Using the World Wide Web
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Introduction
Navigation: Getting Around the Web
Saving Information You Find
Other Tips for Using the Web
The World-Wide Web (or "Web," for short) is a global collection
of information and documents on the Internet, the global computer network.
The basic component of the Web is the "web page," which can
present text and graphics in an attractive, easy to use format. The term
"home page" is often used to mean the same thing as "page."
The preferred meaning of "home page" is the main, or introductory,
web page for a company, school or other organization.
The Web is popular for a couple of basic reasons:
- It is easy to jump from page to page, all over the world, with a click
of the mouse or a keyboard entry. This is made possible by hypertext,
the Web's defining feature. Hypertext refers to the highlighted words
or graphics (called links) found in most web pages. Clicking the mouse
on a link will cause the page at the other end of the link to be called
up, sent to your computer, and displayed on your screen. The author
of any Web page can easily make a link to any other Web page in the
world.
- It is easy to create basic hypertext documents (web pages). Many individuals
have developed Web pages and put them on the Internet, including young
students and people with no special computer training or skills.
A Diagram of a Simple Web Site
(the blue arrows are links between Web pages)
Information on almost any topic can be found somewhere on the Web. Government
agencies and educational institutions are probably the best sources of
reliable and useful information.
Increasingly, it is possible to shop, make purchases, and do other business
on the Web. This can be a significant convenience.
Computer with modem or network card
A modem is a device that translates your computer's digital signals into
a format that can be sent over a regular phone line. Most new computers
sold today come with a 56.6 Kbps modem. A network card is needed
if you get cable or DSL service at your home. Some companies may install
the network card for you if you purchase their service.
Internet connection
An Internet connection is somewhat similar to having cable TV or telephone
service: what you are paying for is the connection to the service. The
equipment needed to use the service is additional. You can get an Internet
connection at your home or business using a regular dial-up phone line
for around $20 month. Much faster but more expensive service includes
DSL ($40-$60 per month) or cable ($40-$50 per month).
To use the Web, you will need a connection with at least the following
features:
- Dial-up networking
- Internet Service provider
- Internet programs such as a Web browser (Internet Explorer or Netscape
are the most common) and Email (Outlook Express and Netscape are the
most common)
- Good technical support and customer service
The two main types of Internet access providers are:
- The major online services, such as America Online, CompuServe and
Prodigy. These services offer access to the Internet in addition to
their own content and services (which are accessible only to service
subscribers).
- Internet-only access providers. Hundreds of companies nationwide specialize
in providing Internet access. Some are national in scope, and have toll-free
800 phone numbers to allow you to connect while traveling away from
your home or business. Other companies serve a local or regional area,
such as a city, and have local access phone numbers. Austin has many
local providers.
For more details on getting an Internet connection, look in Yahoo, or
look for articles in any of the popular computer magazines.
Web "browser"
A Web "browser" is simply the software used to view and navigate
the Web. Web browsers come in many different varieties, made by different
companies, though they all perform the same basic functions. The most
popular browsers are Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Any browser will allow you to view and navigate simple, text-based pages.
The better browsers will also display graphics and more complex pages.
Most Web browsers are very easy to use. If you can use other software
for the operating system you're running (Windows, Macintosh, etc.), chances
are that you can quickly learn to use the browser with minimal instruction
or practice required. Knowing a few basic techniques will make your Web
experience more enjoyable and productive.
Navigation: How to Get Around the Web
Know how to read a Web address (URL)
The Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is the addressing system used on the
Web. Every Web page, graphic or other file has a unique URL (address),
so that it can't be confused with anything else on the Internet.
Reading a Typical URL
http://www.austinfree.net/resources/index.html
| protocol |
Web site name |
directory |
filename |
| http |
www.austinfree.net |
resources |
index.html |
More detail on "Web site name"
| www |
austinfree |
net |
| Server "name" is www. |
Its owner is Austin Free-Net |
which is an Internet access provider (see "net" in following
table) |
The last part of the Web site name often specifies what type of organization
operates the site. Some common ones are:
In addition, the URLs of non-U.S. sites may indicate where the Web site
is located, as in the following examples:
Make and use a bookmark list
Most Web browsers allow you to easily save the name and URL (address)
of a Web page. This information is added to the bookmark list. This allows
you to return to frequently-visited pages without having to remember or
retype the page's URL. Maintaining a good bookmark list is similar to
keeping a phone/address book of friends and family. In Netscape, select
Bookmarks, Add Bookmark while you are on the page you want
to save. For Internet Explorer, select Favorites, Add to Favorites.
