INTERNET AND EMAIL

Introduction to the Internet

 It is a large no. of connected computers (or a large set of computer
networks) linked together that

communicate with each other, over telephone lines.

 It is a worldwide computer network connecting thousands of
computer networks, through a mixture
Of private & public data using the telephone lines.
 It is a worldwide (global or an international) network of computers
that provide a variety of

resources and data to the people that use it.

 Internet refers to a global inter-connection of computers and
computer networks to facilitate global

Information transfer. It is an interconnection of computers

throughout the world, using ordinary telecommunication lines and
modems .

Features and functions of the Internet

 The Internet is a collection of networks; it is not owned or
controlled by any single organization, and it has no formal
management organization. However, there is an Internet
Society that co-ordinates and sets standard for its use.
In addition, Networks have no political boundaries on the exchange
of information.
 Networks are connected by Gateways that effectively
remove barriers so that one type of network can “talk” to a
different type of network.
 To join the Internet, an existing network will only be
required to pay a small registration fee and agree to certain
standards based on TCP/IP. The costs are low, because the
Internet owns nothing, and so it has no real costs to offset.
Each organization pays for its own network & its own
telephone bills, but these costs usually exist independent of
the Internet.
 Networks that join the Internet must agree to move each
other’s traffic (data) at no charge to the others, just as it is
the case with mail delivered through the International
Postal system. This is why all the data appear to move at the
cost of a local telephone call, making the Net a very cheap
communication media.

Functions of the Internet

The Internet carries many kinds of traffic, and provides users with
several functions. Some of the most important functions are:
1. Communication.
Many people all over the world use the Internet to communicate
with each other. Internet communication capabilities include; E-
mail, Usenet Newsgroups, Chatting and Telnet. You can send e-mails
to your friends anywhere in the world, chat with your friends, send
instant messages, etc.
2. Information retrieval.
The Internet is a library. Thousands of books, magazines,
newspapers and encyclopedias can be read on the Internet.
3. Easy-to-use offerings of information and products.
You can find information for your school assignments, buy books
online, check what the weather is like anywhere in the world, and
much more.
Internet Services
The following are some of the services offered by Internet:
 Electronic mail (e-mail).
 Fax services.
 Conference services.
 Online chatting.
 Downloading of programs.
 Online shopping.
 File transfer.
 Entertainment (Games, Music and Movies).
 Free information retrieval (e.g., Educational
information).
 Formation of Discussion groups, e.g. Usenet Newsgroups.
 Video Conferencing.
 Access & Use of other computers.
Electronic Mail (E-mail).
An E-mail is a system that enables sending & receiving of messages
electronically through computers. It is used for communication
between organizations or departments in the same organization.
E-mail is a quick, cheap, efficient & convenient means of
communication with both individuals and groups. It is faster than
ordinary mail, easy to manage, inexpensive and saves paper.
With Internet mail, it is possible to send and receive messages
quickly from businesses, friends or family in another part of the
world. An E-mail message can travel around the world in minutes.
Fax services.
Fax services enable individuals & businesses to send faxes through
e-mail at a lower cost compared to the usual international Fax
charges.
Conference services.
Conferencing on the Web can be defined as the dynamic exchange of
all kinds of information – text, graphics, audio, video, etc – in a
situation whereby the conversations are organized by item and
allow a participant to contribute spontaneous responses to any item
in the conversation.

Application of Conferencing on the Web.

The conversation can:
Provide important information that can assist in decision-making.
 Provide any required technical support.

Help in community-building, project management & distance

learning.

Help to organize electronic meetings, etc.

The Internet also allows you to have access to various types of

information you might require to make accurate and informed
decisions, e.g., it provides information on business, education,
sports, politics, etc.
Chatting.
Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a chatting system on the Internet that
allows a large no. of people from various locations of the world who
are on the computer to chat (i.e., simultaneously hold live and
interactive electronic conversations) among themselves.
You can join discussion groups on the Internet and meet people
around the world with similar interests.
You can ask questions, discuss problems and read interesting
stories. Anyone interested in chatting can join a discussion forum on
one of the listed topics. Only people who happen to be signed on at
the same time are able to talk because messages are not stored.
This discussion can be an effective business tool if people who can
benefit from interactive conversation set a specific appointment to
meet and talk on a particular topic.
Disadvantage.
Usually, the topic is open to all without security; so intruders can
participate.
Information retrieval.
The Internet is a voluntarily decentralized network with no central
listing of participants or sites. Therefore, End-users, usually working
from PCs are able to search & find information of interest located in
different sites assisted by special software and data stored in readily
usable formats. The Internet gives you information on almost any
subject.
This is because of the Worldwide Web (www).The World Wide Web
is a global (an international) system of connected Web pages
containing information such as, text, pictures, sound and video. The
WWW is hypertext based (i.e., it is able to access text and graphical
data formatted for easy search, retrieval and display).
With the WWW, you can review Newspapers, magazines, academic
papers, etc. In addition, governments, colleges, universities,
companies and individuals offer free information on the Internet.
E.g., you can inquire (find out) about universities in Britain or
America.

