This guide makes up part of a suite of three documents designed to deliver the PC Passport course at Intermediate level for Internet

Transcription

1 PC Passport INTERNET Intermediate Student Workbook Date: June 2004 Publication Code: DB2311B ISBN for this pack: ISBN for set of three Internet packs: ISBN for complete Intermediate level pack: This guide makes up part of a suite of three documents designed to deliver the PC Passport course at Intermediate level for Internet Published by the Scottish Qualifications Authority Hanover House, 24 Douglas Street, Glasgow, G2 7NQ, and Ironmills Road, Dalkeith, Midlothian EH22 1LE The information in this publication may be reproduced to support the delivery of PC Passport or its component Units. If it is to be used for any other purpose, then written permission must be obtained from the Publications Section at SQA. It must not be reproduced for trade or commercial purposes. Scottish Qualifications Authority 2004

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3 Contents Learning Outcome 1 1 Summary of Learning Points Using the Filing System 3 Storage Media 3 Acceptable Use and Security Policies 5 Security Policies and Viruses 5 Creating Backups 8 Formatting Floppy Disks 9 The Windows Explorer Program 11 Looking Inside a Disk or Folder 12 Expanding and Collapsing Drives and Folders 12 Copying and Moving Folders and Files 13 Creating Folders 14 Renaming Folders and Files 14 Deleting Folders and Files 15 Searching for Folders and Files Connecting to the Internet 17 Connection Devices 17 Communication Links 17 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) Internet Overview 20 WWW File transfer 20 Chat 20 Newsgroups Opening and Closing Microsoft Internet Explorer 22 Opening Internet Explorer 22 Internet Explorer Screen Elements 23 Closing Internet Explorer Displaying Web Pages 26 Understanding the Structure of a Web Address 26 Entering an Internet Address 27 Browsing 27 Using a Search Engine Downloading Information or Files 28 Issues That May Affect Download Speed 28 Downloading from the Internet Saving and Printing Web Pages 29 Saving a Web Page 29 Save Web Pages and the Filing System 31

4 Printing a Web Page 32 Learning Outcome 2 33 Summary of Learning Points Typing Web Addresses Using Hyperlinks Using Your Browser 36 Using the Back and Forward Buttons 36 Using the Stop, Refresh and Home Buttons Using the History Facility 38 Sorting the History List 39 Searching the History List Using the Favorites List 40 Viewing Pages from the Favorites List 40 Adding Pages to the Favorites List 41 Making Pages Available Offline 41 Organising the Favorites List Using Search Engines 44 Using Key Words in a Search 46 Using Common Operators in a Search 48 Further Tips on Searching 48 Learning Outcome 3 51 Summary of Learning Points Using 53 Addresses 53 Reading Messages 53 Replying to Messages 55 Forwarding Messages 55 Deleting Messages 56 Writing Messages 56 Organising Messages 61 Creating Folders 61 Moving Messages to a Folder 61 Viewing Messages in a Folder 62 Etiquette Using Chat Facilities 64 Chat Rooms 64 Instant Messaging 65 Chat Shorthand and Emoticons 67 Netiquette Using Newsgroups 70 Glossary 73 Index 81

5 Learning Outcome 1 Summary of Learning Points In this section you ll learn about: Basic terminology relating to computers. Computer hardware. Computer software. Using the keyboard and mouse. Files and folders. Connecting to the internet. Internet overview. Opening and closing Microsoft Internet Explorer. Displaying web pages. Saving and printing web pages. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 1

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7 1.1 Using the Filing System The files stored on your computer are arranged in a filing system similar to a manual filing system that uses filing cabinets, with dividers and folders within. In a computerised filing system, you may have a number of different types of disk or other storage medium that you can use for storing your files. These are usually divided up much like the drawers in a filing cabinet so that you, and other users of the system, can find where you ve stored things. In a computerised system, these drawers are called folders. Each folder can contain files and/or other folders (known as subfolders). Storage Media There are a number of popular forms of data storage in use. Some of these are detailed below. Storage Method Hard disks are stored inside the system unit of the computer. Your computer will usually have one hard disk but can have more, with the main disk usually referred to as the C drive and any others going up the alphabet from D. A hard disk usually consists of several disks (called platters) plus a read/write head for each platter surface inside a sealed unit to protect it from dust and other hazards. This is important because a single grain of dust can cause a head crash, which can ruin the entire disk. Floppy disks can be used to move or copy information from one computer to another, or to hold a backup copy of your data in case your system fails or you lose the data another way. These disks are 3 ½ inch plastic squares containing a thin magnetic disk. In terms of text only, you could store roughly one standard dictionary on a floppy disk. Memory sticks are a newer type of storage. These come in a variety of forms and the most common type is connected to your computer via the USB port, which means that on the newer versions of Microsoft Windows, you simply plug them in and use them. Like floppy disks you can use take files from one computer to another on a memory stick; however, they hold much more information. A Zip disk is like a floppy disk but is physically larger and can store more data, usually 100 MB or 250 MB currently. To use these disks you need a zip drive which these days you usually plug in to your computer, but you can buy a PC that has a zip drive inside of the system. One CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory) can hold the same amount of data as about 500 floppies, although this varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and increases as technology advances. Using a CD-ROM drive (the device used to read/write a disk) equipped with a special laser, known as a CD writer, the drive can write, or burn, information onto a blank disk. Using a CD writer, a disk can only be written to only once. Using a CD Rewriter and special CD- RW (Compact-Disk Re-Writable) format disks, the user can both write to the disk a number of times, and delete files from the disk, making it like a very large floppy disk. Capacity 10 GB more than 100 GB currently 1.44 MB MB currently 100 MB or 250 MB 780 MB currently Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 3

