The Internet consists of many computer networks spread throughout the world. The exact number of computers connected to the internet is still unknown. However, it is certain thathis number reached several million.
The Internet is a decentralized system that does not have a single regulatory authority. Various organizations are dedicated to the development of technical aspects related to these networks and are mandated to create standards for creating applications in them. However, no regulatory body asserts control over the network as a whole. The underlying infrastructure of data transmission on the Internet, referred to as the backbone of the Internet, is under the ownership of private companies.
The method of communication among all computer systems on the Internet involves the use of a series of Transmission Control Protocols/Internet Protocols known by the abbreviation TCP/IP. The client/server architecture is used by computers on the Internet. This indicates that the remote server equipment is providing files and assistance to the user’s closest client equipment. Installation of software on client computers can facilitate the utilization of contemporary access technologies.
The Internet provides a wide range of services to its users which include electronic mail, file transfer, abundant information resources, interest group participation, interactive collaboration, multimedia displays, real-time broadcasting, shopping, breaking news, and various other offerings.
The basic components of the internet consist of a variety of access protocols. Many protocols incorporate applications that facilitate the process of searching and retrieving content available through those protocols.
WORLD WIDE WEB
The World Wide Web (abbreviated Web or WWW) is an Internet server system that supports hypertext to access various Internet protocols through a single interface. Almost all types of protocols available on the Internet can be accessed on the Web. This includes email, FTP, Telnet, and Usenet news. In addition, the World Wide Web has its protocol: HyperText Transfer Protocol, or HTTP.
The World Wide Web provides a single interface to access all these protocols. It provides a comfortable and user-friendly environment. There is no longer a need to be familiar with these protocols in a separate command-level environment. The web unites all these protocols in one system. Because of these features, and because of the Web’s ability to work with multimedia and advanced programming languages, the Web is the fastest-growing component of the Internet.
The web-primarily relies on hypertext as a means of retrieving information. Hypertext is a document that contains words linked to another document. These words are called links and can be selected by the user. A single hypertext document can contain links to many documents. In the context of the Web, words or graphics can serve as links to documents, images, videos, and other sounds. Links may or may not follow a logical path, as each link is programmed by the creator of the source document. Overall, the Web contains complex virtual networks that connect large amounts of documents, graphics, video, and sound.
Hypertext for the web is created by writing documents using a language called HyperText Markup Language, or HTML. With HTML, tags are placed within the text to control document formatting, visual features such as font size, italics and bold, and hypertext link generation. Graphics and multimedia can also be included in HTML documents. HTML is an ever-evolving language, with new tags added as each version of the language is developed and released. The World Wide Web (W3C) consortium, led by Web founder Tim Berners-Lee, coordinated efforts to standardize HTML. The W3C now refers to this language as XHTML and considers it a standard application of the XML language.
The World Wide Web consists of files, called pages or home pages, that contain links to documents and resources across the Internet.
The Web offers a variety of experiences, including multimedia presentations, real-time collaboration, interactive pages, radio and television broadcasts, and automatic “pushing” of information to client computers. Programming languages such as Java, JavaScript, Visual Basic, Cold Fusion, and XML extend the capabilities of the Web. More and more information on the Web is presented dynamically from content stored in databases. Therefore, the Web is not a fixed entity, but one that is constantly evolving and changing.
Electronic mail, or email, allows computer users to exchange messages locally and around the world. Each mail user has a mailbox address that is used to send messages. Messages sent via email can be received in seconds.
A powerful aspect of email is the ability to send electronic files to one’s email address. Non-ASCII files, known as binary files, can be attached to email messages. These files are called MIME attachments. MIME stands for Multimedia Internet Mail Extension and was developed to help email software handle different types of files. For example, a document created in Microsoft Word can be attached to an email message and retrieved by the recipient using the appropriate e-mail program. Many email programs, including Eudora, Netscape Messenger, and Microsoft Outlook, offer the ability to read files written in HTML, which is also a type of MIME.
TELNET
Telnet is a program that allows you to log on to a computer on the Internet and use online databases, library catalogs, chat services, and much more. There are no graphics in a Telnet session, only text. To Telnet a computer, you need to know its address. These addresses can be words (domain names) or numbers (IP addresses). Some services require you to connect to a specific port on the remote computer. In this case, type the port number after the Internet address.
