How To Surf The Internet Essay, Research Paper

How to Surf the Internet – www world wide web browse The term “Internet,” or “The Net” as it is commonly in known in the computerbusiness, is best described as an assortment of over one thousand computer networkswith each using a common set of technical transfers to create a worldwidecommunications medium. The Internet is changing, most profoundly, the way peopleconduct research and will in the near future be the chief source of mass information. Nolonger will a student have to rely on the local library to finish a research essay – anybodywith a computer, a modem, and an Internet Service Provider can find a wealth of informationon the Net. Anybody with a disease or illness and who has access to the Internet can obtainthe vital information they are in need of. And, most importantly, businesses areflourishing at this present day because of the great potential the Internet holds. First of all, for a person to even consider doing research on the Internet privatelythey must own a computer. A computer that is fast, reliable, and one that has a great dealof memory is greatly beneficial. A person also needs a modem (a device that transmits datafrom a network on the Internet to the user’s computer). A modem’s quality and speed aremeasured as something called a baud rate (how fast the modem transmits data in bits andkilobits – similar to grams and kilograms). A kilobit is a term simply used to describe thespeed of a modem. For example, if somebody was to go out and purchase a 2400 baud modem,they would be buying a modem that transmits data 2400 kilobits per second which isdefinitely not the speed of a modem you want if your thinking of getting onto the Internet.The speeds of modems then double in the amount of kilobits that can be transmitted persecond going from 4800 baud to 9600 baud and so on eventually getting up to 28800 baud(which is the fastest modem on the market right now). To surf the Internet successfully, aperson will have to own a 9600 baud or higher, and with recent advancements the Internet hasoffered, the recommended speed is a 14400 kilobytes per second modem. A modem ranges inprice, depending on the type of modem you want, the speed you need, and if it is an externalor internal type, modems range from as low as $20 to as high as $300. If a person isunequipped with a computer most local libraries and nonprofit organizations provide Internetaccess where research can be done freely. Having Internet access in libraries is extremelybeneficial for citizens who do not have access to the Internet as it gives them a chance tosurvey the vast amount of information available on the Net. And it is absolutely true theInternet is evolving as the greatest tool for searching and retrieving information on anyparticular subject. Searching for information on The Internet using libraries and other nonprofitorganizations can be a bit uncomfortable. For those people who already own a computerand a modem, and are ready to take hold of the highway of information the Internetprovides, they might want to consider getting a commercial account with an InternetService Provider or ISP (a company or organization that charges a monthly a fee andprovides people with basic Internet services). Choosing your ISP may be the most difficultthing you must decide when trying to get on the Net. You must choose a service that has alocal dial-in number so you do not end up with monstrous long distance charges. You mustalso choose an ISP that is reliable, fast, and has a good technical support team who arethere when you’re in trouble or have a problem. Typically, most ISP’s charge around $25 to

$30 per month and they allocate approximately 90 hours per month for you to use the service. You must be aware that even though there are some ISP’s who charge only $10 to $15 permonth for unlimited access, they may not meet up to your expectations; so it would beadvisable to spend the extra $15 or $20 per month to get the best possible service. Nomatter how a person gets connected to The Internet, they will always be able to search forinformation about any topic that enters their minds. And it is the Internet that ischanging the traditional methods of how people research specific topics. The tools thatsimplify the research processes make the Internet another invaluable method of obtaininginformation. Most people who already know how to surf the Internet properly have no troublefinding information quickly and logically. However, for new people who are just starting touse the Net, the process can be quite troublesome. Some of the tools used for searching theInternet include Electronic Mail or E-mail which is a Messaging system that allows you tosend documents, reports, and facsimiles to users on the Internet. Every user on theInternet has their own E-mail address and can send messages to anyone as long as they knowanother person’s E-mail address. One easy way of obtaining information about any topic isto join a mailing list where mail sent directly to one user will cause the information to bedistributed to all members of that particular list. Mailing Lists are a fun and an easy wayof gaining the important information a person may find on the Net. This also shows anotherway of how useful the Internet is and can be. Another way a person can gain information through Electronic Mail is by peopleexchange messages publicly over the Net and these messages are sorted into differentareas called News groups or often referred to as Usenet News. There are currently over13,000 news groups for which any user with access to the Net can use. People send andreceive messages about what kind of topic the news group is devoted to and is an excellentway of gaining information quickly and easily. Usenet news is also a way to receive up tothe minute information about timely topics. A further tool for exploring The Internet is a tool called gopher which is perhaps themost popular non-graphic way of searching the Internet. It provides interconnected linksbetween files on different computers around the Net. Gopher provides access to an enormousamount of text files, documents, games, reference files, software utilities, and much more.Gopher is menu-oriented making it fun and easy to search for information because the onlything the user has to do is point and click. The World Wide Web is a lot like gopher in that the only difference is that it uses amixture of text and graphics to display a wide assortment of information. The Web is one ofthe most effective methods to provide information because of its visual impact andmultimedia foundation. Many search tools are available on the Web to help the user moreeasily search for materials that are of interest to him or her. There are some users who fret about having an information overload. They seethemselves surfing a sea of random facts, information of varying quality, humour andentertainment references, people and places. The on-line world contains chaos as doesthe real world. Although some say the Internet World contains too much information forpeople to make sense of, there is tremendous proof people will find their place on theInternet with plenty of help. And everybody will grow up to make sense of the informationavailable just as millions of users already do.

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