Internet Skills and Computer Basics

Internet Skills and Computer Basics

Unit Specifics

  • Focuses on internet and computer basics, browser introduction, search engines, Digital India pillars, and computer components.

  • Aims to provide fundamental knowledge about computers, the internet, and digital initiatives.

Rationale

  • Highlights the increasing importance of computers and the internet in daily life.

  • Emphasizes the convenience, labor, cost, and time savings offered by online services.

  • Stresses the need for basic knowledge of computer hardware, software, and the internet to access online services.

Pre-Requisites

  • Basic computer technology understanding.

  • Eagerness to learn computer basics.

Unit Outcomes

  • U1-O1: Connect peripheral devices to a computer.

  • U1-O2: Use browsers and their features.

  • U1-O3: Write efficient search queries.

  • U1-O4: Browse digital India, state, and college portals.

Basic Internet Skills

  • Internet: A tool for accessing digital information and services.

  • Internet Skills: Skills to access internet applications.

What is the Internet?

  • A collection of interconnected networks.

  • Comprises devices, hardware & software specifications, and protocols.

  • Referred to as a "network of networks."

  • Purpose: share resources like webpages, printers, email, e-commerce, etc.

  • Works over physical cables (POTS, TV, fiber optic) and wireless mediums (Wi-Fi, 3G/4G, satellites).

Common Applications of the Internet

  1. Communication: E-mails, online messengers, VoIP.

  2. E-Commerce: Online market for products and services.

  3. Storage & File Transfer: Cloud computing for file sharing.

  4. Live streaming & podcasts: Real-time video and audio broadcasts.

  5. News, Entertainment: Updates on real-world events.

  6. Collaborative tasks: Online meetings and teamwork.

  7. Research & learning activities: Access to information and online resources.

  8. Interactive gaming: Online gaming with real-time interaction.

  9. Social Networking: Platforms to connect people.

  10. Job hunting: Online job postings and applications.

  11. Navigation & Tracking: Digital maps and live status tracking.

Glossary for the Internet Basics

  • WWW: World Wide Web, accesses via URL, interlinked with hyperlinks.

  • Domain Name: Unique name to identify a computer system or resource.

  • URL: Uniform Resource Locator, unique web address.

  • HTTP: Hypertext Transfer Protocol, rules for data transfer over the web.

  • HTTPS: Secure version of HTTP using SSL encryption.

  • FTP: File Transfer Protocol, rules for file transfer over the internet.

  • Hyperlink: Word, phrase, or image linking to another data.

  • Browser: Application program to display webpages.

  • Webpage: Hypertext document for web browsers.

  • Website: Collection of web pages with a common domain name.

  • Search Engine: Software for information searching.

  • ISP: Internet Service Provider.

  • Email: Electronic Mail.

  • Podcast: Web resource with audio information.

  • Filetype: Format and type of information on the internet.

  • Download: Copying data from server to client.

  • Upload: Transferring data from client to server.

  • DNS: Domain Name System, translates domain names to IP addresses.

  • TCP/IP: Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, rules for linking computers to the internet.

  • Modem: Modulator-demodulator, converts digital data to analog signals.

  • Network equipment: Hardware for network interconnection.

  • Cloud Computing: Computer resources over the internet.

Understanding a Browser

  • Client-server model: Clients request services, servers respond.

  • Browser: Client-side application to search and retrieve information.

Trending Browsers

  • Google Chrome: Widely used, fast, secure, customizable.

  • Microsoft Edge: Successor to Internet Explorer, integrated with Microsoft platforms.

  • Mozilla Firefox: Open-source, extensive library of extensions.

  • Opera: Multi-platform, AI-based news feed, file sharing.

  • Safari: Developed by Apple, faster, high-privacy features.

Elements of a Chrome Browser Window

  • Address bar: Input URL or web address.

  • Title bar: Shows the title of the webpage.

  • Navigation buttons: Forward and backward controls.

  • Refresh button: Reloads the webpage.

  • Tabbed browsing: Open multiple webpages in tabs.

  • New tab button: Opens a new tab window.

  • Bookmark control: Stores and manages frequently visited webpages.

  • Extensions: Additional functionalities.

  • Search tabs: Lists opened and recently closed tabs.

  • Minimize, restore down, and close buttons.

  • Browser Synchronization: Sync user settings across devices.

  • Browser Customize and Control: access options of the chrome browser

  • Right-click options: Access functionalities via right-clicking.

