Essay/Term paper: How to surf the internet

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Information Technology

How to Surf the Internet


The term "Internet," or "The Net" as it is commonly in known in the
computer business, is best described as an assortment of over one thousand
computer networks with each using a common set of technical transfers to create
a worldwide communications medium. The Internet is changing, most profoundly,
the way people conduct research and will in the near future be the chief source
of mass information. No longer will a student have to rely on the local library
to finish a research essay - anybody with a computer, a modem, and an Internet
Service Provider can find a wealth of information on the Net. Anybody with a
disease or illness and who has access to the Internet can obtain the vital
information they are in need of. And, most importantly, businesses are
flourishing 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
privately they must own a computer. A computer that is fast, reliable, and one
that has a great deal of memory is greatly beneficial. A person also needs a
modem (a device that transmits data from a network on the Internet to the
user's computer). A modem's quality and speed are measured as something called
a baud rate (how fast the modem transmits data in bits and kilobits - similar to
grams and kilograms). A kilobit is a term simply used to describe the speed 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
is definitely 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 per second 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, a person will have to own a 9600
baud or higher, and with recent advancements the Internet has offered, the
recommended speed is a 14400 kilobytes per second modem. A modem ranges in
price, depending on the type of modem you want, the speed you need, and if it is
an external or internal type, modems range from as low as $20 to as high as $300.
If a person is unequipped with a computer most local libraries and nonprofit
organizations provide Internet access where research can be done freely. Having
Internet access in libraries is extremely beneficial for citizens who do not
have access to the Internet as it gives them a chance to survey the vast amount
of information available on the Net. And it is absolutely true the Internet is
evolving as the greatest tool for searching and retrieving information on any
particular subject.
Searching for information on The Internet using libraries and other
nonprofit organizations can be a bit uncomfortable. For those people who
already own a computer and a modem, and are ready to take hold of the highway
of information the Internet provides, they might want to consider getting a
commercial account with an Internet Service Provider or ISP (a company or
organization that charges a monthly a fee and provides people with basic
Internet services). Choosing your ISP may be the most difficult thing you must
decide when trying to get on the Net. You must choose a service that has a
local dial-in number so you do not end up with monstrous long distance charges.
You must also choose an ISP that is reliable, fast, and has a good technical
support team who are there 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 per month for unlimited access, they may not meet up to your expectations;
so it would be advisable to spend the extra $15 or $20 per month to get the best
possible service. No matter how a person gets connected to The Internet, they
will always be able to search for information about any topic that enters their
minds. And it is the Internet that is changing the traditional methods of how
people research specific topics. The tools that simplify the research processes
make the Internet another invaluable method of obtaining information.
Most people who already know how to surf the Internet properly have no
trouble finding information quickly and logically. However, for new people who
are just starting to use the Net, the process can be quite troublesome. Some of
the tools used for searching the Internet include Electronic Mail or E-mail
which is a Messaging system that allows you to send documents, reports, and
facsimiles to users on the Internet. Every user on the Internet has their own
E-mail address and can send messages to anyone as long as they know another
person's E-mail address. One easy way of obtaining information about any
topic is to join a mailing list where mail sent directly to one user will cause
the information to be distributed to all members of that particular list.
Mailing Lists are a fun and an easy way of gaining the important information a
person may find on the Net. This also shows another way of how useful the
Internet is and can be.
Another way a person can gain information through Electronic Mail is by
people exchange messages publicly over the Net and these messages are sorted
into different areas called News groups or often referred to as Usenet News.
There are currently over 13,000 news groups for which any user with access to
the Net can use. People send and receive messages about what kind of topic the
news group is devoted to and is an excellent way of gaining information quickly
and easily. Usenet news is also a way to receive up to the minute information
about timely topics.
A further tool for exploring The Internet is a tool called gopher which is
perhaps the most popular non-graphic way of searching the Internet. It provides
interconnected links between files on different computers around the Net.
Gopher provides access to an enormous amount 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 only thing 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 a mixture of text and graphics to display a wide assortment of
information. The Web is one of the most effective methods to provide
information because of its visual impact and multimedia foundation. Many search
tools are available on the Web to help the user more easily search for materials
that are of interest to him or her.
There are some users who fret about having an information overload. They
see themselves surfing a sea of random facts, information of varying quality,
humour and entertainment references, people and places. The on-line world
contains chaos as does the real world. Although some say the Internet World
contains too much information for people to make sense of, there is tremendous
proof people will find their place on the Internet with plenty of help. And
everybody will grow up to make sense of the information available just as
millions of users already do.