8 A DVD, (Digital Versatile Disk, or Digital Video Disk) can hold a lot more information than a CD due to the use of a kind of built-in second disk. The information on a DVD is read by the DVD drive at a much faster rate than a normal CD. A film, cinema quality sound and special features can all be stored on a single disk. Tapes and tape cartridges are also widely used by large organisations although, because of their low access speeds, they are mainly used for longterm storage of data. Their main use is backing up data in case of loss GB currently GB currently Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 4

9 Acceptable Use and Security Policies Many centres and organisations have security and acceptable use policies that their users must adhere to as part of the terms and conditions of their use of the facilities. These can include personal use of the internet connection, awareness of copyright laws regarding the downloading of information from the internet, virus protection, use of firewalls, password policies and backing up of important files. Breaching these policies can have serious consequences, for example, you may lose your job if you use your employer s computer system to do something illegal. Acceptable Use Policies If you use a computer other than at home, you should check whether there is an acceptable use policy directing and controlling what you are able to do and what you should not do while using the system. This may include, for example, whether you re allowed to use your company s computer for personal purposes such as sending personal or perhaps checking your bank balance online during the working day. It may be that you can use the facilities in this way during your breaks or maybe not at all. It will certainly include a section on using the system for illegal purposes such as downloading copyrighted materials such as music and video. Copyright Issues Although you may be able to find the information or files you would like to use on the internet, it s important that you realise that the information you find may be subject to copyright laws and you may require to either pay for it or acknowledge your sources. Check the website for copyright statements and use the downloaded information accordingly. If in doubt, do not use someone else s material without their permission. Security Policies and Viruses A virus is a software program that has been loaded onto your computer and run without you knowing. What a virus does can range from just copying itself again and again until you run out of memory so that your system stops, to corrupting the files on your computer, to sending itself (usually via your system) from network to network, infecting the other systems it comes into contact with. When you use removable storage media such as floppy disks, CDs and memory sticks to transfer files from one computer to another, you risk also transferring any virus that was infecting the original computer. Another common source of infection is the internet. Since viruses can even bypass some security systems, anti-virus software has been created to identify and where possible clean any virus it recognises on your computer. When you have anti-virus software on your system, it will alert you to any potential virus from transferred or downloaded files and prevent it from infecting your system. To add another level of security, many public access systems (for example, schools or libraries) don t allow the transfer of information from other systems or the Internet to help prevent viruses infecting their networks. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 5

10 Although you can buy anti-virus programs, you can also find freeware versions of some of the major manufacturer s software for use on home computers on the main manufacturers websites. Some of these are listed below: URL Instructions and Description From the AVG Anti-Virus home page, click the AVG Free Edition link and follow the on-screen instructions. This software offers resident protection (it runs in the background monitoring your system at all times) and scanning. From the home page, click the Free Download of VCatch Basic V5 and follow the on-screen instructions. This program checks files arriving via an , instant messaging or file sharing application. From the home page, click the red Personal tab at the top of the screen then click the Scan Now link under the TREND MICRO Housecall heading. This is an online scan, which means that you will not install a program on your computer but simply scan it for viruses. It will not warn you if your computer becomes infected later unless you run Housecall again. Loading and running anti-virus software isn t enough. You also have to check for updates to the software so that it continues to recognise new viruses as they are developed and released. Important! Be sure to check the terms and conditions of use of any program you download or run online to be sure you don t break copyright laws. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 6

