty taking advantage of what internet has to offer.
Try to use graphic browsers and off-line electronic mail programs that feature off-line reading/composing so you can easily and rapidly receive and send your mail once you are connected.

Getting Started for New Users

Gain an overall "feel" for what is on the world wide web. Before you worry about why certain commands are used or trying to become efficient, take some time to explore the new territory you are entering.
Go to a new page by selecting (clicking) a link (highlighted words) and move back to the previous page by the BACK button.
After moving through several pages, use the GO button to "go back" to to earlier pages.
Explore with the search tool in your browser (use the search or directory button).
Look around for a subject of interest and take time to look over the range of information that exists
Find a few sites you find interesting and gain familiarity with their content and how you got there.
Find a newspaper and a university you are familiar with and read their home pages.
Look around for sites in different countries and check several news media sources.
Try the non-subject areas of your browser such as random links or cool sites menu items.
Once you feel comfortable with moving around internet and the types of information available, try searching for something on your own and then begin learning how to be an efficient user (described below).

Working With Your Browser
Take time to get familiar with your browser. It gives you ways to access almost everything. In addition to serving as the primary navigation tool, the browser allows you to:

Use various search services.

Find subject areas and new and unusual web locations.
Upload (if the internet application allows this) and download files (to your computer).
Update versions of your browser (these are available on the internet).
Get mail (if the browser is set up to use your name).

Try out the browser:

Get in and get out of the browser (start and close the browser program)
Look over the various browser buttons by pressing them to see what shows up.
Get comfortable with the BACK, HOME, SEARCH (or DIRECTORY), and FAVORITES (or BOOKMARKS), REFRESH (or RELOAD), GO, and STOP buttons/menu items.
Read the HELP item for an overview of what it contains, but normally only use help to address an immediate problem that occurs.

Some things you can learn later:

Set the browser options to be personalized for your preferences
Using mail and news with a browser

Definitions and Abbreviations

Internet --- The "communications" link. Applications of various types run on Internet
WWW --- World Wide Web. An application that runs on internet. What many people really mean when they say "get on internet".
URL --- Uniform Resource Locator - the address of a specific page, like your PO Box or street address.
Home Page --- The "first" page that comes up when you start your browser (you can change this), or the "primary" page of a particular site.
Page --- An address on the world wide web that is displayed in your window.
HTML --- HyperText Markup Language - The format for the text portion of internet documents. You do not need to know this as a user.
Reload --- Also called refresh. You computer stores pages from your previous visits to web pages. If the page changes since you last saw it, you may have to "refresh or reload" a new copy.
Upload --- Move a file from your computer to the program you are running on internet.
Download --- Retrieve a file from an internet application to your computer.
FAQ --- Frequently Asked Questions. Many sites have these and they provide common questions and answers.
Telnet --- A way of connecting to another computer to run a program.
FTP --- File Transfer Protocol - used to move files among computers.
News --- A group discussion service. One of the early uses of internet. There is lots of material on many topics; the material does not stay long (normally a few weeks).

Dissecting and Understanding the URL
Understanding the format of the URL (the page address) helps you recognize errors in URL's and to take care in copying these addresses. Some have no file name or directory names (Example 1). Some have a specific file name and include several directories (Example 2).

It is important to use the full address and pay attention to the ending (endings can be htm , html, or even other forms designating the type of file). Also note the case (upper or lower case) of each letter.

Frequently web addresses begin with www (for world wide web); increasingly this historical term is omitted. The address indicates the type of site - gov (U.S. Government), com (commercial), edu (education), org (organization) in the United States or indicates the country (uk for United Kingdom and de for Germany [Deutschland]); increasingly the United States is doing this too (us).
Example 1: Simple Addresses -- The U.S. Library of Congress is www.lc.gov
Example 2: Complex Addresses -- The Internet Virtual Library is www.w3.org/pub/DataSources/Subject/overview2.html

A good way to find relevant locations is to use the subject indexes of the search device incorporated into your browser. Once you gain some familiarity with internet subjects and formats you can find things on your own and use your preferred search device.

How to Function in an Internet World by Thinking Differently
Internet is just a new way of finding information. To be an efficient user you need to find only what you want and to determine the good from the bad.

The ways to become an effective user are to learn to think differently and to learn a few new tools.

Hypertext base - non-linear thinking is the key.

Move from one location directly to another location anywhere in the world. These moves occur by linking an address within your page to the desired location so the movement is transparent to you. The addresses of these locations are called URL's (uniform resource locator).

