TOPIC 6: INTERNET AND THE WORLD WIDE WEB

Introduction to Internet
Internet is an international / global interconnection of computer networks.
Or
Internet is a global connection of computer’s and LAN’s sharing resources and data.
Or
Internet is a worldwide network with more than 100 million users that are linked for the
exchange of data, news, conversation and commerce.
Characteristics of the Internet
 It is made up of numerous networks worldwide
 There is No organization that has a direct control over the internet
 It is dynamic that is to say ever changing
 It offers very many services
 The internet size and technology grow at a very fast rate
 It is not owned by any single organization (has no central control)
Basic requirements for an internet connection
 Computer with a NIC (Network Interface Card)
 Communication software i.e. web browser and internet protocols
 Communication hardware i.e. Modem and Router
 Communication media i.e. wireless antenna or telephone line
 An ISP (Internet Service Provider)
ISP (Internet Service Provider)
Is an organization that supplies internet connection and access to its clients at a given
subscription fee like monthly. Examples of ISPs in Uganda include: MTN, Airtel, Smile,
Vodacom, and Africell
Services offered by an ISP
 Internet access – internet connectivity
 E-mail services
 Hiring storage space to small organizations
 Video conferencing
 Web space hosting
 Spam or adware filtering
 Web page filtering
 Technical support
 Virus protection.
 System analysis and consultancy
 Domain name registration and hosting
 Network servicing and maintenance
 Sell network hardware accessories and air time
 Provide network security and parental control systems
Factors to Consider when Choosing ISP
 Set up costs
 Availability of network coverage for the ISP
 Level of internet traffic congestion

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  Available technology
 The term of service offered by the ISP
 The fee charged for the services
 Compatibility of ISP’s software and hardware with your computer/phone
 Level of experience of the ISP and client
 Availability of online help (customer Care services)
 Size and needs of the organization
 Additional / other services offered by the ISP e.g. web hosting services, mobile
money services
Internet connection terminologies
 Dial-up (DUN). This is a connection method where the client requests for a
connection to the ISP server each time he wishes to access the internet. This method
requires the use of MODEM and a telephone line
 Leased line. This is where there is a permanent connection between the user and the
ISP at a fixed fee. This method uses DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)
 Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN). It is a method of creating high speed
data transmission using a telephone system in digital form by using an ISDN adapter
at either end to send and receive data in a digital form instead of using a modem.
 Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL). This is a technology that provides high
speed transmission using the standard telephone network in digital form with ADSL
adapter at either end, but splitting the frequencies on the telephone line into three
channels of different bandwidth (asymmetric)
 Cable modem. It is a type of modem that provides access to a data signal sent over the
cable television infrastructure.
 Broadband internet access. It is a high speed internet access.

Common internet connection terms

 Bandwidth. It is the amount of data (bits) that can be transmitted along a
communication channel in a given time (per second). It is measured in bits per second
(bps.

 Bit rate. It is the speed at which a particular transmission is taking place. It is

measured in bits per second (bps)

Internet protocols
Internet protocol suite is the computer networking model and set of communications
protocols used on the internet and other computer networks.
Internet protocol (IP) Address
An internet protocol address is a number that uniquely identifies each computer on the
internet.
NOTE
Computers can determine the addresses of other computers on the network and use these
addresses to send messages to each other.
IP addresses consist of four groups of numbers (bytes 32bits), each separated by periods e.g.
192.168.5.3
 The first portion (first three values 192.168.5) usually identifies the network

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  The last part (3) represents the specific computer
NOTE Each number can be zero up to 255
Examples of Internet protocols include:-
 Transmission Communication Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
This is an internet standard by which computers on the internet communicate with each other
as used by most internet sites and pages.
 Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
This is the protocol used to transmit hypertext over the internet
HTTP is the set of rules that govern how the multimedia files (sound, video, audio) are
transmitted over the internet.
 File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
This is an internet standard that allows the user to upload and download files with other
computers
Factors that Affect Internet Speed
 Type of transmission media/technology used
 Distance of client computer/phones away from ISP server
 Quality of the ISP used e.g. 4G network, 3G network etc.
 Size or amount of bandwidth subscribed for
 Quality of the processor of the client computer/phone or the processing speed of the
host computer
 The type of data being downloaded or uploaded
 The age of the computer set whether clone or new
 Nature of the content being dealt with over the internet
 Number of users currently logged on the same ISP or the volume of traffic. The more
the number of people logged on the internet the slower the internet.
 Adapter or modem speed used.