The Search Button
You will a Search Button on both Netscape and Internet Explorer. The
Search button will pull up a screen that allows you to search the Internet.
In Internet Explorer, the search screen is a sidebar which allows you
to view your search at the same time you view your web pages.
Use online search engines and directories
The Web, like the Internet in general, has no central or "starting"
point, nor is it owned or controlled by any one group. One result of this
is that the Web has no inherent organization or structure. You can impose
your own order on the Web if you
Good search services, such as Yahoo, Alta
Vista, Excite,and Google,
are great for finding what you need. See "Searching
the World Wide Web"for more details.
Use the browser's history list
Most browsers keep track of the Web pages you've visited during a session,
and will display them by name/title when you view the history list. This
feature allows you to easily return to where you were earlier, which is
particularly helpful if you become lost. In Netscape, the list is under
the Go menu. Hold the mouse button down and drag the mouse down
until it highlights the page you want to return to. Release the mouse,
and Netscape will return you to that page. In the illustration, Netscape
will return to "Kingston Technology Corporation." For Internet
Explorer, select the History button from the menu and a sidebar
will appear on the left of your window with your history.
Use the browser's Back and Forward buttons
This is used for the same purpose as the History list, except that Back
and Forward are more convenient when you need to go back or forward just
one or two pages. For example, say you are looking at the Yahoo web page,
and then you go to the Alta Vista page. Clicking on Netscape's Back button
will return you to the Yahoo page. From Yahoo, the Forward button will
take you again to Alta Vista.
Note that this is not the same as the "Go Back" or "Next
Page" buttons found on many Web pages (including this one). The difference
is that the browser's buttons will take you back (or forward) to where
you have been. The buttons on Web pages take you to the previous
or next pages in a series of pages at that Web site, depending
on how the Web site is organized.
Use the browser's Reload or Refresh button
The Reload (Netscape) or Refresh (Internet Explorer) button causes the
current page you're viewing to be sent again from its source and displayed
"fresh". This can be useful if the page's contents change frequently
(for example, a weather map). If you don't reload, the changes will not
be displayed. Reloading is also useful if the page was not received properly
for whatever reason--reloading it will usually work.
The Stop Button
Both Netscape and Internet Explorer have a stop sign in the top menu.
Click on this button to stop loading of a page that your are receiving.
This is useful when you find that you've selected the wrong page, or a
page that isn't what you expected or needed.
The Find Button
The Find button (Netscape) with binoculars is very handy for searching
the text of the Web page that is currently being displayed. On
Internet Explorer, you must go to Edit on the menu bar and choose
Find on this page. For example, you may have retrieved the page
using a search engine to find Web pages that contain a certain word. Once
you pull up one of those pages, use Find to quickly locate the word, instead
of having to skim through the page. The Find button does not search
the Internet.
Saving the Information you Find
One of the most popular uses of the Web is to save documents or files
for later use or reference. This can be done in one of several ways, depending
on the type of file and what you want to do with it.
Saving a Web page as plain text
Most Web pages are written in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) format,
which requires a Web browser to read. However, most browsers can save
an HTML file in plain text (also called ASCII text), which can be read
by any word processor (though the formatting will be lost). In Netscape,
select File, Save As. This will bring up the Save As dialog
box, which should be familiar to you from other Windows applications.
Internet Explorer gives you more choices. When you
pull up the screen, it will actually save the complete web page - pictures
and all! If you don't want everything, you can change the "Save
as Type" to web page only.
Printing a Web page
Popular browsers such as Netscape and Internet Explorer can print a Web
page almost exactly as it appears on screen (minus the colors, unless
you're using a color printer). Some browsers will also print the page's
URL (address) and title at the top of the page, which makes it easier
to look up the page again on the Web if it wasn't saved as a bookmark.