Distributed Information - link to anything, anywhere, anytime.

Your learning opportunities are distributed widely. The information you want may come from widely different places and have different degrees of accuracy and usefulness.

A New Toolbox but Not New Ideas - Learn to use the new tools for old applications.

You already know a lot about finding information in the library or newspaper. Transfer those familiar techniques to the Intenet but recognize you will need a new toolbox. Like any new set of tools, you should acquaint yourself with their uses and also practice using them.

Building Your Confidence

Start slowly and learn only what you need to barely function.

Then learn a little more once you know you can do the basics.

Increase your knowledge by building on what you already know from other contexts.

For example, libraries are a place to store and retrieve information. Consider internet just a very big library. What you learned for using libraries is directly applicable to internet. You just have to use a little larger framework (the world rather than the building). It will take a little practice with this new "library" before you become an effective user.

Keep Learning -- change is happening very quickly.

New information sources are added to internet at a frightening pace and new capabilities evolve quickly. Allow yourself time to explore some of the new features as you become familiar with the basics. It is a good investment for your future.

Tuning Yourself into an Efficient (or Expert) User
Even the experts can use more understanding of Internet features.

Even relatively new users can become efficient users.
First get comfortable with Internet features and understand the framework for Internet use.
Know the appropriate tools (for you) to put in your toolbox of techniques.
Invest some time to explore and find new Internet possibilities.
Take advantage of the shortcuts (see below).
Bookmarks/favorites listing are very useful as time savers.

Being an expert on internet use is a transient activity. It is so large and it changes so rapidly that you can never know everything. It is easy to get comfortable in a routine that addresses your every-day needs and think you are an expert. You need to keep on you toes so you can be ready to look into new areas. Continue to explore and try new things even after you feel you know how to use internet.

Use advanced search techniques (e.g., Boolean and ways of excluding and including).
Run programs or models at a remote site.
Try groupware (news, chat, conferencing).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The FAQ listing is a common internet term. A number of sites will have a "faq" about there site. Here is one on internet in general, showing the general format.

How do I connect to Internet? -- Consult us at info@acexsystems.com. You will need an account set up with us and will need to use your existing phone line, modem and computer.
What type of computer do I need? -- Any computer should work. You will need a modem of at least 14,000 baud to take advantage of the graphics on Internet.
How do I get to a "web site"? -- Use a browser and a correct address.
How can I research a topic or find "useful" information? -- Use several search devices (all give slightly different results) and refine your search as you see the results. This will target more precisely what you are really looking for.
How can I learn enough to understand people's instructions on using Internet?
How can I use a web browser effectively and efficiently? -- Try all the features to know what is there. If you only try a few you will not take advantage of the browser. Use the help button on your browser for answering specific questions.
How can I use web references as citations in a research paper? -- You cite them as the full URL and title.
When there are choices, like search programs, how do you select one over another? -- You should try several on your own but also listen to the experiences of others.
How do I get started? -- Do not be afraid, just start! It is easier to do this in a public access area rather than your own computer so you can ask for help and avoid any problems related to your not knowing how to access Internet.

Short Cuts

Don't type http:// as part of the URL; all graphic browsers automatically insert it.
Use your browser's bookmarks or favorites list to catalog addresses used frequently.
Don't worry about keeping track of everything you might want to read again.
Learn how to search for it as if it were a new item -- don't store it, look it up when you need it.
Make yourself a home page with the most often used links (e.g., search services, class pages, reference collections and libraries, subject matter lists). This allows you to go to your own high interest sites easily and quickly.
Place your home page on your Internet Service Provider server rather than your hard disk so you can access from anywhere (and not just from your computer).
Cutting and pasting within windows or Macintosh is done easily for conferencing or electronic mail programs.

Potential Pitfalls

Using electronic mail via your browser on public access computers -- someone can use the browser after you and send a message in your name.
Broken or changed links -- some sites change often and may not have the new address listed. The solution is to just go to a different site that has similar information.
Old links that appear current -- some search programs and some sites have "old" listings. You may think the link is a good one but when you actually take it you find it is broken. Get irritated for a moment and then move on to new things.
Using News Groups -- these last only a few weeks and have lots of turnover for many groups. They have a lot of good information if you are focused on the news group but they can take a lot of time otherwise.
Disconnecting without warning -- sometimes a connection breaks or a particular page cannot be found. The solution is to refresh or download the page or use STOP (to stop the transfer) and try it a gain.
Slow connections -- this can occur at high use times of day or when a section of Internet (at your location or internationally) is down. The solution is usually to just try again later.