Implications of Using the Internet

Advantages of the internet
 Provides different kinds of entertainment e.g. online games, watching videos online
etc.
 Facilitates research through online dictionaries, encyclopedia, YouTube videos, etc.
 Provides employment opportunities to job seekers through online employment
agencies
 Provides news updates for polities, social events, climate, etc.
 Promotes E-commerce through online banking, online shopping, E-payments.
 Facilitates faster communication through emails, social media, instant messaging, chat
rooms etc.
 Promotes health by providing latest medical news and research
 Facilitates social networking among millions of people with similar interests globally.
 Facilitates smooth running of online services like transfer funds electronically, pay
utility bills and taxes, etc.
 Facilitates formation of communities or forums i.e. a number of people can participate
in different types of debates and discussions express their views and gather valuable
knowledge.

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Disadvantages
 A lot of wrong information is on the internet which may lead to unreliable research
 Internet facilitates cybercrimes e.g. hacking, plagiarism, phishing, child pornography,
etc.
 It exposes people’s private issues and secrets
 Information may be intercepted by hackers hence great loss of information
 Prolonged use of internet may lead to addiction. People wish to be online all the time
hence foregoing/giving less time to other activities.
 Internet involves high costs for initial setup, subscription and maintenance
 Viruses can easily be spread on the internet which can destroy sensitive data and
programs
 It gives access to pornographic material leading to moral decay
 Prolonged use of the internet leads to health hazards like eye strain, headache and
backache
 Internet facilitates cheating of exams
 Internet services are limited to only internet literates
 It has enabled many people to be engulfed in a virtual world and hence causing social
disconnect.

Use of internet as a learning tool

 Used to search for information using search engines and directories
 E-mail system is used in collaborative learning
 Enables distance learning for those who are unable to attend collage/school physically
 Discussions over educational chat rooms
 Enables downloading of relevant documents
 Using computer assisted assessments (CAA) for online exams
 Use of electronic libraries and textbooks
 Development of skills of research and communication by the students
 Assignments are received, done and sent across the network by the students
 Video conferencing is used to share views and ideas among students and teachers.
Advantages of the internet in schools
 A lot of information is obtained which is not available in a single textbook
 Updated or current information is obtained since internet is dynamic
 Learning is fun and easy as internet is exciting due to the multimedia content used
 It offers different sources of information hence a variety of opinions on a topic
 It is a quick way of getting information where internet connection is good
 It encourages group work through collaboration therefore sharing of information and
experience among students and teachers
 Related topics are easily accessed through hyperlinks
 Students are able to attend virtual classes
 Different skills such as typing, use of web browsers, problem solving, e-mail are
developed through the use of the internet
 Instant or timely communication is done by use of the e-mail system
 Shopping for items such as books is made easy and less expensive.

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Disadvantages of the internet in schools.
 No information control over the internet such that all sorts of bad information is
accessed
 There is no privacy of information and information piracy is common
 Indecent material is published on the internet
 It’s not readily available to most people
 It is expensive and its access drains school resources
 Time is lost where internet speed is low due to poor links, hardware and congestion
 Some sites give outdated therefore misleading information because they are not
regularly updated.
 Time wastage occurs when students easily stray into non-essential materials
 Many internet sites have been commercialized therefore emphasize adverts and
selling such that less free academic content is given
 Computer viruses are easily spread over the internet
 Difficult to obtain information relevant to a particular level of a student
 It is possible to obtain contradictory information
 Many students and teachers do not have adequate skills of accessing the internet.

