Objectives

After reading this chapter, you should be able to answer the following questions:

What is the history of the Internet?
How does data travel on the Internet?
What are my options for connecting to the Internet?
How do I choose an Internet service provider?
What is a Web browser?
What is a URL and what are its parts?
How can I use hyperlinks and other tools to get around the Web?
How do I search the Internet using search engines and subject directories?
What are Boolean operators and how do they help me search the Web more effectively?
How can I communicate through the Internet with e-mail, chat, IM, and newsgroups?
What is e-commerce and what e-commerce safeguards protect me when I'm online?
What are cookies and what risks do they pose?
What are the various kinds of multimedia files found on the Web?
What kind of software do I need to enjoy multimedia on the Web?

Chapter 3: Introducing the Internet: Making the Most of the Web’s Resources