Learning Objectives Discuss how the Internet has evolved into what it is Chapter 9 today. Identify the various types of individuals, companies, and organizations involved in the Internet community The Internet and the World and explain their purposes. Wide Web Describe the device, connection, and provider options for connecting to the Internet, as well as some considerations to keep in mind when selecting an ISP. Learning Objectives, cont’d. Overview Understand how to search effectively for information This chapter covers: on the Internet, including search options, strategies, Evolution of the Internet and the Internet and how to properly cite Internet resources. community List several useful things that can be done using the Options for connecting to the Internet Internet, in addition to basic browsing and e-mail. Internet searching techniques Discuss censorship and privacy and how they are Financial, entertainment and other applications related to Internet use. Social issues regarding the Internet Speculate as to the format, structure, and use of the Internet in the future. Evolution of the Internet From ARPANET to Internet2 The Internet is a worldwide collection of linked 1969—beginning of ARPANET networks that is used for personal and commercial Late 1980s—renamed Internet communications and for information exchange. 1989—World Wide Web proposed by Tim Consists of thousands of interconnected networks Berners-Lee (WWW - information in form of that are accessed by millions of people daily pages inked together though text or images (hyperlinks) 1993 NCSA release Mosaic (first graphically based Web browser 1 Internet 2 and NGI The Internet Community Today Internet2 and Next Generation Internet (NGI) are Users Infrastructure research and development projects geared to Internet service companies ensuring that Internet in the future can handle providers Hardware and tomorrow’s applications Internet content software companies providers Government Application service providers Government & others Governments can limit information content and access Internet Society – professional membership society – oversees Internet standards (protocols, etc.) Shared Registration System (by Department of Commerce, ICANN, Network Solutions, Inc.) – registering Internet addresses and names Myths About the Internet Internet Connectivity Issues The Internet is free. Connecting to the Internet usually involves three decisions: Someone controls the Internet. Determining the type of device to be used The Internet and the World Wide Web are identical. Selecting the type of connection desired Selecting the type of service provider desired 2 Type of Device Type of Connection—Dial-Up PCs A dial-up connection works over regular telephone lines using a modem or similar device. Internet appliances Standard dial-ups connect at speeds up to 56 Kbps. Dial-ups are commonly used with desktop PCs and Mobile devices Internet appliances. ISDN can transfer data up to 128 Kbps over regular telephone lines. Internet Appliances Type of Connection—Direct MSN TV – $21.95 / mo. + hardware ($99) Always connected to the Internet; doesn’t tie up your phone LAN DSL 1.5Mbps/56Kbps or Lite at 256Kbps/128Kbps Cable (1.5Mbps) Satellite (500Kbps – 1Mbps / 56Kbps) Fixed wireless Type of Connection – Mobile Wireless Type of Service Provider Used on mobile devices (notebooks, PDAs, cell Basic ISPs usually just offer Internet access and phones) some special proprietary services. Allows to move around Use WiFi (notebooks), GPRS (PDAs and cell phones) or similar Commercial online services typically provide special HotSpots available at airports, On The Border, content for members. Starbucks Coffee GPRS available in most areas where cell phone service is available 3 Selecting an ISP and Setting Up Your System Search Sites Offerings A search site helps users search for and find information on the Internet. Access speed and connectability Search databases Service and support Searching with keywords Cost (connect time, local numbers, etc.) Searching with directories Search Sites cont’d. Specialty search sites Reference and portal sites Metasearch sites Natural language search sites Hybrid search sites Search Strategies Evaluating Search Results Phrase searching (“”, +, -) The quality of a link can be preliminarily evaluated by looking at: Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) Page title Description Multiple search sites Type of organization Appropriate keywords, synonyms, variant word forms and wildcards Before using information from a Web page, the source, author, timeliness, and validity of the information should be evaluated. Field searches 4 Citing Internet Resources Financial Transactions To avoid plagiarizing information obtained from the Security considerations: make sure the site is secure Internet, proper citation procedures should be used. Shopping (online shopping or auctions): payment methods include credit card, payment services, smart Procedures vary somewhat, but it is important to cards, conventional payment credit all information appropriately. Banking: many banks offer online services for free Stock trading: buying and selling stocks over the Internet Entertainment TV and movies Music Gaming E-books News and Research Peer-to-Peer File Sharing News webcasts deliver news headlines to your Peer-to-peer file sharing: sharing resources between desktop on a regular basis. users, not delivered from a Web server to a user. Government information is widely available from government Web sites. One of the most popular was the Napster music Product information can be obtained from sharing system. manufacturer and retail Web sites to research products before purchase. Many experts expect peer-to-peer file sharing to have Corporate information is widely available for investors tremendous growth in the next few years. from corporate Web sites and investor information sites. 5 Censorship Censorship, cont’d. Internet censorship is a controversial subject. To help individuals block access to Web sites they find objectionable, the following are available: Many feel the government has no right to limit Blocking software Internet content, although the distribution of Browser settings can be changed to block out cyberporn involving children and a few other certain types of sites blatantly illegal activities have been prosecuted. Some ISPs filter objectionable Web sites A voluntary rating system for Web pages may help these systems work more effectively in the future. Privacy Privacy deals with what information about individuals is available and how it is used. E-mail messages can be encrypted if privacy is required. Businesses have the right to monitor e-mail sent over company e-mail systems. Use of cookies can be disabled or limited. Ordering online, filling out online request forms, signing up for newsletters etc., can also cause you to get spam, or junk e-mail. The Future of the Internet The Internet will likely be a very high-speed optical network accessed by PC and possibly one or more everyday devices, such as a mobile device, desk, or refrigerator. New applications that take advantage of the high bandwidth may include: Video on demand Increased use of videoconferences and Internet phone 6.