INTERNET SERVICES / SERVICES OFFERED BY THE INTERNET

 Social networks/Social media: is a platform that brings together people with
common interests to communicate freely over the internet. Examples of social media
include; Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Viber, etc.
 Mailing Lists: is a collection of names and addresses used by an organization to send
same messages/news letters to multiple recipients at the same time over the internet.
 Instant messaging (IM): is a form of communication over the internet that offers
quick transmission of text based messages among internet users (from sender to
receiver). IM systems alert the user whenever somebody on their private list is online.
One can initiate a chat session with that individual. Instant messaging programs
provide these features;- instant messages, chat, web link, video, images, sounds, files,
talk, streaming content, and mobile capabilities.
 Chat rooms: refers to the use of technology that allows sharing of information inform
of text, voice or video with a group of people in real time over the internet. Chat
rooms include;- text-based chat and Graphical multi-user environments.
 News groups: is a forum for messages focused on a particular topic of interest posted
from many users in different locations over the internet.
 Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP): refers to communication protocols,
technologies and transmission techniques involved in the delivery of voice
communication and multimedia sessions over the internet at no extra cost. VoIP
facilitates making telephone calls over the internet at no extra cost; users only need to
have an internet connection.
 Video conferencing; refers to communication over the internet among two or more
people in distant places when they can see each other using a monitor. It is good for
carrying out meetings where members are in distant places.
Requirements for Video Conferencing
 Communication gadgets e.g. laptops/phones with a webcam
 Internet connection (Data bundles)

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  Web browser
 Video conferencing software, e.g. Skype
Advantages of Video Conferencing
 Communication is relatively cheap when carrying out meetings while members are
distances apart
 It facilitates telecommunicating. Telecommuting is a working arrangement in which
an employee works from home instead of physically coming to the workplace
Disadvantages
 It is relatively expensive to carry out since it involves use of video data that consumes
more internet data bundles
 Communication is not effective incase internet connection is unreliable
 The devices involved are costly e.g. laptops with a webcam, intent connection, Skype,
etc.
 E-commerce (Electronic Commerce) / E-trade. This is the buying and selling of
products over electronic systems on the internet. Online shopping is when one orders
for goods electronically and pays for them using electronic systems over the internet
like credit cards, debit cards, etc. The goods are delivered to the address specified in
the order.
There are three popular types of E-commerce carried over the internet.
o Online shopping of goods and services
o Online advertisement
o Online banking
Advantages of E-Commerce
 Transactions occur instantly and globally
 Transactions occur at any time of the day or night
 Information can be changed and availed quickly
 Customers can compare prices easily from different suppliers
 Feedback is immediate
 Manufacturers can sell directly to the consumer avoiding the cost of middlemen
 One can still shop regardless of bad weather
 The number of employees is reduced which reduces costs.
Disadvantages
 The E-commerce system may be hacked leading to loss of money
 sales may be reduced if customers are unable to try products before buying them
 Customers may be tricked by conmen and access their credit card details leading to
loss of money
 The infrastructure required to setup an E-commerce system is very expensive
 Customers who are not IT savvy cannot access E-commerce services
 It is dependent on the availability of the internet. Network failure renders the service
unavailable

 E-mails (Electronic Mails)

An Email is the sending and receiving of digital messages through a network or across the
internet. An email client is software that enables the user to compose, send and receive
emails.