Telnet is available on the World Wide Web. Perhaps the most common web-based resource available through Telnet is library catalogs, although most catalogs have now migrated to the web. A connection to a Telnet resource may look like any other connection, but it initiates a Telnet session to establish a connection. The Telnet program must be installed on your local computer and configured with a web browser to work.
With the increasing popularity of the web, Telnet is becoming less commonly used as a means to access information on the internet.
FTP
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. FTP is a program and method for transferring files between computers. Anonymous FTP is an option that allows users to transfer files from thousands of computers hosted on the Internet to their computer accounts. FTP sites contain books, articles, software, games, images, sounds, multimedia, courses, datasets, and more.
If your computer is connected directly to the Internet via an Ethernet cable, you can use one of several PC software programs, to perform the file transfer.
FTP transfers can be made on the World Wide Web without the need for special software. In this case, a web browser is sufficient. Whenever you download software from a website to your local computer, you are using FTP.
E-MAIL DISCUSSION GROUPS
One of the benefits of the Internet is that it allows people all over the world to communicate through e-mail. The Internet is home to a large community that has active discussions organized around topic-based forums distributed via email. These forums are maintained by software programs. Perhaps the most common program is the listserv.
A wide variety of topics are covered by the listserv, many of which are academic in nature. When you subscribe to a listserv, messages from other subscribers are automatically sent to your electronic mailbox. You subscribe to a listserv by sending an email message to a computer program called a listserver. Listservers are located on computer networks around the world. The program handles subscription information and distributes messages to and from subscribers. You must have an e-mail account to participate in listserv discussion groups. Visit Tile.net in /http://tile.net/ to see examples of sites that offer searchable collections of e-mail discussion groups.
Majordomo and Listproc are two other programs that manage e-mail discussion groups. The commands for subscribing and managing your list members are similar to the listserv.
USENET NEWS
Usenet News is a global electronic bulletin board system where millions of computer users exchange information on a wide variety of topics. The main difference between Usenet News and e-mail discussion groups is the fact that Usenet messages are stored on a central computer, and users must be connected to this computer to read or download messages sent to this group. This is in contrast to e-mail distribution, where messages arrive in the electronic mailboxes of each list member.
Usenet itself is a collection of machines that exchange messages, or articles, from Usenet discussion forums, called newsgroups. Usenet administrators control their sites and decide which newsgroups (if any) to sponsor and which remote newsgroups to allow into the system.
There are thousands of Usenet newsgroups in existence. Although many are academic in nature, many newsgroups are organized around recreational topics. A lot of serious computer-related work happens in Usenet discussions. A small number of e-mail discussion groups also exist as Usenet newsgroups.
Usenet news feeds can be read by a variety of news-reading software programs. For example, Netscape’s package comes with a newsreader program called Messenger. Newsreaders are also available as standalone products.
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FAQ, RFC, FYI
FAQ stands for Frequently Asked Questions. These are periodic postings to Usenet newsgroups that contain a wealth of information related to newsgroup topics. Many FAQs are quite extensive. FAQs are available by subscribing to each Usenet newsgroup. The collection of Web-based FAQ resources has been compiled by The Internet FAQ Consortium and is available at http://www.faqs.org/.
RFC stands for Request for Comments. It is a document created by and distributed to the Internet community to help define important things on the Internet. This document contains technical specifications and general information.
FYI stands for For Your Information. These records are part of the RFC and contain information of interest to new Internet users.
CHAT &; INSTANT MESSAGING
Chat programs allow users on the Internet to communicate with each other by typing in real-time. The program is sometimes included as a website feature, where users can log into “chat rooms” to exchange comments and information on topics discussed on the site. Chat can take other, broader forms. For example, America Online is best known for sponsoring several topic chat rooms.
Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a service that allows participants to communicate with each other through hundreds of channels. These channels are usually based on specific topics. While many topics are trivial, there are also serious conversations going on. To access IRC, you need to use IRC software.
A variation of chat is the phenomenon of instant messaging. Instant messaging allows users on the web to contact other logged-in users and have conversations. The most famous is America Online’s Instant Messenger. ICQ, MSN, and Yahoo are other popular chat programs.
MUD/MUSH/MOO/MUCK/DUM/MUSE
MUD stands for Multi-User Dimension. MUD and its variants listed above are multi-user virtual reality games that are based on simulated worlds. MUDs were traditionally text-based, now there are graphics-based. There are different types of MUDs on the Internet, and many are free to join. For more information, read one of the FAQs dedicated to MUD on the FAQ page at