11 Firewalls A firewall can be either a software program or a hardware peripheral that prevents access to your computer system from outside sources, usually referred to as hackers. The firewall checks all incoming and outgoing information to see that it matches the security conditions that have been set, denying progress to any information that fails this check. In this way the information on your computer is kept safe and confidential. Password Policies When you use computers and the internet, you ll find that you have a number of different passwords to create and then remember. For instance, if you work on a network, you may have a password to log on to the network, another one for your system and perhaps others for websites that you ve signed up for (subscribed to). So that your personal information is kept private and confidential, it s important that you don t give anyone else your passwords or use passwords that anyone who knows you could guess, eg your name or your birthday, or your pet s name. This also stops anyone else acting in your name without your knowledge. For the same reason, you should also consider whether it s safe to leave your computer without logging off. A good password includes a combination of letters and numbers, and if it s case-sensitive (it matters whether you type it in capital or small letters), you should include a combination of capital and small letters along with the numbers. Some systems are set up to ensure that you include at least one letter and one number and have also set a minimum password length. Some systems also have a built-in check to make sure you change your password every so often, every month for example, and won t let you use the same password twice. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 7

12 Creating Backups A backup is a copy of a file kept in a different location from the original. Creating backups allows you to recover some or all of your work should anything happen to the original file. For example, if you accidentally delete a file, or if it becomes corrupted, you can use your backup copy instead. It may be that the backup is a bit out of date compared with the original, but at least you won t have to start from scratch. How often should you back up? This depends on how much work you do to any particular file. For example, if you have a file you use every day, you might want to back it up at the end of each day, or you may prefer to back it up twice a day it depends on how careful you want to be. On the other hand, if you have another file that you only use once a month, then creating a backup once a month may be enough. What should you back up? You should back up anything you can t afford to lose. How should you back up? You create backups by copying files and folders using the methods described on page 12. Where should you put your backup copies? Backups should be kept on a different drive (and preferably a different computer) from the original file. This is so that, if the problem with the original was that the computer crashed or corrupted the file, the same problem won t affect the backup. Backups can be kept on any drive, so if you have access to a network you may decide to keep them there, or you might want to keep your backups on a floppy disk (or a CD-ROM for larger amounts of data if you have a CD burner). Note: If you use floppy disks, you may have to format them before using them. This process is explained on the next page. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 8

13 Formatting Floppy Disks Formatting a floppy disk prepares it for use by the computer by dividing it up into usable areas called sectors and creating a new root directory and filing system on the disk. Many floppy disks are already formatted when you buy them, but if you buy unformatted disks, you ll have to format them before you can use them. Important! Formatting a disk will delete any files or folders that are already on it, so take care if formatting a used disk and be sure the disk in the drive is the one you want to format. To format a floppy disk, open the Windows Explorer program (see page 10) then right-click the floppy drive and choose Format from the list of options. Choose Format from this list to format the floppy disk currently in the drive. A dialog box is displayed to allow you to set the conditions for the format. This is the storage capacity of the disk currently in the drive. If you want to, you can type a meaningful name for the disk in this box. This name will appear in the Windows Explorer window any time this floppy disk is in the drive. When the format is running, this becomes a progress bar. Click the Start button to begin formatting the disk. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 9

14 When you click the Start button to begin the format, you ll be asked to confirm that you want to format the disk. Click OK. When the disk has been formatted, you ll be alerted to any errors found on the disk. If there are no errors, you ll see a message like this: Click OK. You can now use the disk to store your files. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 10

15 The Windows Explorer Program Windows Explorer is an accessory that's used to work with files and folders, eg to create, move, copy, rename, search for, or delete them. To start the program, click the Start button, choose All Programs (or Programs) then Accessories and then click Windows Explorer. There are a number of alternative methods of starting this program, including right-clicking My Computer on the desktop, the Start button, or any folder, and choosing Explore from the shortcut menu. The Windows Explorer window is split into two panes, with the folders list at the left and the contents pane at the right. The look of Windows Explorer is highly customisable, so your windows might vary from those shown. However, the function of the program will be the same. For example, you can use the View button on the toolbar to change the appearance of the items in the contents pane. You can choose the option shown below, Icons, or you can show the items in a list or with details such as the file type, size and last modified date of each item. The Views button lets you change the way items are shown in the contents pane. The view used here is called Icons. Folders list (sometimes known as the navigation pane or tree). Contents pane. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 11