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Examples of email clients
Gmail, Yahoo mail, MS Outlook, Endora, Hotmail
Parts of an Email Address
An email like [email protected] has got the following parts:
User name: this identifies the name of the owner of the email account. alinaitwe97 is the
username in the above email address.
@: is a symbol for ―at‖. It separates the username from the domain name.
Domain name: identifies the name and type of the host computer. outlook.com is the
domain name in the above email address.
Requirements for Creating and Sending Emails
 Computer/phone
 Internet data bundles
 Web browser
 Email client
 Email accounts (personal and intended recipients email address)
Features of an Email Client
Compose: this opens a window where the user types the actual message.
To: this is where the address of the mail recipient is typed
From: this indicates the address of the one sending the mail
Cc (Carbon Copy): this is used to send copies of the email to multiple recipients while
acknowledging the recipients. This is where all other addresses to receive copies of the same
message are typed.
Bcc (Blind Carbon Copy): used to send copies of the email to multiple recipients without
acknowledging the recipients.
Subject: this is where the theme/topic of the email is indicated.
Attachment: this facilitates the sending of the text, voice and video within the same email
Inbox: this is where received / incoming mails/ messages are stored
Sent messages / Outbox: this contains copies of sent mails or messages.
Spam: contains received emails considered as spam. Spam refers to irrelevant or
inappropriate messages sent to a large number of recipients on the internet.

Common terms
Sign up: is a feature used to register a new email account. During this process, the user enters
all the details about him/her e.g. surname, first name, date of birth, username, password, etc.
Sign in/log in: this is used by a user who is already registered and has an email account.
When clicked on, the user enters the username and password to access their email account.
Logout: after using the email account, the user must click on logout/sign out so that
unauthorized people may not use the account.
Username; is a combination of characters usually derived from the surname and first name
that a user chooses when registering for an email account.
Password: a combination of characters a user chooses to associate with the username when
signing up for an email account.

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Qualities of a good password
 Should be composed of letters, numbers and symbols
 Should not be too short or too lengthy
 Should not be easy to forge/guess
 Should be easy to be memorized by the owner.

Advantages of using Emails for Communication

 Sending emails is faster and instant
 Emails can easily be sent to multiple recipients instantly and conveniently at no extra
cost.
 Delivering of messages is relatively cheaper especially over long distances
 Facilitates sending of attachments at no extra cost
 They provide notifications about the delivery status of the message
 It is convenient because a message can be sent anywhere in the world without having
to leave one’s desk.
 A copy of the message is kept.
 They are environmentally friendly since they don’t involve the use of papers
 Products can easily be advertised using emails within a short time
 Emails can easily be secured by passwords to deny authorized access
 Emails provide a facility of backing up documents which when needed can be
downloaded
Disadvantages
 Emails use mainly favors computer literates leaving out a big population
 In case the email attachment contains a viruses, they are likely to spread to many
computers
 Reduces face to face interaction
 Use of emails mainly depends on network availability and signal strength. Network
failure renders the service unavailable
 Many spam emails may slow down the internet speed of the computer.
 It is expensive due to the high initial costs of settings up internet connection
 Emails may not open when corrupted by computer virus
 Physical items cannot be sent with emails
 The privacy of an email cannot be guaranteed. The email may not hacked or the
password may be
Netiquette
Is a code of acceptable behaviors that users should follow while using services on the
internet. Netiquette is the short form for “network etiquette”
Netiquette includes the following;
 Politely offer a reply to all the received messages
 Type the message in lower case
 Avoid writing messages when you are too anxious or annoyed
 Use clear and simple language
 Don’t use emails or other internet communication services to cone/harass internet
users
 Always sign-out your account after use

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  Be precise and concise while typing messages
 Use common acronyms