NOTE. Its major problem is finding what you need from among the
many storehouses of data found in databases and libraries all over
the world.
Downloading of Programs.
There are thousands of programs available on the Internet. These
programs include; Word processors, Spreadsheets, Electronic cards,
etc.
You can therefore, look for the latest software over the Internet, e.g.,
you can get the latest Anti-virus software, and in addition, retrieve a
free trial issue.
Entertainment.
There are hundreds of simple games available on the Internet. These
include; Chess, Football, etc. The Internet also allows you review
current Movies and hear Television theme songs.
Online Shopping.
You can order goods and services on the Internet without leaving
your desk. E.g., you can view a catalogue of a certain clothes shop
over the Internet and fill in an online Order form.
Commercial enterprises use the Web to provide information on
demand for purposes of customer support, marketing and sales.
File Transfer.
Data in the form of files can be transferred across the Internet from
one site to another using the File
Transfer Protocol (FTP). FTP software is needed at both ends to
handle the transfer. It is through FTP that the two pieces of software
manage to ‘understand’ each other.
Discussion Groups.
A Discussion group is a collection of users who have joined together
to discuss some topic.
There are many discussions on different topics including Cooking,
Skydiving, Politics, Education, recreational, scientific research, etc.
Two of the commonly used discussion groups for business are;
 List Servers.

 Usenet newsgroups.
Usenet newsgroups.

These are the most formally organized of the discussion groups.

Using a facility on the Internet called USENET; individuals can gain
access to a very wide variety of information topics.
Usenet Newsgroups are usually worldwide discussion groups in
which people share information and ideas on a defined topic
through large electronic Bulletin Boards where anyone can read any
articles or write articles and post messages on the topic for others to
see and respond to. The individuals can add messages to different
topics and read those contributed by others. For instance, users
such as students can ask questions about problems they face, or they
could contribute or give an advice on how to improve the teaching
of the subject.
Messages can be easily linked so that it is easy to know messages
that are related. Establishing a new newsgroup requires a vote of all
interested people on the Internet. If enough people express interest,
the new topic is established.
NOTE. To join a Newsgroup and be able to read messages on various
topics, your computer must have Newsreader software such as
Outlook Express, or Internet News.
Any Internet user can access some of these newsgroups, while other
newsgroups will require to subscribe to a specific topic or set of
topics.
Once you have subscribed, each time you access the newsgroups
you are informed of any new messages added to the topics. You can
then read these messages and respond to them by adding your own
message.
The Usenet software receives “postings” of information and
transmits new postings to users who have registered their interest
in receiving the information. Each individual posting takes the form
like that used for e-mail.
There are over 10,000 such newsgroups; however, each Usenet site
is financed independently & controlled by a Site Administrator, who
carries only those groups that he/she chooses.
List Server
A List Server (or list serve) group is similar to the Usenet
newsgroups, but is generally less formal.
Anyone with the right e-mail server software can establish a list
server, which is simply a mail list.
The processor of the List Server processes commands such as
request to subscribe, unsubscribe, or to provide information about
the list serve. The List serve mailer directs messages to everyone on
the mailing list.
To use a List server, you need to know the addresses of both the
Processor and the Mailer.
To subscribe to a List server, you send an e-mail message to the List
server processor, which adds your name to the list. Many different
commands can be sent to the List server processor to perform a
variety of functions. These commands are included as lines of text in
the e-mail messages sent to the processor.
List servers are more focused that the Usenet newsgroups and have
fewer members. They are harder to find than the Usenet
newsgroups because literally anyone can create one.
Video Conferencing.
Video conferencing provides real-time transmission of video &
audio signals to enable people in 2 or more locations to have a
meeting.
The fastest growing form of video conferencing is Desktop video
conferencing. Small cameras installed on top of each camera enable
meetings to take place from individual offices. Special application
software (e.g., CUSeeMe) is installed on top of each client computer.
It transmits the image across a network to application software on a
video-conferencing Server. The server then sends the signals to the
other client computers that are to participate in the video
conference. In some areas, the clients can communicate with each
other without using the server.
Some systems have integrated other types of GroupWare with
desktop video conferencing, enabling participants to communicate
verbally to attend the same “meeting” while sitting at the computer
in their offices.
Advantage of Video conferencing.
 Saves time & cost, as it reduces the need to travel.
Access & Use of other computers.
The Internet has a facility called TELNET that enables a user on one
computer to use another computer across the network, i.e., the user
is able to run programs on the other machine as if he/she is a local
user.
Telnet is a protocol, which enables a user on one computer to log in
to another computer on the Internet.TELNET establishes an error-
free, rapid link between two computers, allowing a user to log on to
his/her home computer from a remote computer even when
traveling. You can also log on to and use third- party computers that
have been made available to the public.
TELNET will use the computer address you supply to locate the
computer you want to reach and connectyou to it. You will, of
course, have to log in & go through any security procedures you,
your company, or the third-party computer owner have put in place
to protect that computer.
Telnet requires an application image program on the Client
computer and an application layer program on the Server of the host
computer. Many programs conform to the Telnet Standard
(e.g.,EWAN).
Once Telnet enables the connection from the Client to the Server,
you can log in by use of commands. The exact commands to gain
access to these newsgroups vary from computer to computer.
Telnet enables you to connect to a remote computer without
incurring long-distance telephone charges.Telnet can be useful
because, it enables you to access your Server or Host computer
without sitting at its Keyboard.
Telnet can be faster or slower than a modem, depending on the
amount of traffic on the Internet.
NOTE. Telnet is insecure, because everyone on the Internet can
attempt to log in your computer and use it as they wish. One
commonly used security precaution is to prohibit remote log INS via
Tel-net unless a user specifically asks for his/her account to be
authorized for it, or permit remote log ins only from a specific set of
Internet addresses, e.g., the Web server at a university can be
configured to only accept telnet log ins from computers located on
the Kabete Campus network.
Electronic Commerce.
Many people are actively using the Internet for Electronic
Commerce (i.e., doing business on the Internet).
The use of the Internet in E-commerce is not necessary for making
money as such, but mainly to find information, improve
communication and provide information.
Many people automatically focus on the retail aspect of e-commerce,
i.e., selling products to individuals.
However, this is just one small part of e-commerce. The fastest
group and the largest segment of e- commerce is business-to-
business settings.
There are 4 ways in which the Web can be used to support E-
commerce;
 Electronic Store.
Electronic Store is a Website that lists all the products or services a
business wishes to sell, thus enabling customers to purchase them
by using the Internet itself.
E-store sites provide physical goods and services. The cost of
providing information on the Web is low (unlike a Catalog, in which
each page adds to the cost), and therefore, electronic stores can
provide much information. In addition, electronic stores can also
add value by providing dynamic information.
E-mail can also serve the purpose of E-store. This is because, e-mail
is essentially a collection of e- stores. The mail usually provides all
the computer information needed for e-commerce, and advertises
the mail to potential customers. In return, the stores pay the mail a
monthly fee or some percentage of sales.
 Electronic Marketing.
E-marketing sites focus on the products or services of one company
with aim of increasing sales.
This type of site supports the sales process, but does not make
actual sales. The goal is to attract and keep customers
By doing so, such sites provide a wealth of information about the
firms and products complete with technical details and photos.
Customers can review these but cannot buy over the Web. The idea
is to encourage the user to visit a local dealer, who will then make a
sale.
Computers also use e-marketing sites to provide newsletters with
information on the latest products and tips on how to use them.
Other companies enable potential customers to sign up for
notification of new product releases.
E-marketing is cheaper in many ways than traditional marketing
(radio, direct marketing, TV or print media). This is because while it
costs the same to develop these traditional media, it costs nothing to
send information to the customers. It is also easier to customize the
presentation of information to a potential customer, because the
Web is interactive. In contrast, the other media are fixed once they
are developed, and they provide the same marketing approach to all
who use it.
 Information / Entertainment provider.
The Information/Entertainment provider supplies information (in
form of text or graphics) or entertainment. These providers provide
information from many sources with an aim of helping the users.
Several radio and TV stations are using the Web to provide
broadcast of audio and video. The Web also offers new forms of real
entertainment e.g., enables new multiplayer interactive games,
which are not available in any other media. The information /
entertainment providers generate revenue by selling advertisement
printouts.
 Customers Service sales.
This provides a variety of information for customers after they have
purchased a product or service to allow customers access most
commonly needed information 24 hrs a day.
Many software companies post updates that fix problems so that
customers can download for themselves. Customer service sites
benefit both the company and the customers. They enable
customers to get a 24 hr support and easy access to needed
information.
They often reduce the no. of staff needed by automating routine
information requests that previously had to be handled by an
employee.