16 Looking Inside a Disk or Folder To see the contents of a disk or folder, simply click its icon or description in the folders list at the left. You will then see the disk or folder s contents in the contents pane at the right. For example, to see the contents of the hard disk on your computer, you would click the Local Disk (C:) entry in the folders list above. This disk may be named differently on your computer, but it will still say (C:) at the end of the name. If you computer has more than one hard disk, you will see these in the folders list too, with the second hard disk possibly being identified by (D:), the next (E:) and so on. If you are connected to a network, you may have additional drives shown in your folders list. For example, in the previous illustration the drives named (S:), (T:) and (U:) are network drives. Files and folders stored on a network can usually be shared by everyone who has access to the network, although special permissions can limit access. For example, in a school or college the tutors may have greater access rights to files than students. Note: Only disks and folders are shown in the folder list, files appear only in the contents pane. Expanding and Collapsing Drives and Folders If a disk or folder contains further folders (subfolders), it has a small plus displayed next to it in the folders list. By clicking the plus, you expand the object to show its subfolders. Click the plus sign to see subfolders. Notice that the plus that was next to Projects has changed to a minus. This can be clicked to hide the subfolders again. When you expand the disk or folder, the plus changes to a minus. If you click the minus, the object collapses and its subfolders are hidden again. Note: The way your folders list appears to begin with depends on how you start Windows Explorer. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 12

17 Copying and Moving Folders and Files Windows Explorer can be used for managing folders and files on your system. You can move them from one place to another, or copy them to somewhere else so that you have more than one copy. To Copy or Move a Folder or File 1. Display the folder or file you want to work with. 2. Click the folder or file once to select it. 3. If you want to move the item, select the Edit, Cut menu option or hold down [CTRL] and press X. If you want to copy the item, select the Edit, Copy menu option or hold down [CTRL] and press C. 4. Click the folder where you want to place the cut or copied folder or file. 5. Select the Edit, Paste menu option or hold down [CTRL] and press V. The cut or copied item will be placed in this folder. Note: As with most tasks in Windows and its programs, there is usually more than one way of doing things. The procedure above shows you two of the most popular ways to copy and move (one using the mouse and one using the keyboard). However, there are others you may find it easier to use. These include dragging and dropping the item into the destination folder, and using the Copy To and Move To buttons if they ve been added to the toolbar (shown below). Copy To Move To Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 13

18 Creating Folders You can create folders using Windows Explorer. To do this, make sure the drive or folder where the new folder s to be placed is selected then choose the File, New, Folder menu option. Alternatively, display the current contents of the drive or folder where the new one is to be created and then right-click in the contents pane and choose New, Folder from the shortcut menu. The name of the current folder. To create a new folder in the current folder, choose the File, New, Folder menu option. Type a name for the folder then press [ENTER]. Note: To create a folder on the desktop, you can right-click a blank area of the desktop and choose New, Folder from the shortcut menu. Renaming Folders and Files Using Windows Explorer you can change the name that you originally gave a file or folder. To do this, either click the file or folder name once and then click it again (not a doubleclick), or point to the file or folder and right-click then choose Rename from the shortcut menu. To rename a folder or a file, right-click and choose Rename or click and then click again. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 14

19 Type the new name then press [ENTER] to complete the task. Note: If you are renaming files, and the file extension is visible in Explorer, you must make sure that the extension is added to the renamed file. If you rename the file with no extension, the program that was used to create the file will no longer recognise it. You will be shown a warning prompt to this effect if you do this. Deleting Folders and Files Windows Explorer can also be used for removing files and folders from your system when you no longer use them. If you delete a folder, any subfolders and files it contains will also be deleted. To delete a file or folder, simply select it by clicking it and then choose the File, Delete menu option or press the [DELETE] key on your keyboard. You ll then be asked to confirm the deletion. When you delete an item from your hard disk, it isn t permanently removed from your disk straight away. It is moved to the Recycle Bin and stays there until you empty it. This means that you can recover a deleted item up until that point if you discover that you do, in fact, still need it. Searching for Folders and Files If you can t remember where you stored a file or a folder on your computer, you can use Windows Explorer s search facilities to locate it as long as you know a little about it such as its name, the program that created it, or some text that appears in it. To start the search process, point to the drive or folder where you think the item is stored and right-click to display the shortcut menu. Choose Search from this menu to display the Search Results window. You can enter any combination of search information to help refine your search so that you narrow it down as much as possible. If you know all or part of the file or folder s name, type it in this box. If you remember text that appears in the file, type it here. The drive or folder that you right-clicked to display this window appears in this box. If you want to search a different part of your system, choose from the options on this drop-down list. If the part you want doesn t appear on the list, choose Browse to locate it. These options can be used to specify further search information such as the file type or size, or the date you last changed it. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 15

20 Once you ve entered your search information, click the Search button. Any files or folders that match what you asked for will be listed in the main window. Exercises 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 Now do Exercises 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 in the Exercise Booklet. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 16