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 THE WORLD WIDE WEB
This refers to a system of internet servers that support specially formatted documents in HTML
linked together.
Common terms;
 Web page: is an HTML document that can be accessed and read over the World Wide
Web. Or is a single page on a website containing HTML formatted documents.
 Website: is an internet location that contains hyperlinked documents known as web
pages hosted on a web server. Or is a collection of webpages linked together and
available on the World Wide Web.
 Home page: is the starting page of a website. Or this is the main page/first page on a
website that serves as the primary point of entry to related pages within the same website.
 Hyperlink: it is a built in link to other related documents, allowing users to quickly
navigate from one document to another when clicked. Or a block of text/image on a
webpage linked to another webpage either on the same website or another for easy
navigation on the World Wide Web. When clicked on, the user easily jumps to another
webpage/website on the WWW.
 Hypertext: is a web page that has hyperlinks to other webpages.
 Web server: is a computer that fulfills users’ requests for webpages.
 Web master: is a person who creates, maintains and manages a website often for
business, organization.
 Search engine: is software that allows one to search for web pages on the World Wide
Web. Or a program that locates specific resources like documents, music files for
specific keywords on the World Wide Web and returns a list of the documents where the
keywords were found. Examples of search engines include;- Google, Yahoo search, Alta
vista, Bing, Live search, You Tube, etc.
 Downloading: is the copying of data from a remote server to one’s computer over the
internet.
 Uploading: is the copying of data from one’s computer to a remote server over the
internet.
 Web browser: a program designed to enable users to access, retrieve and view webpages
on the World Wide Web.
Examples of web browsers include;- Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Internet
explorer, Netscape, Safari, Sea Monkey, Netsurf, Abaco, mosaic, Sleipnir, lobo, Kmeleon,
Camino, Epiphany, Flock, Conqueror, and Xxxterm.
Functions of a web browser
 It is used to request for webpages from a web server when the user types in the uniform
resource locator.
 It accesses information from the web server using the HTTP protocol over a network to
communicate with the web server.
 It displays webpages on the screen.
 It is used for streaming video content over the internet.
 It displays multimedia content.
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 Features of a web browser (web browser interface)
 A menu bar that has items like file, edit, view, history, bookmarks or favourites, tools,
help, etc.
 A standard tool bar
 An address bar to type in the desired uniform Resource Locator (URL)
 Navigation buttons to move forwards or backwards between pages and a home button
to go to a start-up page
 A print button
 A favorites section where you can bookmark (store) the URL
 A history folder containing a list of previously visited sites
 A built in search engine
 A link to e-mail
 A link to one or more search engines.
Common web browser error messages
 Request Timeout (error 408). It implies that the browser was “timed out” because the
server was unable to process the browser request within the allotted timeframe.
 File Not found (error 400). This indicates that the page you are trying to access cannot
be found at the specified web server.
 Internet Error (error 500). This comes about when the web form malfunctions.
 Unable To Connect To Remote Host. This implies that the web browser is unable to
connect to a remote host on which the page is hosted.
 401 Unauthorized or 403 Forbidden. This implies that you are attempting to access a
website that allows only subscribed members who must use usernames and passwords,
and its site has blocked you from accessing it.
Using a browser, you can do some or all of the following;-
 View hundreds of millions of webpages
 Use mail clients to send and receive e-mail
 Download games, music, and computer software
 Chat
 Shop online
 See and hear recorded broadcasts
 Participate in virtual conferences
 View channels, a channel is a website that automatically transmits information to your
computer at the time you specify.

 URL (Universal Resource Locator): is the full address used to locate files or resource
or web pages on the internet. e.g. http://www.dailymonitor.co.ug/localnews.html.
Parts of a URL
A URL like; http://www.dailymonitor.co.ug/localnews.html, has got the following parts:
o http:// - protocol
o www.dailymonitor.co.ug – domain name
o dailymonitor – identifies the specific and official owner of the domain name.
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 o .co – identifies the type of the organization associated with the domain name
e.g. .co/.com – commercial organizations, .go - government organizations, .ac – academic
institutions, .org – NGOs, .mil – military institution, .net – a company that provides
internet, and .sc – a school organization
o .ug – identifies the specific geographical location of the organization associated with the
domain name e.g. .ug – Uganda, .ke – Kenya, .tz – Tanzania, .uk – United Kingdom, .ss –
South Sudan, .au – Australia, .it – Italy, .es – Spain, .za – South Africa, and .de – German
(Deutschland)
o localnews.html – this is the document name/ webpage

