What's
this http:// thing?
The
http:// in a Web address is actually an important part of the protocols the
Internet uses to retrieve documents. It's an abbreviation for Hyper Text
Transfer Protocol. It tells the Internet network that you want to look at a
Web site or page. For instance, the address for Microsoft's home page on the Web
is http://www.microsoft.com. Typing this into your browser's address line
will take you to Microsoft's Web site.
Both Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator no longer require
a user to type http:// in the browser address window to find a site.
They both assume that you want to look at a Web document or page and default to
that mode. They also assume you want a domain address ending in .com.
In our example above then, it would only be necessary for you to
type the word microsoft in the address window and press the ender key.
The browser will find and display Microsoft's home page.
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What's
A Browser?
A browser is a computer software program that allows a
user to view Web pages while connected to the Internet. There are two browser
programs currently in vogue -- Netscape Navigator from Netscape Communications
and Internet Explorer from Microsoft Corporation. Both are equal to the task but
Navigator is the most common program with roughly 70 percent of Web users using
it. IE is quickly gaining a larger share of the action, though.
Both IE and Navigator have evolved into a package of Internet
applications. They not only allow you to view pages on the Web but also contain
programs to let you send and receive email and read newsgroups in one package or
suite of applications. The new 4.0 versions even include an application that
lets you compose your own basic Web page without knowing the complicated
computer language that codes them.
Both companies have recently upgraded their browser programs to
a new version. Each time a program is upgraded new features are included to make
the program either easier to use, add new bells and whistles, or both.
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Turning
Off Graphics
I have an older laptop that allows me about
19000 Bps even though I have an external 28800 modem. The only way that I can
deal with the Web is for me to use the AOL preference NO GRAPHICS mode. I
want to leave AOL for another ISP but am afraid to w/o that no graphics mode. Is
there a way to add that ability to my computer directly?
Yes, feel free to leave AOL for a direct connection
to the Internet with another ISP. Both of the popular We browsers; Internet
Explorer and Netscape Navigator, contain settings options that allow you to
switch graphics off on the pages you visit. Keep in mind, though, that ALL
graphics will not appear when you choose this option. You can, however, change
the option at will and even view selected graphics on a page if you wish. You
are not in the minority here. Plenty of users opt to view pages without graphics
to speed download times.
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What
Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that Web
site developers send to you when you visit their site. Cookie files contain
information about your visit like what pages you looked at and how much time you
spent at the site. If or when you return to the site, the cookie file is sent
back to the Web server and it's stored there for later reference by the site
operator. This gives him an idea of who is visiting and what they are looking
at. He/She can then use this data to further tailor the site to those who use
it. For a more detailed explanation of cookies, see our article Grandma
Never Baked This Kind Of Cookie in our archive.
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What
Are Applets?
By Applets, we assume you are
referring to Java Applets. These are small, fast programs that can run
on any kind of computer. This makes them perfect for using on the Web because
the program can be downloaded and run on a Mac or a PC or a Unix workstation.
Java has caught the eye of Web content providers and will become a larger factor
in the future. Today, they are mainly used in graphics and animation to help
make Web pages more appealing. Soon, Java applets will be used for such things
as spreadsheets and word processing and will allow the so-called Net PC
do serious work. Java was developed about a year ago by Sun Microsystems
Incorporated.
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How
Can I Place Hyperlinks In My Email Messages?
You can easily put links to any Internet
resource in you email by typing the entire address -- including the
protocol used to access the site. For example, if you want to tell a friend
about CalicutNet, simply type the complete address:
http://www.CalicutNet.com
As you can see from the above example. the link
will become hot and your friend can simply click on it to start their
Web browser and be taken to the site without re-typing the address. This can
also be used to link to FTP, Gopher, or any other Internet resource by including
the proper protocol:
ftp://microsoft.com
This works with Netscape Mail and Microsoft Mail
clients and, although we don't know for sure, should work with other mail
programs too.
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Do
I Need To Be Connected To My Service Provider 24 Hours A Day To Use The Web?
Absolutely not. That's why most home
users have a Dial-In Connection. A dial-in connection permits you to
connect to your ISP (Internet Service Provider) only when you want to connect
and use the Internet. When you're finished with your tasks, simply disconnect.
Of course, you can stay connected all day if you want. But, it's sort of
impractical. If you find that you need to be connected constantly, then you may
want to look into ISDN.
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What
Are "ZIP" Files?
Zip files are computer files with the
file name extension .zip. These files are compressed using the
popular PC program PKZIP and must be uncompressed before they can be
used. File compression squeezes programs down so they are smaller and take up
much less room on a storage device (hard disk) and take less time to transfer
over a network.
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What
Is A Search Engine?
Search engines are Web sites that can
look-up and retrieve Internet resources based on a term you input. Let's say you
want to look for Web sites that contain information about sky diving. You type
the words sky diving in the search engine's dialog box and it will
return a list of sites that feature sky diving in their content. There are many
search engines on the Web you can use for free. The most popular is Yahoo!
Lycos and HotBot
are very good too. For detailed searches it's best to use more than one.
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My
new 56K Modem did not speed up downloading time. What's Wrong?
The problem is, you have the
latest in modem technology, but the computer you connect to doesn't.
Furthermore, the process is complicated because of competing technologies.
Rockwell and US Robotics are using incompatible protocols, because they support
different standards for the 56K modem. Until a single standard emerges, you may
find that your new 56K modem is ineffective, because your Internet Service
Provider (ISP) offers service only for the protocol that works with the other
brand. Or, your ISP may not currently support either standard, because they are
waiting for one standard to emerge as the winner.
Also, the bandwidth capability of your phone
line has a significant effect on the data transfer speed. If the phone line
can't handle the high-speed volume of data traffic, your 56K modem will not
operate at full capacity, which will probably frustrate your expectations of
speedy downloads. A comparable situation exists if you are communicating with a
slower modem on the other end of your connection: downloads through your modem
will be faster, but data transfer in the other direction may not move
significantly faster.
You can still benefit from using a 56K modem if
you frequently download files and your ISP uses a compatible protocol for your
modem. But until all the problem areas in this situation are resolved, the
benefits of 56K modems are limited.
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