Internet Super-User Textbook Understanding the Internet Understanding the Internet

FOREWORD In November 2009, we spent many days at GetSmarter HQ brainstorming ideas for new online courses. During this time, we analysed our past students for clues on what courses we should be presenting next, and we realised that thousands of our past students represented some of the smartest people in the country. Was this because they had taken one of our online courses? Perhaps. But it quickly became clear to us that it was their use of the internet and its tools that set them apart from their peers. They were more effective, more efficient and smarter because they were already internet super- users. The fact that they took one of our online courses was simply because they could. So we decided to share the love by offering a course to help novice internet users become internet super-users. We quickly realised that a suitable textbook didn’t exist, and so we decided to develop one ourselves. My thanks and admiration go to Masha du Toit and Anna Malczyk, who worked many hours and completed hundreds of reviews to make this textbook the valuable resource that it is today. I’d also like to thank Jean-Paul van Belle for his guidance throughout the design of the book. If you are looking to become an internet super-user, good luck and have fun. My wish for you is that this textbook opens up a world of exciting First published January 2011 internet tools that enriches your life forever. By GetSmarter Publishing If you are a teacher and are looking to prescribe this textbook to your class, I am thrilled that you have chosen to work with us. It’s free for your Current text version: 1.0 (January 2011) students, and we have a wealth of teaching support materials that can This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- assist you in delivering an excellent course. We’ll also ensure that the NonCommercial license. This means that you are free to copy, distribute, content is always up to date and of the highest quality. share and remix the work, as long as you attriute the work to the authors Find time to visit www.internetsuperuser.com and drop us a line on the and do not use it for commercial puposes. discussion forums. We would love to hear about your adventures as an Attribution: By Masha du Toit, Anna Malczyk and Jean-Paul van Belle for internet super-user. GetSmarter, www.internetsuperuser.com. Yours in getting smarter, Sam Paddock Managing Director - GetSmarter TABLE OF CONTEnts 4. Communicating online 80 Introduction Internet etiquette How does email work? Email best practice 1. Understanding the internet 10 Calendaring Introduction Online forums The internet in context Instant messaging How does the internet work? Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) How do I connect? Summary Understanding your internet connection References A brief history of the internet Summary 5. Researching online 118 References Introduction Focus on online research 2. Using web browsers 38 Wikipedia Introduction Evaluating an online source What is a browser and how does it work? Conducting effective online research What browser should I use? Summary Getting the best out of your browser References Summary References 6. Managing information 154 Introduction 3. Using search engines 54 Folders and tags Introduction Using bookmarks How search engines work Using RSS How to search Using a web portal Which search engine? Document sharing Getting the most out of Google Summary Summary References References 7. Staying safe online 194 10. Browsing the web on your cellphone 310 Introduction Introduction Are you a target? Why mobile? Malware Using your simple cellphone Firewalls and antivirus software Using your smartphone Phishing Mobile online transacting Passwords Mobile social networking Summary Mobile web safety References Summary References 8. Transacting online 226 Introduction 11. Publishing yourself online 338 Introduction to online transacting Introduction How a typical online store works Blogs How an online credit transaction works Planning your blog Online banking Creating engaging content Payment gateways Interacting on your blog Mobile payment Spreading the word Online auctions at eBay Creating and maintaining a blog Summary Video blogging References Buying and selling with Etsy Creating your own website Podcasting 9. Social networking 262 Summary Introduction References What is an online social network? Facebook Twitter 12. Your future as an internet super-user 386 LinkedIn Introduction Your Google CV Lifelong learning Summary Web culture and being a responsible netizen References Summary References 01 Understanding the internet - History and development of the internet - The internet - network of networks - Why the internet is important - How to get online Internet Super-User Textbook Understanding the internet Understanding the internet Introduction facility. She sits down and nervously rehearses the answers she may give 01 to her interviewer, who is at his office in a different city. 01 Why is the internet important? How has it influenced our lives? How does it Her interviewer is quite busy. While he waits to conduct yet another work, and where did it start? job interview, he is searching Google for any embarrassing photos or By the end of this chapter, you will: messages that the next hopeful candidate might have placed online. What can he learn about her before the interview even starts? • Have insight into the power and influence of the internet and the impact its astonishing growth has had on our lives (section 1) In the office next door, a man is writing and re-writing an email. He is struggling with how to politely phrase yet another request for long- • Have a basic understanding of how the internet works (section 2) overdue research findings from colleagues all over the world, most of whom he has never met. He does not look at the number of unread • Know how to connect to the internet and understand much of the technical messages in his inbox – he will have to spend most of his day working his terminology involved (sections 3 and 4) way through them; a never-ending task. He sends the email – • Know the history of the development of the internet – how and why it – to a woman who is dreaming her day away under the florescent lights came to be (section 5) of her windowless cubicle. She has her web browser open to a site that offers live video footage from a camera next to a river in Africa. Each section contains some suggestions for further reading. You won’t be She watches as, halfway across the world, an elephant relishes the cool tested on the content of the linked articles, but they will help you understand riverbed mud. She sighs, closes the browser window and checks the the material being studied. Facebook status of – – her daughter, who is sitting in an internet café in Brazil, working out the best route for her next adventure. While waiting for the route-checker 1. The internet in context website to load, she opens a website with reviews by fellow travellers recommending the best backpackers, warning of tourist traps and It is difficult to think of an aspect of our lives that has not been affected by the offering advice on local customs. After printing out a number of maps, internet. For many of us, the internet has changed how we work, learn and she checks her bank account and leaves. shop, how we interact with friends, family and lovers, how we find new music Another patron of the internet café smiles and moves to the computer and watch movies. she has just vacated. He retrieves her bank account username and password, which were recorded by some key-capture software installed 1.1 Growth on the computer. While he waits for the banking site to load, he checks his own inbox to see if anyone has replied to his persuasive email offering According to Internet World Stats, the number of people using the internet has a fair share of the winnings of a national lottery if they supply him with increased from 16 million in 1995 to 1,734 million in September 2009. That their contact details. is an increase from 0.4% to 25.6% of the world’s population in less than two He composes yet another plausible story and sends it to his email list. decades. These days, in developed countries like the United States, Sweden, The mail arrives in thousands of inboxes, including that of a young man Norway and the Netherlands, more than 70% of the population is active online. struggling to keep his eyes open in the glow of his computer screen. He should have finished his essay a week ago and now he is reduced to 1.2 Who and why copying and pasting entire unread paragraphs from Wikipedia. He sighs, saves the document and mails it off to his tutor, who is also up late – but It is difficult to find meaning in these numbers. They tell us how many people for a different reason. are using the internet, but they don’t tell us who is using the internet and what She absently soothes her fretting baby while reading a blog post on her impact it has on their lives. Let’s focus a bit more closely and consider some of laptop screen. This is her favourite blog, written by a young mother who these internet users. describes the trials and tribulations of parenthood in a comforting and A young girl is preparing for her first job interview. She positions her amusing way. She clicks to another window on her browser that contains laptop so that the onboard video camera will show the tidiest part of advice on how to cope with a colicky baby.

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