 GroupWare.
GroupWare is software that helps groups of people to work together
more productively. They are often organized using a two-by-two
grid. Same place Same time Different time
1. Group support systems
2. Video teleconferencing, Desktop
3. video teleconferencing
4. E-mail, Discussion groups, Document based
GroupWare allows people in different places to communicate either
at the same time (as on a telephone) or at different times.
GroupWare can also be used to improve communication and
decision-making among those who work together in the same room,
either at the same time or at different times
. GroupWare allows people to exchange ideas, debate issues, make
decisions, and write reports, without actually having to meet face to
face. Even when groups meet in the same room at the same time,
GroupWare can improve meetings.
The major advantage of GroupWare is its ability to help groups
make faster decisions, particularly in situations where it is difficult
for group members to meet in the same room at the same time.
The 3 most popular types of GroupWare are;
- Discussion groups.
- Group support systems.
- Video Conferencing.
Group Support Systems (GSS).
Both e-mail and documents-based GroupWare are designed to
support individuals and groups working in different places at
different times. They are not suited to support groups working
together at the same time and in the same place. In addition, they
don’t provide advanced tools for helping groups to make decisions.
Group Support Systems (GSS) are software tools, designed to
improve group’s decision-making. GSS are used with special-
purpose meeting rooms that provide each group member with a
network computer plus a large screen video projection system that
acts as electronic blackboards. These rooms are equipped with
special-purpose GSS software that enables participants to
communicate, propose ideas, analyze options, evaluate alternatives,
etc. Typically, a meeting facilitator assists the group.
The group members can either discuss verbally or use computers to
type ideas and information, which are then shared with all other
group members via the network. For large groups where only one
person can speak at a time, typing ideas is faster than talking.
Everyone has the same opportunity to contribute and ideas can be
collected much faster. In addition, GSS enables users to make
anonymous comments.
Without anonymity, certain participants may withhold ideas
because they fear their ideas may not be well received. The system
also provides tools to support voting and ranking of alternatives; so
that more structured decision-making process can be used.
Just like in document-based GroupWare, vendors use the Web
browser as their client software. So, almost anyone can access
GroupWare Server.
NOTE. Discussion groups, document-based GroupWare and GSS all
focus on the transmission of text and graphical images.
Importance of services provided on the Internet.
The services offered by the Internet can be used as important tools
in various ways:
1). As a research tool:
To learn about new developments or products, competitors, market
news and customer opinions.
2). As an advertising / trading tool:
To help in selling goods or delivering information through the Web
pages to customers on a 24-hour basis.
3). As a communication tool:
To support communication with customers, suppliers or staff
through Electronic mail (e-mail).
4). As an Entertainment channel:
Most of the Games, Movies, and Television theme songs are available
for free on the Internet.
In addition, you can have live, interactive conversations with people
around the world including celebrities.
Browsing the Web
This is also known as Navigating or ‘Surfing’ the Web.
 To Browse is to navigate the Internet or the contents of your
computer.