21 1.2 Connecting to the Internet Normally, your home computer will connect to the internet using a modem and a telephone line, and your computer at work will use a network and a faster connection. This might not always be the case you might use a faster connection at home if you use the internet a great deal or you download large files such as music or video. To connect to the internet, you will need three items: a connection device such as a computer (with web browser software); a communication link such as a modem, cable modem, or an ISDN line, and an Internet Service Provider (ISP) user account. Connection Devices Although you ll usually use a computer to connect to the internet, there are other devices that can be used. For example, some modern mobile telephones are also able to connect. In this case, you don t need a modem or ISP account as these are built into the phone and the service you receive when you purchase these phones. Your computer will use a program called a web browser. Using this browser you can enter and find your way around the web, displaying the web pages you are interested in. You can also bookmark pages you may want to return to later; use search facilities called search engines to find what you re after, and you can save information from the web on your own computer. There are two main browsers Microsoft s Internet Explorer (IE) and Netscape s Navigator although there are others available such as AOL and Opera. Communication Links The most common device in use in homes is the modem. However, in business, there will usually be a number of users connecting to the internet via their computer network, which can mean that a modem might not be powerful enough to handle the number of connections without difficulties with the connection speed. Therefore, businesses will usually invest in one of the faster, more powerful internet communication devices, known collectively as broadband. Modem: A link that plugs into a standard telephone line. You dial a supplied phone number to connect to your ISP s server (using the given username and password for your user account), which then gives you access to the Internet. Cable modem: Communication link that uses cable TV lines because they have greater bandwidth (the amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed time) than telephone lines and so the data transfer rates that can be reached are much higher than those of telephone line-based modems. Cable is not available in all areas yet. ISDN (integrated services digital network) line: An international standard link that sends voice, video and data over digital or normal telephone lines. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 17

22 ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line): A link that allows more data to be sent using existing copper telephone lines. This type of connection needs a special ADSL modem. Modem Cable Modem Here s a rough guide to the current speeds available from each of these devices, although these are liable to change as technology advances. Note: Modem speeds are measured in kbps (kilobits per second) and mbps (megabits per second). A bit is the smallest unit of data that computers recognise; a kilobit is 1,000 bits, and a megabit is 1,000,000 bits. Device Cable modem ISDN ADSL Modem Data Transfer Rate 512 kbps 2 mbps 64 kbps mbps (receiving data); kbps (sending data) 56 kbps Note: Although it s not commonplace yet, it s also possible to use existing power lines to communicate. This requires a special modem, usually called a home gateway, that connects to your home power supply and a special type of Internet Service Provider. It s also possible to use a satellite dish to connect to the internet. This would tend to be a solution if you live in a rural area that s more than 6 km away from a telephone exchange or a town with cable. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) An ISP is a company that provides access to the internet via its network of servers (large, powerful computers that manage and store network resources, eg webpages). When you sign up with an ISP, they ll provide you with an account with its own username and password, and a telephone number that your communication device can use to connect to the internet, depending on which device you use (if you use a cable modem, for example, it s directly connected to the ISP s network and so you don t have to dial up, your connection is always live ). They ll usually also give you a CD that will help you set up your internet connection, and a support telephone number you can use if you get stuck. Some ISPs also provide you with a small amount of web space that you can use for your own pages if you want. Most ISPs charge a monthly fee for their service, although some are free, and you ll usually have to pay a one-off installation fee for cable modems, ISDN lines and ADSL connections, and depending on where you live, some of these services may not be available. For example, cable modems are available only in areas that have been wired for cable TV. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 18

23 If your connection uses a telephone line, you ll also have to pay for the calls you make when you connect to the internet. However, the telephone number supplied by your ISP will usually be a local or freephone number to keep the call charges as low as possible, especially at offpeak times, although the charges will increase with the amount of time you spend online, just as they would if you made a long telephone call. Examples of well-known ISPs are AOL, BTOpenWorld, Tiscali and Wanadoo. TYPICAL HOME INTERNET CONNECTION Error! TYPICAL OFFICE INTERNET CONNECTION Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 19

