The Internet

The Internet (the net) is a global network of networks that connects computers worldwide through a huge set of telecommunication links. It connects universities, research facilities, governmental organizations, business corporations, non-profit organizations, and individuals, allowing them to access, share and exchange information. First developed in 1969, it was known then as ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) and was the brainchild of Joseph Licklider, a university professor who initially proposed the idea of a 'Galactic Network'. ARPANET eventually evolved into what we know as the internet today. Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn are credited with creating the internet as we know it today. Much of the content on the internet is free and it is used to educate and entertain public as well as provide a forum for business to be conducted. It is also used for commerce.

No one owns the internet. Instead, it is governed and maintained by the individual networks that make it up. Each network is responsible for formulating its own policies, procedures, and rules.

Requirements for Internet Access

To connect to the internet, you need specific types of hardware and software.

Hardware Requirements

• A Personal Computer (PC): Allows you to access the internet. This is provided through an Internet Service Provider (ISP) for a monthly fee. Some local ISPs are FLOW and DIGICEL.

• A communications link/transmission channel: e.g., telephone lines, fibre optic cable or satellite.

Software Requirements

To connect to the internet, you need an implementation of TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol).

TCP/IP is a set of rules that defines how computers interact or communicate with each other to transfer data from one computer to another over the internet. It enables hardware and operating systems from different computers to communicate.

Internet Addresses

In the same way that your home has an address that allows someone to find you or so that letters can be delivered to you, each computer on the internet has a unique address that identifies it as a node of the global internet. This address is called an IP address (Internet Protocol Address). It is made up of four sets of numbers, with up to three digits each, separated by a full stop.

Example: e.g. 134.46.495.0

These numbers are difficult to remember, therefore the Domain Name System (DNS) was created.

With the growth of the internet, countries around the world now have their own top-level domain names.

Examples of Domain Names

• facebook.com

• redcross.org

• nis.gov.bb

• cavehill.uwi.edu

The World Wide Web

The World Wide Web (WWW) is a part of the internet. Many people think that the internet and the web are the same thing; however, this is not so. The web can be considered a large subset of the internet.

The web consists of hypertext and hypermedia documents. When this type of document is accessed on the internet, it is called a web page.

A related collection of web pages is called a web site. In order to access the World Wide Web, you need a web browser.

Browser

A browser is a program that allows you to find, retrieve, view, and send hypertext and hypermedia documents. Popular browsers available on the market today are Microsoft Edge, Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.

All browsers operate in a similar manner and allow you to:

• View web pages all over the world

• Send and receive e-mail

• Download games, music, and computer software

• Play games

• Chat

• Shop online

• See or hear live or recorded broadcasts

• Participate in conferences

• View channels

Hypertext

A hypertext document is a document containing a hyperlink to another document. (A hyperlink is like a portal). The second document can be on the same computer or another computer somewhere on the World Wide Web.

Hypermedia

A hypermedia document is a document that contains links to text, graphics, audio, or video files.

HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP)

Hypertext transfer protocol is a set of rules that controls how data travels between server and client. (HTTPS - HTTP Secure)

Web Server

A web server is a computer that stores and makes hypertext and hypermedia documents (webpages) available.

Client

A client is a computer requesting hypertext and hypermedia documents (webpage).

HyperText Mark-up Language

Hypertext mark-up language can be used to create hypertext and hypermedia documents (webpages). It specifies how a webpage should be structured and formatted, thereby determining the appearance in a browser.

Internet Terms and Definitions

FTP - File Transfer Protocol

File Transfer Protocol is the simplest way to transfer files between computers over the internet. It is an application protocol that uses TCP/IP protocols and is typically used to upload web pages to a server or to download software from a site to a user's own computer.

URL - Uniform Resource Locator

This is a text-based (alphanumeric) address used to locate a resource on the internet. It is made up of the protocol name and the host name.

Example:

VoIP - Voice over Internet Protocol

It is a category of hardware and software that enables people to use the Internet as the transmission medium for telephone calls. One advantage of VoIP is that the telephone calls over the Internet do not incur a surcharge beyond what the user is paying for Internet access.  

Example: Whatsapp Calls

E-mail - Electronic Mail

It is the transmission of messages over communications networks. The messages can be notes entered from the keyboard or electronic files stored on disk. You can also send the same messages to several users at once. Sent messages are stored in electronic mailboxes until the recipient fetches them. To see if you have any mail, you may have to check your electronic mailbox periodically, although many systems alert you when mail is received. After reading your e-mail, you can store it, forward it or delete it.  

Forums

A forum is an online discussion group. Forums are sometimes called newsgroups.

Examples:Reddit and Quora.

IRC - Internet Relay Chat

It enables people connected anywhere on the Internet to join in live discussions.IRC is not limited to just two participants.

Instant Messaging

This allows users to connect to each other instantly. This type of messaging differs from IRC because it is private. You must be 'friends' with the person you want to chat with.

Download

Downloading refers to transferring a file from a computer on the Internet to your own computer. Things you might download include software, images, audio, videos, and email attachments, etc.  

Upload

This is the process of transmitting a file or data from your home system to a remote destination via the Internet. Uploading is the opposite of downloading.