In Netscape and Internet Explorer, either click on the Print button, or
use the menu: File, Print. You can also use the "Print
Preview" on Netscape version 4 or above or Internet Explorer version
5.5 or above to see what you will get before you actually print.
Downloading files
To download a file simply means to transfer a copy of it from a
remote computer to your computer. Many files are available for downloading
on the Internet, using a Web browser. These include shareware software
programs, multimedia files (such as sound, video and graphics), and document
files of all types.
Many times you are given instructions on how to download files on the
particular web page - you may only to to "click on the link."
With both Netscape and Internet Explorer (with Windows computers), you
can right-click with your mouse to bring up a menu and choose "Save
File As" (Netscape) or "Save Target As" (Internet Explorer).
In Netscape, a shortcut to download a file is to simultaneously press
the Shift key while clicking the mouse once on the link. This will
bring up the "Save As" box, so you can choose where to put the
file. Be sure to remember which directory it was downloaded to.
Other Tips for Using the Web
Copying text from a Web page
Text on a Web page can be selected and then copied and pasted into another
document, such as a word processor document. This has many practical uses.
The normal Windows copy and paste procedures can be used:
-
Select (highlight) the text on the web page that you wish to copy
-
Copy the selected text by pressing the Ctrl and C keys at the same
time
-
Go to the program you want to paste the text into (e.g., WordPerfect
or e-mail)
-
Move the cursor to where the text should go, and click the mouse
once
-
Paste the text by pressing the Ctrl and V keys at the same time
| Action |
Menu |
Keyboard |
| Copy |
Edit, Copy |
Ctrl + C |
| Cut |
Edit, Cut |
Ctrl + X |
| Paste |
Edit, Paste |
Ctrl + V |
Copying Web addresses (URLs)
Because Internet addresses are often so lengthy, it's worthwhile to avoid
manually retyping them if possible. If you want to check out an address
contained in a newsgroup article or in an e-mail someone has sent you,
simply copy and paste it into the box in the Web browser where the addresses
go (the "Location" or "Netsite" box). The procedure
is similar to that described above.
-
Click the left mouse button in the address ("Location")
box of Netscape
-
Select (highlight) the complete URL (address), by highlighting it
all
-
Copy the selected URL by pressing the Ctrl and C keys at the same
time
-
Go to the program you want to paste the text into (e.g., WordPerfect
or e-mail)
-
Move the cursor to where the text should go, and click the mouse
once
-
Paste the text by pressing the Ctrl and V keys at the same time
Some e-mail and newsgroup software will highlight the address as a link,
which you can simply click on to go to that page.
When is the page finished loading?
The Netscape "N" logo at the far right of the screen has a couple
of uses: Clicking once on it will take you to Netscape's home page. It
also indicates whether the Web page you have requested is fully loaded
(received), or you are still receiving data. The shooting stars continue
as long as you are receiving data; when the page is fully loaded, the
motion stops. With Internet Explorer, the status bar on the lower left
shows the page loading with a horizontal bar and displays "Done"
when finished.
Increasing the Viewable Screen Area
Netscape's default display settings include "Directory Buttons"
(What's New, What's Cool, etc.), and a toolbar with large buttons just
below the menu (Back, Forward, Home, etc.). These features may be of some
help for new Netscape users, but they take up a lot of screen space that
could be used to view Web pages. You can remove the Directory Buttons
by un-checking that item in the Options menu. You can make the toolbar
buttons smaller by having them displayed as pictures or text only. This
can be done through the Options, General Preferences menu.
You can do the same with Internet Explorer by selecting View, Toolbars
and unchecking the menus you don't want to use.
Opening Multiple Browser Windows
In most versions of Netscape, you can open more than one browser window.
This allows you to view or monitor several unrelated web pages at the
same time. You might want to do this, for example, when working on more
than one project at the same time. Open a new browser window by opening
the File menu in Netscape (see illustration). Near the top of the menu
should be the item for opening the new window. Internet Explorer is similar--go
to File, New, New Window.