24 1.3 Internet Overview The internet is a worldwide collection of millions of large, powerful computers called servers linked together in a giant web. Routers decide the path the signals will take from the ISP s server you log on to to the server that stores the page you want to visit and back again. Although most people think the internet and the World Wide Web (or simply the web or the net) are the same thing, in fact the web is only part of the internet. The internet is made up of a number of different parts, all of which communicate using different languages called protocols. Web pages, for example, use the HTTP protocol to transfer web pages from the server they re stored on to your browser, while uses SMTP to transfer mail messages from one user to another. WWW The World Wide Web is made up of millions of web pages (specially formatted documents written in a language called HTML (HyperText Markup Language). You can often jump from one page to another related page using hyperlinks (or simply links) that have been included for this purpose. For example, on the BBC News site, the front page contains many headlines as hyperlinks that you can click to jump to the full story and other links for returning to the front page or viewing other stories. Messages are transferred from one computer user to another using the SMTP protocol. These might be messages that are typed, or they might include files stored on the sender s computer (these are called attachments). File transfer The internet can also be used for exchanging data files using the FTP (File Transfer Protocol) protocol. Chat Chat is the term given to real-time (occurring immediately) communication between two or more computer users. When one user enters their message on their computer, it appears on the other user s computer. In this way, users can communicate as if they were chatting in the same room or on the telephone. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 20

25 Newsgroups Also known as forums, bulletin boards or just groups, newsgroups are online discussion groups. Unlike chat, though, newsgroups are not real-time. One user posts a message to the newsgroup and others reply to it in their own time. There are many thousands of newsgroups on the Internet, covering every area of interest you can think of. Exercise 1.4 Now do Exercise 1.4 in the Exercise Booklet. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 21

26 1.4 Opening and Closing Microsoft Internet Explorer Opening Internet Explorer You can load Internet Explorer in a number of ways. One of the most popular methods is using the icon on the desktop (if there is one) or the Quick Launch toolbar icon. Internet Explorer icon Another method, if it s available, is to use the Start button, which is shown at the bottom left of the Windows screen on the taskbar. To use this method, click the Start button and then choose Internet. Internet starts the Internet Explorer program. It may be that there is another method of accessing the internet on your computer. For example, you may have to go to a school intranet and open Internet Explorer from there. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 22

27 Internet Explorer Screen Elements Every time you connect to the internet, your home page is displayed in the application window. The home page is the page that s been set to be your default page, ie the page that always open first when you open Internet Explorer. This can be changed using the Internet Options option from the Tools menu. Note: Each website also has a home page. This is the main page of the site and will usually have hyperlinks to let you access the rest of the site. Some of the screen elements can be switched on and off, so your screen may look slightly different from the illustration below. Title bar shows the title of the current web page. Menu bar contains menus of options. Minimise and Maximise buttons. Close button. Toolbar Address box Title Bar The application window has a title bar displaying the title of the web page you re viewing and the name of the program. The program window has standard window elements such as the Minimise button and Maximise buttons that you ll see on all program windows, and like any other window, you can resize and position the window anywhere on the screen. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 23

28 Menu Bar Below the title bar is the menu bar. By clicking a menu name or by pressing [ALT] then the underlined letter, you can display the menu options. For example, [ALT] F will access the File menu. Once the menu is open, to choose an option simply click it or press its underlined letter. Some commands can be accessed using keyboard shortcuts. When a keyboard shortcut is available, you will see it described to the right of the command name. For example, if you click the Edit menu, you will see the Copy command can also be actioned by pressing [CTRL] C. This means pressing C while you hold down one of the [CTRL] keys. Options that appear dimmed are not available for selection at this time. If the command can also be accessed through a toolbar button, eg Cut, the picture that appears on the button is shown to the left of the menu option. Toolbar You can choose to display or hide toolbars using the View, Toolbars command. Alternatively, right-click any toolbar currently displayed to see the shortcut menu and then select a toolbar name to display or hide it. Address Bar The Address bar shows the address (or URL Uniform Resource Locator) of the current web page. You can type an address in here to visit a particular site, or you can choose one you ve visited already from the drop-down list. Scroll Bars The scroll bars shown along the bottom and right edges of the window (only when necessary) can be used to view different parts of the web page if it s too large to be seen all at once on the screen. Click here to scroll up Drag this scroll box up and down the bar to scroll up and down through the page Click here to scroll down Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 24

29 When you click the arrow buttons at the end of a scroll bar, the page on-screen will scroll in the direction shown on the arrow. If you want to scroll further, you can click and drag the scroll box along the scroll bar to the required position. Closing Internet Explorer When you have finished using Internet Explorer, you should close it. You do this by clicking File on the menu bar and then choosing Close from the menu of options. If you prefer, you can close this window by clicking the Close button at the top right corner of the window. This option will close Internet Explorer. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 25