 Browsing can also be defined as moving around and between Web

pages.

Using a Web browsing software you can read documents, listen to

music, watch videos, make purchases, participate in surveys,
advertise products, do research, share interests and download files
on the Web.
EXPLORING / BROWSING THE INTERNET.
Use the Internet Explorer on your Windows desktop to browse the
Web. There are several ways in which you can browse the Web
pages or “surf the net”.
(a). When viewing a Web page, you can navigate the Internet by
clicking Links, Underlined text or special features that cause you to
jump to another Web page.

Hyperlinks.
A Hyperlink is a coloured or underlined text or a graphic that you
click to ‘jump’ from one location
to another. The hyperlinks enable the user to ‘jump’ to another file,
or to another location in the same file.
All Web pages have hyperlinks. These links:
(i). Connect one part of a Web page to another part of the same Web
page. This is useful if the
Web page is large.
(ii). Connect one Web page to another Website somewhere on the
Web.
(iii). Connect a page to a file, such as a sound clip, video, a
Spreadsheet or a Word document.
The links can connect to objects stored anywhere on the Internet.
Hypertext links are indicated by underlined text highlighted usually
in blue. Hyperlinks can also be represented by buttons, graphics or
pictures. To find hyperlinks on a page, move your mouse pointer
over the page and where there is a hyperlink, the mouse pointer will
change into a hand with a pointing finger. When you click a link,
another Web page appears.
As you browse the Web, Internet Explorer stores the sites and pages
that you visit. Usually, the hyperlinks you previously selected are
colored differently. Internet Explorer does this to remindyou that
you have already visited the page identified by this link.
(b). You can also use the Standard toolbar buttons in the Internet
Explorer to move between Web pages, or to search the Internet.
History.
Internet Explorer remembers the Websites and Web pages that you
have visited. It keeps record of each Web page as it is downloaded.
This is the History feature.
You can therefore, easily return to the page you have visited. To
redisplay the page you have just left, click on the Back button. To
move to the next page (available only if you have moved back), click
the Forward button.
Web Hosting.
A World Wide Web Server is a computer with programs that answer
requests for documents from Clients (browsers) over the Internet.
Files containing Web sites are placed on these servers. A Host
computer is any computer connected to the Internet and stores
information that has been made available to the Web.
ISPs also use host computers to store user’s electronic mail
messages, Web sites and other related facilities such as, support
software and appropriate security.
Web Address (Uniform Resource Locator – URL).
An Address is the location of a file.
Each Web page in the world has a unique Internet address or
location. Internet addresses are also called the Uniform Resource
Locator (URL). E.g., the general URL for Microsoft is
http://www.Microsoft.com./
You can use addresses to find files on the Internet & your computer.
You can instantly display any Web page if you know its URL. E.g.,
http://www.compaq.com. AutoComplete - A feature in the Address
Bar. When you begin typing a previously used address, thisfeature
finishes it as you type.
How the Web Works.
Each Client computer needs an application software package called
a Web browser, such as Navigator, Internet Explorer.
Each Server on the network needs an application software package
called a Web Server. There are many different Web servers, such as
those produced by Netscape, Microsoft and Apache.
In order to get a page from the Web, the user must type the Uniform
Resource Locator (URL) for the desired page, or click on a link that
provides the URL. The URL specifies the Internet address of the Web
Server, the directory and the name of the specific page required. If
no directory or page is specified, the Web server will display
whatever page has been defined as its Home page. If no server name
is specified, the Web browser will assume that the address is on the
same server and directory as the last request.
In order for the Web server to understand requests from the Web
browser, they must use the same standard protocol. If there was no
standard, then each Web browser would use a different way to
request pages. This means that, it would be impossible for a Web
browser from Netscape to communicate with a Web server from
Microsoft. The standard protocol for communication between a Web
browser and a Web server is the HyperText Transfer Protocol
(HTTP). An HTTP request for a Web browser to a Web server has 3
parts, but only the 1st part is required, the other two are optional.
 The Request Line, which starts with a command (e.g., GET), provides
the URL, and ends with HTTP version number that the browser
understands.
 The Request Header, which contains a variety of optional information
such as the Web browser being used (e.g., Internet Explorer), the
date, the User ID and Password for using the Web pages as
password protected.
 The Request Body, which contains information sent to the Server,
such as information from a firm.

