The intent of this paper is to give an overview of the functions of web browsers
and how they interact with the Internet and the World Wide Web. After reading this, the reader should
have a better understanding of how to navigate the Internet, and how to make the most
productive use of his or her time. I will also include a listing of search engines and which one
is best for the material you are researching. My sources of information include the World Wide Web
and the following texts: How Computers Work Ron White, Inside the PC Peter Norton,
and Atlas to the World Wide Web Bob Powell and Karen Wickre.
With the explosion and popularity of the Internet and the World Wide Web
(WWW, W3, or simply, the web), this paper will seek to give the reader
a better grasp of the Internet. There will be a brief history of the Internet.
I will also present the function of web browsers of which there are several. Some of the more popular search
engines will be reviewed.
What the future holds for the web will also be discussed. The word Internet literally means, "network of networks". (www.hcc.hawaii.edu/guide/www.guide.htm) The Internet is a global system
of computer networks linked together. The Internet has now spanned to over 100 countries and 100 million users. The web and internet are not the same. The web is only one division of the Internet.
One way to understand the distinction between the two, is to view them like the human body.
The web is the veins and arteries that pump the necessary information (blood)
throughout your body. The Internet is what controls the functions of the web, much like the brain
controls the functions of our bodies. Also accessible from the net are UseNet (a place to discuss news items),
FTP (File Transfer Protocol- a way of transferring files over the net), Gopher
(a tool used for exploring hyperlinked information), and e-mail (electronic mail which
allows communication with people world-wide).
The Internet was formed in the late 1960’s, early 1970’s by the
Department of Defense
when they put together the ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency).
It was developed as a means to share information and ideas across the nation as well as
across continents. The World Wide Web is an informational system found either on the Internet or an organization's
intranet. Here the user can create, view, and access different documents. "...it is the universe of network-accessible information,
the embodiment of human knowledge". (www.w3.org/www/)
The Intranet is an organizations internal W3. It may include an employee directory, company rules of conduct, and various departmental
documents pertinent only to that group.
These documents are referred to as web sites.
They could be appear on your monitor as text, graphics, sound or animation. The time required to retrieve these documents
is dependent upon the speed of your processor and of your connecting link; whether it is be the modem on your desktop,
or the LAN (local area network) that many businesses employ.
Tim Berners-Lee of CERN (a collective of European high-energy physics researchers,
European Laboratory for Particle Physics) created the World Wide Web. It was started
in order to exchange research information within the organization. Being
located in several countries, they needed a fast, yet reliable means to do this.
Its original design was exclusive exchange of physics data, but soon spread to
other venues. Many universities and not-for profit agencies are allowed
Internet access at no cost. In September 1994, the World Wide Web
Consortium was established with its home base at MIT . It also had locations in France
and Japan. Its most fundamental purpose was to promote the use of the WWW, introduce
new software and information products to be used and shared by all. Berners-Lee
created this organization as well.
In order to access the Internet, the user needs a provider. Three types are available.
The first is an Individual Access Providers (IAP). These are fine for downloading files,
but do not support graphical Web browsers. For full Internet use, either a PPP
(point to point protocol ) or SLIP ( serial line Internet protocol) are required. These both use a
standard telephone line and modem to connect. The second type provider is a commercial online service.
Examples are America Online and Prodigy.
Each one has different specialty features but are essentially the same.
For a monthly charge you get Internet access, e-mail, plus on line and telephone customer support.
Finally, there are the public access networks. These are local, state, or federal networks
which offer a wide range of services. These services include public announcements, lists of
available free assistance and government programs. Internet access is often available at public libraries, schools and youth centers.
The W3 is accessed by use of a URL or uniform resource locator. A URL is
name for the web site's address. It is composed of several elements. The first is the
scheme, which indicates what type file is about to appear. Most often seen is HTTP,
Hypertext Transfer Protocol. HTTP is associated with web pages. Other common schemes
are FTP, for downloading files from the net;
Gopher, for sending and reading messages
posted to a Usenet newsgroup; and Mailto, for sending off e-mail. A file from your hard-drive or disk
will have three forward slashes instead of the usual two. The second part after
the colon and two forward slashes is the server name. Mailto and news schemes do not follow this rule,
they have only a colon. The name of server where the file is located is identified next.
This is a unique name, which is registered with Network Solutions. After this is the
domain name. This tells what kind of group is posting the site: (com) commercial business,
government (gov), (net) network operations educational (edu), military (mil) or an organization, typically not for profit (org).