30 1.5 Displaying Web Pages Understanding the Structure of a Web Address Website addresses are everywhere these days in newspapers, on television adverts and even on carrier bags. Each web page has an address that is unique on the web. Addresses will nearly always begin with followed by more letters, dots and slashes. You don't always need to remember the whole structure. For example, in most browsers you can start with www. Note: A web address is often referred to as the URL. This stands for Uniform Resource Locator. www stands for World Wide Web this shows that the site is a website. is the domain name for the BBC, co is commercial and uk means it based in the UK. stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol and indicates that the location you are seeking is on the web, rather than one of the other areas of the internet. /schools/revision is the address of the page on the site, also known as the file path. A web address can give you information about the type and location of the site: for example,.co indicates a commercial organisation, while.uk indicates a UK-based site. So most website addresses for UK businesses end with.co.uk, while UK government sites end with.gov.uk and US government sites end with.gov. Other codes are shown below. These are a general guide, but not all sites using these codes adhere to their standard uses. Site Types gov Government body org Non-profit making organisation co Commercial organisation (non-us) com Commercial organisation (US) ac Academic (non-us) edu Educational institution mil Military net Internet technical services Countries uk United Kingdom ca Canada au Australia de Germany fr France it Italy pl Poland sp Spain Note: If no country code is shown, the site is usually, but not always, a US-based site. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 26

31 You can display a web page in any one of these ways: By entering an internet address or, if you ve previously visited the page, by choosing it from a list. By browsing through pages, clicking links to move from one page to another. By using a search engine to retrieve pages on the topic of your choice. An explanation of each of these methods is shown on the next page. Entering an Internet Address You can either type the address into the Address box in the browser window or, if you re looking for a page you ve looked at before, choose its address from the Address drop-down list. As you start to type an address, the list will show addresses you ve visited before that match what you ve typed. Remember that you can type the address starting with www. rather than starting with Browsing Web pages are designed with hyperlinks (or just links) to other pages on the site so that you can easily move around the site to find the information you need. You will also find that websites often contain links to other related sites, so this browsing can be a useful way of finding your way around the web. The page you are viewing may be highlighted using a different colour. Links to other parts of the Web site Using a Search Engine Using a search engine you can enter key words relating to the topic you re interested in and the search engine will find information about sites containing those key words. With most search engines, you fill out a form with the key words you want to use then perform the search by clicking a button. The search engine then searches its database, which holds information about all the websites it knows about. Any sites that the search engine finds will be listed for you, usually in order of relevance to your search. It s important to learn to use the search engines properly to get the best out of them and the internet. Each engine has rules about how to construct a search, but most also provide help on how to do this. This will be discussed in more detail later. Exercise 1.5 Now do Exercise 1.5 in the Exercise Booklet. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 27

32 1.6 Downloading Information or Files Issues That May Affect Download Speed When you copy (or move) files from another computer, this process is called downloading. There are a number of factors that can affect how long it takes to download a file. These include: the size of the file the original location of the file the connection speed of your communications device the number of users already using the Internet and/or the site you re downloading from the speed of your computer the speed of the servers used by your ISP Downloading from the Internet Once you have checked that you can legally download a file, follow the on-screen instructions for doing so. This will usually involve clicking a download link then identifying the location where the downloaded file is to be stored on your computer, although this isn t always the case. Sometimes instead of saving the file to your computer, you open it to have it installed on your computer for you. Always read the download page and make sure you follow the instructions. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 28

33 1.7 Saving and Printing Web Pages You can save or print a Web page so that you can see its contents even when you re not online. Saving a Web Page 1. Select the File, Save As menu option, ie click the File menu and then the Save As option. The Save Web Page dialog box will be displayed. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 29

34 2. Choose where the page is to be saved, eg on the desktop, or somewhere on My Computer by selecting an option from the Save in drop-down list. You can display this list by clicking anywhere on the box or the small arrow at the end of it. This is known as a dropdown arrow as clicking it displays a drop-down list. Places bar. Click anywhere on the box or the arrow to display the drop-down list. Note: The Places bar at the left of the dialog box can be used to quickly display the contents of the listed folders. Simply click the appropriate button. 3. If necessary, choose the disk where the page is to be saved by clicking it. The contents of that disk, including any files not stored inside a folder, will be displayed in the main window in the dialog box. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 30

35 4. Open the folder where the file has been saved by double-clicking its name. For example, if the page is to be saved in the Projects folder, double-click the Projects folder. The folder name will then appear in the Save in box and any other web pages will be displayed in the main window. 5. Once the folder you want is open and its name is shown in the Save in drop-down list box, enter a name for the page and click Save. Note: When you save a web page, the file extension.htm or.html (which, as you ve seen, represents the language that web pages are written in) will be added to the name you supply so that it can be recognised as a web page. Depending on how your system has been set up and used in the past, you may see this extension in the dialog box. If you don t see it, you don t have to add it the system will do that for you. You ll also find that when you save a web page, a new folder is created in the location where you save the web page. This folder will be given the file name you specified for the web page plus _files. So, for example, if you save a web page using the name Personal Web Page in the Webs folder, a new folder called Personal Web Page_Files will also be created in the Webs folder. Save Web Pages and the Filing System If you save a lot of web pages onto your computer, you might find it difficult to find the one you re looking for quickly. You should consider creating a folder structure in which to file these pages. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 31

