What are the parts of the Internet?

Deborah A. Schweitzer, Technology Coordinator

The Internet is a worldwide network of computer networks, which feature such services as data-sharing, electronic messaging, and on-line commerce. This service is free. Millions of computers hooked up in Cyberspace, but the Internet is made up of several parts. Below are 6 major parts of the Internet.

F E-mail - electronic mail - Lets you communicate almost instantly with someone around the world. This requires a special mail program like Outlook or use one of the free services on the web.

dschweit @ venus.net

Login Name at Name of server. type of server

(You could call it the mailbox name) See below for explanation of servers and types

Many people use this service to communicate with someone instantly. It is fine for children to have an email address, but parents should have all passwords and be able to access their child's email account in the case of an emergency. This is for your child's protection. Spanning is major problem. Spanning is unsolicited and sometimes sexually explist email. It is illegal, but it is still done. Remember it is illegal to span or send unsolicited mail of any type. Children need to be warned about the problems that could occur and they should tell you if any thing happens to them. Warn children also about the type of email they send. Many companies have disconnected service because of misuse of the email system.

F WWW - The worldwide web - Contains text, pictures, photographs, graphics, animation, etc. This is a corner stone of the Internet highlighted by the millions of hypertext documents that are easily accessible to users of browser software. HTML is HyperText Markup Language. It was introduced in the early 1990's and the Internet has exploded since that time. The http:// at the start of an address stands for hypertext transfer protocol or the way these pictures, sounds, and the rest are transferred over the Internet.

F Social Networking (both private and public) - Web 2.0 apps. -A social network service focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Most social network services are web based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as e-mail and instant messaging services. Social networking has created new ways to communicate and share information. Social networking websites are being used regularly by millions of people, and it now seems that social networking will be an enduring part of everyday life. The main types of social networking services are those which contain directories of some categories (such as former classmates), means to connect with friends (usually with self-description pages), and recommender systems linked to trust. Popular sites are MySpace . flicker, and Facebook .

F Chat Room - these are computers on the net that allow people to post messages that can be read immediately. Two people must be on-line at the same time and in the same chat room to talk to each other. (This is the most dangerous part of the web.) There are chat boards that allow people to also share information without being on-line. These are like posted notes in a supermarket. If your child is in a chat room, send some time with them and talk to some of the people they do. There are cyber police who are now on the web setting up stings for people who prey on children who are on the net. You may have heard of some of these stings. A few months ago they arrest a couple of soldiers at Fort Knox.

F Newsgroup -Usenet - These are not so much “news” groups, as they are subject-oriented discussion groups where subscribers exchange opinions as much as they do facts. These are like chat boards where people of the same interest share information. This is super for groups of people who share similar interest.

F Gopher and FTP sites - This was created at the University of Minnesota (home of the Golden Gophers), an Internet service that offers menus through which users ”did” en route to desired information. Unlike the WWW you can not jump from site to site. FTP is short for fine transfer protocol, a process for sending and receiving these files. You can FTP files from both your storage bin and your website from anywhere in the world. This can be done with a free FTP program.

F Communication Programs - These programs work through the Internet and allow people to communicate with people who have the same programs. Examples of these are ICQ, AOL Message, and POWWOW to mention a few. These programs have similarities to both email and chat rooms. AOL has Chat buddies. If your children are using these types of programs, you need to encourage them to tell you about the people they have met.