In between the various parts we find periods (.) called dots. Some examples of URL's:
http://www.rit.edu , Rochester Institute of Technology's Homepage and
http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/rbeard/diction.html , site of online dictionaries in a multitude of languages. A browser is software residing on your computer's hard drive. It is a navigational
tool used to display
the thousands of sites available on the web. There are two types of browsers: graphical
and non-graphical. With the former, you can view text with symmetrical fonts and
color graphics (pictures). The latter has no pictures, and only a monspaced font.
Some of the browsers available are
Netscape Navigator,
NCSA Mosaic,
Microsoft Explorer and
Lynx. Lynx is one of the non-graphical browser. Like Netscape and Explorer, it can search for web documents and is part of the Internet.
There is however one major difference: lynx is a text only browser, it does not have the capabilities of downloading
graphics, multi-fonts or the other high-tech appearances usually associated with the W3.
Web browsers work using HTML (hypertext markup language). This is the language
that is translated into readable text and images onto your browser. After locating the address you requested,
you can view it and/or click on the buttons that lead to hyper links or some of the sponsors
that are quite prevalent on web pages. The links could include besides text
and graphics, audio clips, movies, and programs to download. These "clickable" buttons could be highlighted text, pictures or icons.
After positioning your mouse over the link, the rollover will give you the
URL. No matter the size of the document being transmitted over the web, they are all
sent in fragmented packages. If you are allowed to enter, the site will be sent to you in packets to be re-structured in bits to be
viewed on your monitor. Everything is checked to be sure it is complete
and assembled in the proper format.
The document could travel many different routes, depending on how busy the network is.
A document en-route from a server in Chicago could come to St. Louis by way of England.
There are also programs that can be installed to make your browser more effective
and allow you to hear and see more of what is available. These are called helper applications. A few are listed here. A search engine is a service found on the web that allows you to
type in as much or as little about a subject that you know. It will then do a search
of your entry. The address of several or several thousand
with this subject matter will appear in your browser. You can also narrow it down to
be more specific if where you are directed to does not define what you need.
It may be necessary to check several engines before finding the information you are
seeking. One way to do this is through the use of a meta-search. This sends your request
to several engines simultaneously. Search engines have programs called web crawlers
or spiders that span the globe in search for documents pertaining to your chosen subject.
Depending on the type crawler, you may find every document related, or they may skip over
links with graphics and animation files. There are many search engines available on the Internet today. Below
is a list of some of the more popular: In addition to standard search engines, there are also metacrawlers or
metasearch engines. Instead of going to web sites, they allow the search to go through several search engines
at the same time. Thus giving you a wider listing. A couple are listed below. To find a review of current events and the days news there are engines that do just that. Here are a couple: When I think of the future my memory slips
back to my childhood when I used to watch The Jetsons. This was a popular cartoon from the sixties that looked
at what seemed then to be a far-fetched look into the future.
What seemed most fascinating to me was their means of communication. They were able to speak face to face on a monitor.
While we don't have this in our homes yet, can it be too many years away?
The possibilities seem endless. We can do virtually everything with the touch of a mouse from the comfort of our home. Perhaps the day will come
when we are able to program our PC to know who is about to walk up our driveway before our bell is rung. Or how about a robot
that can clean our houses and do the shopping. We would then have more time to spend with our families and
doing enjoyable, relaxing activities. Communication has come
a long way since that first PC was designed. A common complaint heard today is that parents allow their children
to spend too much time in front of televisions and CRTs. If our technology continues at the speed we are at now, perhaps the time will come when
we will be able to have more leisure time to spend with them and have less need to leave then
on their own.
Norton, Peter (1997) Inside the PC Sams Premier White, Ron (1998) How Computer's Work Que Wickre, Karen and Powell, Bob (1995) Atlas to the World Wide Web Ziff-Davis "If you can"(1999, Jan).Navigating the Web four tips for smarter searches Consumer Reports Hughes, K (1993).Entering the World Wide Web: A Guide to Cyberspace [on-line] Naval Air Systems Command (NASM)Webtips [on-line] The Potomac Knowledgeway Project (1998) [on-line] Image Net Worker How Browsers Work [on-line] SEBAC, Jacksonville State University Internet Tutorial [on-line]
What is the Internet?
What is the World Wide Web?
How Was the Web Created?
What's a browser?
What are Search Engines?
The Future?
Bibliography
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