NOTE. Every Web user must provide the Internet address of the
receiving computer, otherwise, the server would not know where to
send the requested page. Some browsers also provide the
requestor‘s e-mail addresses as well. Most Web servers keep a
record of Internet addresses of all the requests (and the e-mail
address, if provided by the browser). Some companies use this
information to make a follow up with prospective customers.
An HTTP response for a Web server to a Web browser also has 3
parts, but only the last part is required, the first two are optional.
 The Response Status, which contains the HTTP version number the
server has used as status code (e.g., 200 means ‗OK‘, 404 means
‗Page not found’), and reason phrase (i.e., a text description of the
status code).
 The Response Header, which contains a variety of optional
information such as the Web server being used, the date, the exact
URL of the page in the response body, and the format of the body
(e.g., HTML).
 The Response Body, which is the Web page itself.

Internet Addresses. Internet addresses are strictly regulated,

otherwise, someone could add a computer to the Internet that had
the same address as another computer. Each address has 2 parts;
The computer name and its domain. The Domain is the specific part
of the Internet to which the computer is connected (e.g., Canada,
Australia, etc).
The general format of an Internet address is therefore: computer.
Domain. Some computer names have several parts separated by
periods. For example, the main university Web server of an
imaginary
University like Yairobi can be www.Yairobi.edu, while the college of
Humanities and Social Sciences server can be www.chss.Yairobi.edu.
Each domain has an address board that assigns address for its
domain. The boards ensure that there are
no duplicates.
Finding Web pages (information) on the Web.
There are 3 ways you can use to find interesting and useful Web
pages on the Web;
1). You could get the Web address from an advertisement.
Many businesses include their Web addresses in their Television
and Print advertisements.
2). You click a link that will enable you jump from one page to
another.
Many industries or organizations, magazines and topic experts
maintain pages that provide links
from page to page.
3). Use of Search Engines.
Search Engines / Search Services.
 A Search engine is software that helps in locating information in the
Web.
 Search engine is a tool that searches the Web for information that
you want to find.

Purpose.
√ If you want to get some information concerning an area or subject
of interest over the Web but you
do not know where to find it, you can use a Search engine to locate
sites that contain the
information.
√ Locate particular information in a Website, e.g., if you wish to read
the Sports news you can load a
Web site like http://www.cnn.com/, and then use a search engine
within that site to locate
information on Sports.
The following are the various search engines:
1). Yahoo – www.Yahoo.com.
2). AltaVista – www.altavista.digital.com.
3). Excite – www.excite.com.
4). Meta Crawler – www.metacrawler.com.
5). Info seek.
6). Lycos.
These search engines offer different kinds of searching capabilities.
However, they differ in the way they organize information in
response to your request. Yahoo focuses on the largest & most
important Websites and organizes them in a directory format.
Small and little known Websites are excluded. Therefore, if you are
looking for the address of a well- known company or product or a
popular topic, Yahoo is probably the easiest way to find it.
Alta Vista is the broadest of all. It lists almost everything it can find.
It is probably the best choice if you are looking for an unclear topic
or a very specific combination of topics or words (e.g., to find
famous quote).
The major disadvantage of Alta Vista is that, you may have to look
through dozens of sites before you find the ones you want. In
addition, Alta Vista does not provide some help in focusing your
search.
Excite is easier to use in that, it uses advanced special intelligence
techniques to help you search those pages that best match your
interest. E.g., after looking at the result of a search, you can tell
Excite to find more pages that are similar to a specific page it has
found. Excite will then search again and present those pages first. In
this case, Excite refines the search based on the characterization of
the page you have selected.
Meta Crawler provides the best search facilities. It does not search
the Web and provide a list of what it finds. Instead, whenever you
enter a search request, it simultaneously sends that request to
several search engines (including Yahoo & Alta Vista), then
combines, and organizes the information it receives from all the
search engines into one display.
How Search Engines find Web pages.
Hundreds of thousands of new Web pages are created each day.
There are 2 ways that search engines use to locate Web pages:
 Use of Spiders / Robots.

 Through Submissions.

