El Paso Community College Libraries

What is the Internet?

A worldwide collection of interconnected computer networks. Basic Services on the Internet are: Electronic Mail (E-Mail), File Transfer (F.T.P.) and Login to remote computers (Telnet). The Net has open access - for a price - to those who want to join and do not have access through their academic, public or corporate institutions. E.P.C.C. Libraries offer free access to the Internet to students and the community.

What is Netscape?

Netscape is a program (software) which allows us to use the World Wide Web (W.W.W.) in a graphical mode. It consists of pull down menus, task bars, push buttons. It is very easy to learn. To access a computer with Netscape, users are required to leave an I.D. at the Circulation Desk.

What is the Rio Grande FreeNet?

It is the community gateway to the Internet; it will provide you with a free e-mail account. R.G.F.N. contains information of significant interest to the community. The FreeNet is supported by donations from individuals and institutions. El Paso Community College is a major sponsor of the FreeNet.

How to dial from home?

Dial 857-4046. At the "your choice ==>" prompt, type go www. Press #3 for the Lynx (text based) browser, Press the Enter key. You are now on the World Wide Web!

Browser

An interactive program used to access and retrieve information from the W.W.W. For example, Lynx is a text based browser and NETSCAPE is a graphical browser.

E-Mail

Electronic mail. A method of sending messages via computer to any part of the world. One of the most popular Internet tools.

F.T.P.

File Transfer Protocol. Lets you transfer files from one computer to another.

Client

Software which normally runs on your P.C.

Home Page

Opening site of an institution or person. Gives you information about the site and pointers to other links.

H.T.M.L.

Hypertext Markup Language. Series of tags used to write hypermedia documents for the W.W.W.

I.S.P.

Internet Service Provider. Any organization offering connections to the Net.

Protocol

Defines the rules computers must follow to exchange messages. A protocol describes both the format of the messages sent and the permitted method of response.

U.R.L.

Uniform Resource Locator. The address of a file on the W.W.W. This is the information you need to add when citing a document from the Web.

W.W.W.

Distributed multimedia hypertext (text, graphics, sound, video) document system. Provides links in a non-sequential manner.

Some Misconceptions

• The Internet is run by the government.
• The Internet is one large computer.
• Most of the Internet is made of pornography.
• You can be at a site and all of a sudden get a pornographic picture.
• E-Mail is free.
• It is a long distance call to get information from Australia.
• Other people can get into your hard drive.
• It is illegal to advertise on the Internet.
• The Internet is fast.
• The Internet is a one step operation.
• If it is on the Net it is true.
• Almost every family has access to the Net.
• You have to be a "techie" to be good at using the Web.
• The Web is a private medium.
• If a site is rated "cool" it means it is a good site.
• It is easy to find information on the Net.
• The Net is organized in directories.
• The World Wide Web is the Internet.
• Search engines search all the pages of a site.
• Most reviews of sites are evaluative and informative.
• All the information is on the Web.

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El Paso Community College Libraries
Last Updated: December 15, 1999.
Send your comments to:

af625@rgfn.epcc.edu

URL: http://www.epcc.edu/library/Handouts/net.htm


El Paso Community College