Common Browser Features

  1. Bookmarking: Storing URI for future retrieval.

  2. Download management: Manage downloaded files.

  3. Password management: Store usernames and passwords.

  4. Tabbed browsing: Browse multiple websites simultaneously.

  5. Browser history: Store visited webpages.

  6. Form management: Auto-fill web form entries.

  7. Spell checking: Correct misspelled words.

  8. Privacy mode: Surf the web without recording browsing history (Incognito/inPrivate).

  9. Auto update: Self-updating capability.

  10. Ad blocking: Block or alter online advertising.

  11. Incremental search: Find matches on a webpage incrementally.

  12. Page zooming: Zoom in/out web content.

Constituent of a Web Browser

  • User Interface: Interacts with visual controls.

  • Browser Engine: Bridge between UI and rendering engine.

  • Rendering Engine: Renders web pages, parses HTML, CSS, and images.

  • Networking: Manages connections with HTTP and FTP protocols.

  • JS interpreter: Parses and executes JS code.

  • UI Backend: Draws widgets like windows and combo boxes.

  • Data storage and persistence: Saves data like cookies.

Efficient Use of Search Engines

  • Search engine: Software to search web pages against search terms.

  • SERP: Search engine results pages.

Popular Search Engine Variants

  • Google: Uses AI and ML for better results.

  • Microsoft Bing: Provides links to news, weather, etc.

  • Yahoo: One of the oldest search engines.

  • Baidu: Dominates the Chinese search engine market.

  • Yandex: Prevalently used in Russia.

  • DuckDuckGo: Privacy-focused, doesn't track user data.

Types of Web Searches

  1. Navigational: Navigate to a specific website.

  2. Informational: Find information about a topic.

  3. Transactional: Reach a website for interaction or activity.

How Search Engines Work

  1. Crawling: Automated software scans the web for information.

  2. Indexing: Organizes and stores results.

  3. Ranking: Displays results in order of relevance.

How to Search the Web?

  • Open a search engine, input keywords, and click search.

  • Refine searches using operators and interface options.

  • Google advanced Search: Filters to refine search results

Awareness About Digital India Portals

  • Digital India: A program to transform India into a digitally empowered society.

  • Aims to provide government services electronically.

Vision Areas

  1. Digital Infrastructure as a Utility to Every Citizen.

  2. Governance and services on demand.

  3. Digital empowerment of citizens.

Pillars of Digital India Program

  • Nine pillars of growth areas.

Digital India Portals

  • Aadhar, CERT-In, CSC, DigiLocker, etc.

State Portal

  • Provides single-point information access to schemes and services in a particular state.

Features

  1. Provides single-point information access.

  2. Transparently provides information.

  3. Reduces paperwork and time.

  4. Makes departments more accountable.

College Portal

  • Provides information for college stakeholders: students, alumni, faculty, aspirants.

  • Maintains records of college activities.

Navigation

  • Type the URL in the address bar.

  • Search on search engines or national/state portals.

Computer System

  • Uses hardware components for processing.

  • CPU: Brain of the computer, consists of ALU, CU, and memory unit.

  • Microprocessor: Silicon chip with ALU, registers, and control circuits.

  • ALU: Performs arithmetic and logical operations.

  • CU: Supervises all computer operations.

  • Memory Unit: Stores instructions and data.

Measurement units for digital data

  • Bit, Byte, Kilobyte, Megabyte, Gigabyte, Terabyte, Petabyte, Exabyte, Zettabyte, Yottabyte

Types of Computer Memory

  • Primary Memory: Directly accessible by CPU, includes RAM, ROM, Cache Memory.

  • Random Access Memory (RAM): Volatile memory for temporary data storage.

  • Read-only Memory (ROM): Nonvolatile memory for permanent data storage.

  • Secondary memory: External memory for permanent data storage.

Display

  • Output device to present information visually.

  • Types: CRT, LCD, LED, Plasma, OLED, Touch Screen.

Keyboards

  • Primary input device to input data and instructions.

  • Types of keys: Function keys, Character keys, Modifier keys, Navigation keys, Numeric keypad, System command keys.

Mouse

  • Handheld input device to control the pointer in a GUI.

  • Operations: Point, Click, Right-Click, Double Click, Drag & Drop, Scrolling.

  • Types: Mechanical, Optical, Laser.

Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

  • Nonvolatile memory to store operating systems, files, and media.

  • Components: Platters, Spindle, Read/Write arm, Actuator.

  • Solid State Drives (SSDs): Used as primary storage devices.

Other Peripheral Devices

  • Devices that provide additional features to a computer.

Input Devices

Scanner, Barcode Reader, Webcam, Microphone, Digital Camera, Light Pen, Joystick, Graphic Tablet, Stylus, Touch Screen.

Output devices

Monitors, Projector, Printers, Speakers, Braille readers,Plotters, Television, video card, sound card Radio

Storage Devices

Hard disk drives, flash drives like pen drives or memory cards, floppy disks, optical storage like CD/DVD