(a). Spiders.
Search Engines normally use software spiders to explore the Web.
The Spiders are usually automated robots that travel around the
Web looking for new pages, and creating links to them.
These spiders methodically search all the pages on the Websites
they can find and report back their discoveries. The search engine
builds an index to these pages based on the words they contain.
When you connect to a search engine, and type a few words
describing what you want, the Search engine will search its index for
these keywords and provide you with a list of pages that contain
them.
(b). Submissions.
These are derived from people who have created new Web pages
and then submit information about the pages they have created.
1. Select a search engine, e.g., Yahoo, and type its address in the
Address box, i.e., http://www.yahoo.com/.
Once the search engine home page appears, type a keyword or
phrase in the Search box, e.g., Kenya, then click the Search button.
Note. The steps may vary depending on the search engine you are
using.
2. When the search is completed, a list of sites that contain the
keyword or phrase you are looking for is displayed. Select a site
whose description comes closest to the information you desire and
click on its link.
3. If there are many sites, an option that allows you to view the next
10 or so matches is displayed.
Click on this if necessary to view the next set of links.
If there are too many matches, you may want to use an additional
keyword to narrow down the search. E.g., to find the sites that
contain information about the economy in Kenya, in the Search box,
type phrase “Kenya AND Economy”.
4. Click the Search button.
5. From the search results, select the links that may help you get the
information you require. Locate information within a Website.
Once you access a Website, you can search for specific text or
information on that site or page. Unlike search engines like Yahoo,
Info seek, Lycos, Web Crawler, and Excite that present you with the
URLs or links of sites that hold information you are looking for,
search engines within a Web page locate information within that
Web page.
1. Load the Web page to browse. E.g., let’s use a Website:
http://www.carleton.ca.
2. Click in the Search box, and type a keyword(s), e.g., International
AND Student.
Note. When typing in a keyword, you can use logical words or
operators like AND (when you want to display results that meet
both criteria) and OR (when you want to display results that meet
one of the two criteria).
3. Click the Search button, to begin the search.
4. From the Search Results screen, click on a link that is closest to
your requirements.
To open a favorite Web site from the Start menu.
1. Click the Start button, point to Favorites, and then click the Web
page you want.
To search the Web from the Start menu.
1. Click the Start button, point to Find, then click On the Internet.
To use the Run command to open a Web page.
1. Click Start, click Run, and then type the Internet address you
want.
If the page you are opening is one you've viewed before, the
AutoComplete feature can complete the address for you.
To find pages you've recently visited.
To find Web sites and pages you've viewed in the last few days,
hours, or minutes.
1. On the toolbar, click the History button.
The History bar appears, containing links for Web sites and pages
visited in previous days and weeks
2. In the History bar, click a week or day, click a Web site folder to
display individual pages, and then click the page icon to display the
Web page.
NOTES.
 To return to the last page you viewed, click the Back button on the
toolbar.

 To view one of the last nine pages you visited in this session, click the
arrow to the side of the Back or Forward button, and then click the
page you want from the list.
To enter Web information more easily.
The AutoComplete feature saves previous entries you have made for
Web addresses, forms, and passwords.
When you type information in one of these fields, AutoComplete
suggests possible matches.
3. When typing an information in the Address bar, and the
AutoComplete feature suggests what you want to enter in that field,
click the suggestion. If not, continue typing.
Setting or changing a Home Page.
Home page is the page that is displayed every time you start
Internet Explorer.
NOTE. Make sure it is a page that you want to view frequently, or
make it one that you can customize to get quick access to all the
information you want, such as the Msn.com home page.
√ To enable the user to choose or specify a page that will provide a
good starting point for exploring the Web.
The Home page will appear each time the user accesses the Web.
1. Go to the page you want set as your Home page.
2. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options....
The Internet Options dialog box appears.
3. Click the General tab.
4. Under the Home Page section, type the address of the new home
page in the Address box.
Alternatively, click Use Current to make the current Website the
home page.
5. Click the OK button.
Tips.
 To restore your original home page, click Use Default.

 You can return to your home page anytime by clicking the Home
button.
Downloading Web pages and programs from the Internet
√ To enable the user to view Web pages without being connected to
the Internet.
√ To be able to browse a site in a location that does not provide any
network access.
√ In order to free your telephone lines.
Downloading a Web page
1. Load the Web page you want to download, e.g.,
http://www.nationaudio.com.
2. Access all the links that you would like to read offline. Make sure
that the whole Web page is fully loaded before moving to the next
one.
3. On the Favorites menu, click Add to Favorites.
4. Select the option Yes, notify me of updates and download the page
for offline viewing.
5. Click OK, and then Logoff.
Downloading a program
√ Programmers and software houses like Microsoft usually develop
programs and may decide to send a test copy to their existing clients
or to publish it on the Internet for interested users to test it for a
specified period of time.
To test such software, a user will have to download the program
onto the hard disk. A user can also download a movie clip or games,
etc, and view it offline to save on costs.
1. Locate a site from which you wish to download a program, e.g.,
http://softwarenow.iboost.com.
2. Select the category of programs you want to download, e.g.,
Games.
3. Select a game category, e.g., Racing Games.
4. Select a game you want to download.
NOTE. The window lists the properties of the program, e.g., version,
file size. Ensure that you understand the licence agreement, i.e.,
whether the program is freeware or shareware.
Freeware is a program that is absolutely free, while Shareware
program is available for a limited period of time.
5. To download the program, click on the download link, e.g.,
Download Cars & Brix.
6. From the File Download dialog box, select Save this program to
disk option, then click OK.
7. In the Save As dialog box, select the folder in which you wish to
store the downloaded program, then click Save.
Once the program is loaded, you can access the folder it was saved
in and load it without being connected to the Internet.
Saving pictures or text from a Web page.
√ You can save information for future reference or in order to share
with other people. You can save
the entire Web page or any part of it: text, graphics, or links.
√ You can print Web pages for people who don’t have access to the
Web or a computer.
To copy information from a Web page into a document,
1. Select the information you want to copy, on the Edit menu, click
Copy.
To use a Web page image as desktop wallpaper.
1. Right-click the image on the Web page, then click Set as
Wallpaper.
Saving information (a Web page) from the Internet to the Hard disk.
√ When you come across a Web page you would want to read, but it
is too long, you can save the Web
page onto your hard disk so as to read it later on when you are off-
line. This helps in reducing the
costs of browsing while online.
1. Load the Web page you want to download.
 Make sure the Web page you want to save is completely transferred
to the screen of your Web
browser.
2. On the File menu, select Save As.
3. In the Save HTML Document dialog box that appears, select the
drive & folder where you want to
save the page in.
4. In the File name box, type a name for the page.
5. In the Save as type box, select a file type.
 To save all of the files needed to display this page, including graphics,
frames, and style sheets,