Top level (highest level) domain names

Top level domain (TLD) is the last part of an internet domain name, that is, the group of
letters that follow the final/last dot of the domain name.
Examples of top level domain names
 .org
 .gov
 .com
 .net
Commonly used top level domain names
 .com indicates that the organization is a commercial one
 .gov indicates that it is for a government department
 .org is for a non-commercial or non-business organization
 .ac is for an academic organization
 .sc is for a school organization
 .net is for a company that provides internet services.
Top level domain of some countries
 .au for Australia
 .de for German (Deutschland)
 .it for Italy
 .es for Spain (Espania)
 .ug for Uganda
 .za for South Africa etc.
Advantages/functions of a Website
 Advertising organizations and products easily
 They are a source of income to advertisers and web site developers.
 Provides a convenient and cheap base of operation for individuals and businesses.
 Sharing of knowledge or information easily
 Enhances communication and collaboration among people and communities
 Promotes research
 Facilitates entertainment and leisure
 Facilitates E-commerce
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  Facilitates E-learning

Limitations/Disadvantages
 They are relatively expensive to setup and maintain
 Information keeps on changing and this requires constant revision and effecting changes
as necessary
 Copyright issues: it is a crime to publish information from copyrighted sources without
permission from the original authors
 Unreliable network connections renders websites unavailable
 Inadequate skills in designing and hosting websites
 It gives access to pornographic material leading to moral decay
Qualities of a good website
 It should have a home page.
 It should be easy to navigate with well arranged, easy to see navigation buttons.
 It should have simple and clear layout of sections and content which makes it user
friendly i.e. find content easily.
 It must be pleasing to the eye to encourage visitors to the site.
 It should have readable font web safe eye pleasing clours so that visitors can read the
content easily.
 It should be interactive with content information, possibility of e-mail, online
communication forum and chats.
 It should not have too much content on a webpage
 It should load quickly to avoid disappointing potential visitors to the site.
 It should have active links to all pages for easy navigation which enable visitors to access
other references.
 It should have date of last update and frequently updated.
 It should have a feedback page to the webmaster
 The webpage should have web page titles and brief summary about the page or site.

Why should a school have a website?

 To enhance the advertisement of the school
 To enhance communicating with parents and other stake holders
 For resource mobilization as it can reach out to a wide supporting audience.
 To provide a forum for discussion of issues concerning the school using blogs.
 To provide a forum for students and teachers to collaborate with others elsewhere.
 To provide a forum for parents and alumni feedback.
 To promote research
 To facilitate skills building incase students are involved in the website development
process
 Information posted on the school website removes doubt, e.g. about school fees, visiting
days, academic performance
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Types of websites
 Personal website: This is a website that belongs to a particular individual or family. It
may contain family photos, online diary, etc. it helps a family to stay in touch.
 News websites: These offer access to online news e.g. breaking news and updates.
Examples include: dailymonitor.co.ug, newvison.co.ug, bbc.co.uk
 Informational websites: These facilitate sharing information over the World Wide Web.
E.g. Wikipedia, encyclopedia, Wiktionary, etc.
 E-commerce websites: These facilitate carrying out online business and financial
transactions e.g. amazon.com, jumia.com, olx.com
 Education websites. These are websites responsible for acquisition of knowledge
electronically (E-learning).
 Online Social networking websites/Community Building websites: These facilitate a
connection of many different people with some common interests e.g. Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, WhatsApp.
 Mobile Device websites: Although in its infancy, the use of mobile devices (cellphones,
PDA, iPods, iPhones, etc.) will become much more widespread and prevalent.
 Wiki: This is a website that allows users to add and modify its content through a web
browser usually using a simplified markup language or a rich – text editor. An example
of a Wiki is Wikipedia
 Blogging websites: This is a website in which journal entries are posted on a regular
basis. A person who posts journal entries is called a blogger.
 Web portal: This is a website which brings information together from various sources in
a uniform way e.g. UNEB results portal
 Media sharing websites: This allows users to upload content like photos, videos and
audio to the website that can be accessed from anywhere in the world e.g. YuoTube.com,
dailymotion.com, archive.org.
 Photo Sharing websites:

Components of a web connection

 Client work station running browser software
 Web server that is connected to the internet
 Network and telecommunication hardware & software such as modem, router

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