Materials needed
Browsers: A browser is a software utility that allows users to view documents that are coded in html, hypertext transfer markup language. We often refer to these as documents on the World Wide Web.
To operate a browser the user types in the address of the computer where information is stored. The address is also know as the URL, the uniform resource locator. So if I am looking for a hypertext document about poetry, and I know it is located on the computer at Stanford, I would type http://www.stanford.edu. This will take me to their main homepage. From there I would have to navigate to find the document being sought. |
However, users can also view documents through a utility called Lynx. Lynx is a text only utility and is usually found on a larger computer than the common PC.
At home or at school, you will normally use one of the browsers listed below. All of these are free to people in education. You can download any of them by going to their homepages.
Netscape, Atlas Gold, Internet Explorer, Mosaic, Oracle are just a few of the browsers |
Most computers at school will be setup so that you can download information automatically. At home, you will have to program your browser to accept information; if you are lucky, your service provider already did this for you when you leased your Internet connection.
An essential item needed for research is an email address.
An email address has three parts. Look, for example at my email address:
jstrever@ctc.edu The second is the name of the provider. The third tells what type of service I have; in this case, edu stands for education.
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You can get an address through a service provider like AOL; however, local companies sell Internet connections and email services. One provider will allow you to have an email address for free; one of its drawbacks is its slowness. Click here to apply for an email address.
The next thing you will need is a diskette to store your data, especially if you are using a computer at school. Since there are a couple of ways to retrieve information, being familiar with the way your browser downloads data is important. Look at the menu at the top of the screen; click on File and discover which way the browser you are using will store information. Do you see a "save as" command? Click on it to see what happens.
These are the most basic of all materials you need. Now you are ready to learn more about some specialized language you will encounter on your search on the Internet.
Please click on the home button located below to return you to the main index page.