click Web Page, complete. This saves each file in its original format.
 To save just the current HTML page, click Web Page, HTML only. This
will save the information
on the Web page, but it does not save the graphics, sounds, or other
files.
 To save just the text from the current Web page, click Text Only. This
saves the information on

the Web page in straight text format.

6. Click Save.
The Explorer program automatically assigns the extension .htm to
the file name.
To open a saved file.
√ After saving a Web page, you may want to read and analyze the
information at a later time.
√ You may also want to send the saved file to another person via e-
mail as an attachment.
1. On the File menu, select Open. This displays the Open dialog box.
2. Click on the Browse button in order to locate the folder where the
file is stored.
3. Click the file, then choose Open.
Note. When you save a file in a local disk, only the text on the page is
shown. The graphics in a site are
displayed in graphics placeholders (which appear as small
rectangles).
Graphics and Download time.
When designing Web pages, graphics have to be incorporated
sensibly into the Web page.
Although they are appealing to the eye, the more graphics you use
on a Web page, the longer the Web
browser will take to download the page.
Page 190 of 212
File Formats.
The most common file formats found on the Internet are:
- Graphic Interchange Format (GIF), and
- Joint Photographic Experts Group (Jpeg).
Generally, GIFs are used for simple page design elements like lines,
buttons and dividers, while JPEGs are
mostly used for complex photographs and images.
Movie (video) files usually have the extension .avi, .mpg, or .mov,
while Sound (audio) files have the
extension .au, or .ra, or .ram, or .wav.
Printing Web pages.
√ To obtain a hard copy of the information that you have researched
on and collected, for the
purposes of reviewing later or filing.
Change how a page looks when it prints.
Before printing a Web page, it is advisable to check the settings in
the Page Setup dialog box.
This will ensure that the right Paper size, Margins and Orientation of
the page are set correctly. You can
also add headers and footers to a Web page.
On the File menu, click Page Setup.
1. In the Margins boxes, type the margin measurements (in inches).
2. In the Orientation area, click either Portrait or Landscape to
specify whether you want the page
printed vertically or horizontally.
3. In the Header and Footer boxes, specify the information to be
printed, then click OK.
Printing the Web page
1. On the File menu, click Print to display the Print dialog box.
2. Set the printing options you want, then click OK.
Creating a Bookmark
√ When you browse the Web, you may come across sites that you
want to visit regularly.
Examples of such sites include; news sites like CNN or BBC. You can
decide to ‗bookmark‘
the Web page.
The Bookmark feature (also known as a Hotlist or Favorites feature)
allows you to store the
addresses of Web pages that you frequently visit. Hence, you do not
have to constantly
retype your favourite Web page addresses. When you want to visit
the site, simply select the
bookmark from a list.
1. Open the Website that you want to create a shortcut to. E.g.,
http://www.cnn.com.
2. On the Favorites menu, choose Add to Favorites.
Page 191 of 212
3. The Add to Favorites dialog box appears. The name of the site you
are in appears on
the Name box.
4. Under Create in: click the folder you want to add the site to, e.g.,
Links, then click OK.
5. This will add the title of the Web page in the Favorites list.
To go to a site using a Bookmark
1. On the menu bar, select Favorites.
2. Select the folder that holds the favorites item, e.g., Links.
3. From the drop-down list, click CNN.com.
To delete a Bookmark
1. On the menu bar, select Favorites.
2. Point to the item from the Favorites list, e.g., CNN.com.
3. Right-click the item, and then click Delete.
4. The Confirm File Delete dialog box appears.
5. Click Yes, to remove the item from the list.
Working Offline
Connection to the Internet usually means that you are using
telephone lines, and therefore incurring
telephone charges and usage on your ISP account.
Offline - Not connected to a network or the Internet.
BROWSING THE WEB (INTERNET) OFFLINE.
√ To enable the user to save on the time spent connected to the
Internet, and hence reduce the general
costs of being online.
1. Access the Web site that you want to browse offline.
2. Access all the links to download all the information you require.
3. Ensure that each Web page is downloaded completely before
going to the next one.
4. On the Taskbar, right-click the Connection Indicator button, then
choose Disconnect.
The Connection Indicator disappears from the Taskbar showing that
you are now working offline.
After disconnecting the user can go ahead and read all the
downloaded information. The user can
also “browse” through the site while offline provided all the pages
and links are downloaded.
Note. Some services like Internet, Usenet, Newsroom, or Shopping
will not be available when you are
offline. To use these services, you need to re-establish the
connection.
Page 192 of 212
Making Web pages available for offline viewing.
Offline Reading -To view a Web page without being connected to the
Internet.
You can download the page to your hard disk, disconnect from a
network or the Internet, and read the
material later.
When you make a Web page available offline, you can read its
content when your computer is not
connected to the Internet.
E.g., you can view Web pages on your Laptop computer when you
don't have a network or Internet
connection.
1. On the Favorites menu, click Add to Favorites.
2. Select the Make available offline checkbox.
3. To specify a schedule for updating that page, and how much
content to download, click
Customize.
4. Follow the instructions on your screen.
Note. Before you go offline, make sure you update your pages. To do
this, click the Tools
menu, then click Synchronize.
To make an existing favorite item available offline.
1. On the Favorites menu, click Organize Favorites.
2. Click the page you want to make available offline.
3. Select the Make available offline checkbox.
4. To specify a schedule for updating that page, and how much
content to download, click
Properties.
Get Help with Internet Explorer.
Purpose.
√ While working with Internet Explorer, you may sometimes need
help on how to perform
certain tasks or help on a particular topic of interest.
1. On the Help menu, select Contents and Index (or press F1).
2. The Internet Explorer Help window is displayed.
3. Click the Contents tab.
4. Click a book in the list, and then click a Help topic you want to
look at.
5. The Help topic contents are displayed on the right-hand side of
the Help window.
6. Read the help and click the hyperlinks (blue, underlined text) if
you want to see help on
related topics.
7. When you have finished, click the Close button to exit help.
Page 193 of 212
Using the Index to get Help.
1. On the Help window, click the Index tab.
2. Type in the first few letters of the word or topic that you are
looking for.
3. In the Index box, all the help topics are listed in alphabetical
order.
4. Click the Display button to view the information about the topic
selected.
Advantages of the Internet.
i. One can download (copy) information from a Website.
ii. The Internet has enabled the interlinking of people worldwide /
globally.
iii. It is convenient in the sense that you can access data 24 Hrs.
iv. It is cheap, i.e., the operational cost that one may incur is low.
v. It has brought in the technology of doing the following; E-learning,
E-Agriculture, E-
commerce, E-governance, etc.
vi. Provides up-to-date information.
vii. It doesn’t require a lot of training to browse.
viii. It provides entertainment facilities.
ix. Can be used for research.
x. Brings harmony in the world, because people can communicate
and exchange ideas.
xi. The Internet can be accessed at any part of the world.
xii. There is always a full backup provided by the Servers, hence no
data loss.
xiii. It’s a fast way of communicating.
xiv. It provides an easy way to use offers in Information and
products.
Internet provides information from almost all parts of the world
that you need in order to make
accurate and informed decisions.
You will get information you need from business to education, from
sports to politics, from arts to
eating out.
Disadvantages of Internet.
i. It’s a technology, which is fetched for (imposed/forced on) the
Third world countries.
ii. The cost of the Internet Service Provider is high.
iii. It is leading to exposure of morally harmful shows such as
Pornography.
iv. It leads to spread of viruses.
v. Has proved to be unreliable especially accessing information.
vi. No copyright rules meant to protect the property of an
organization.
Page 194 of 212
Electronic Mail (E-Mail).
About e-mail.
Electronic mail (also known as e-mail) is one of the common
services provided by the Internet.
 E-Mail is a worldwide system for sending & receiving electronic
messages from one computer to
another.
 E-Mail (Electronic mail) refers to electronic messages sent over the
Internet or a network. E-

