The Internet is also known as the
Net. It is a world-wide computer network made up of smaller networks. WWW
stands for World Wide Web. 
In order to connect to the Internet you need
a computer
modem
phone line
an account with an Internet Service Provider (I.S.P)
Browser Software.
Many ISP's have given out free CD's to help you get connected to the Internet.
Examples of ISP's in Ireland are Eircom, Indigo and Ireland on Line.
A browser is a piece of software that lets you view WebPages. Some popular browsers are Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator.
Once connected to the Internet you are said to be on-line.
You can then search for information using a Search Engine. Some popular search engines are Yahoo, Altavista, Google.
Web Pages then appear. Web pages are written in a language or code called HTML.
The Internet allows you to shop-online, on-line banking, chat to friends, book holidays, read the daily newspapers, watch live events such as concerts.
While on the Internet you must be careful when chatting to strangers or giving out your credit card number or any other personal information.
A Firewall is a piece of software that prevents outsiders from getting access to your computer while you are on the Internet.
A modem is a device that allows computers to communicate with each other via a phone line. A modem converts signals so that the computer and telephone can understand each other.
The speed of a modem is measured in bps (Bits per
Second).
A typical modem speed is 56Kbps which means 56 thousand bits per second.
E-mail: messages sent electronically from computer to computer.
E-mail is very fast and cheap. You can send the same message to many people at once.
You can attach files, Forward(FW) E-mails and Reply (RE) to E-mails.
E-mail is available 24 hours a day.
When writing E-mails remember to be polite and concise.
Emoticons are becoming popular. Lots of people recognise the following :) a colon followed by close bracket.
These are known as smileys.
When :) is typed the following sometimes appears:
Copyright © Catherine O'Sullivan, 2001