mail can contain both text & files.

With e-mail, users can create and send messages to one user, several
users, or all the users on a
distribution list.
Most e-mail software enable users to send text messages. In
addition, users can attach files from Word
processors, Spreadsheets, Reports, production data, etc, and then
send them by e-mail.
Most E-mail packages allow you to do the same things you do with
regular paper mail. You can file
messages in electronic file cabinets, forward copies of messages to
other users, send “carbon copies” of
messages, and so on. The E-mail packages also allow you to filter or
organize messages by priority. E.g.,
all messages from a particular user (e.g., your boss) could be given
top priority, so that they always
appear at the top of your list of messages.
However, E-mail is a much faster, economical & convenient way of
sending messages to family, friends
and colleagues than the paper mail (usually called “Snail mail”).
Messages can be sent or received 24-
hrs a day. With “Snail mail” a message or a letter is sent to the
recipient through the Post office and
takes days or weeks before reaching the destination.
Components required.
For one to be able to communicate using e-mail, the following
components are needed:
1). A Computer - where you will send or receive the e-mail
messages.
2). An E-mail program.
Your computer must be installed with an e-mail program that lets
you send, receive and manage
your e-mail messages.
Examples of E-mail programs;
 Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, & Microsoft Exchange from
Microsoft.

 Communicator from Netscape.

 Lotus Notes.

 Eudora.

3). E-mail address of the sender & the address of the receiver.
4). An Internet Service Provider (ISP) - company who will deliver
your message to the receiver.