36 Printing a Web Page To print a web page, you would click the Print button on the toolbar. This button looks like this:. This will print one copy of the page to your default printer, ie the printer that has been identified as the one you will use unless you specify another at the time of printing. To specify another printer, you would use the File, Print menu option that will display a dialog box where you can specify non-default printing options. Choose the printer you want to use. The default printer is marked with a tick. Choose the number of copies you want to print. If you choose more than one, the Collate option will become available. This allows you to print all the pages from one copy before beginning the next. Choose the pages you want to print. Usually it will print all the pages needed to print the Web page. However, if the Web page needs more than one sheet of paper, you can choose which of those sheets should be printed. Exercise 1.6 Now do Exercise 1.6 in the Exercise Booklet. Summary Tasks Now do the Learning Outcome 1 Summary Tasks in the Exercise Booklet. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 32

37 Learning Outcome 2 Summary of Learning Points In this section you ll learn about: Typing Web addresses. Using hyperlinks. Using your browser. Using the History facility. Using the Favorites facility. Using search engines. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 33

38 Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 34

39 2.1 Typing Web Addresses As mentioned in section 1.9, one way of displaying a website is to type its address (or URL) into the Address box in the browser window. To recap on Web address structures: Each Web page has an address that is unique on the Web. Addresses will nearly always begin with followed by more letters, dots and slashes, though not always. You don't always need to remember the whole structure. For example, in most browsers you can start with www. www stands for World Wide Web this shows that the site is a website. is the domain name for the BBC. co is commercial and uk means it based in the UK. stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol and indicates that the location you are seeking is on the web, rather than one of the other areas of the internet. /schools/revision is the address of the page on the site. This is sometimes known as the file path. When typing web addresses, it s important that you type it exactly as it should be a single dot or letter in the wrong place will mean that the page you re looking for won t be found. 2.2 Using Hyperlinks As you ve seen, hyperlinks allow you to move to another page or part of a page. These links might take the form of text or graphics that you can click once to move to the related part of the web. Hyperlinks are often shown in a different colour and can be underlined to emphasise that they re links. It is quite a common mistake for users to double-click these links, however, a single click is the correct way to activate a hyperlink. When you move your mouse pointer to a hyperlink, it changes to a small hand shape, indicating the link. On this page there is a selection of links: These are links and menus for moving around the website. To access the information on any of the available subjects, you would choose the subject from one of these lists. This bar contains hyperlinks to access other parts of the site. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 35

40 2.3 Using Your Browser As you explore the internet, your browser remembers which pages you ve visited and records these in different ways. For instance, you can re-visit pages that you ve viewed this session using the Back button on the browser toolbar, and if you do, you can return to the pages you visited subsequently using the Forward button. Internet Explorer also records your visits using the History facility, which will be discussed later in the course. Using the Back and Forward Buttons Clicking the Back button once will return you to the page you visited before the one you re currently viewing. You can also click the drop-down arrow next to the Back button to see a list of pages you ve visited recently. In the example illustrated here, clicking the Back button would return the user to the BBCi Weather Centre page; and clicking it again would go back to the BBCi Homepage. Using the drop-down list shown here, you could move back to whichever page you wanted in one move by clicking the name of that page. Once you ve moved back through any pages you ve previously viewed, the Forward button becomes active so that you can view them again if you want. The Forward button works in a similar way to the Back button in that, if you click the button, you will move forward one page, but if you click the drop-down arrow, you can choose the page you want to move forward to. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 36

41 Using the Stop, Refresh and Home Buttons These are buttons that appear on the toolbar beside the Back and Forward buttons. The Stop button: If the page you ve asked to see is taking too long to open, you can click Stop to cancel the request. The Refresh button: This button reloads the current page. You may want to do this if you get an error when trying to open the page, or to make sure you have the latest version of the page. The [F5] function key also refreshes the page. The Home button: This button always displays the page that s been set as the home page on the computer you re using. This can be set to any page you like, or it can be set to a blank page. Refresh Back Forward Stop Home Exercise 2.1 Now do Exercise 2.1 in the Exercise Booklet. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 37

42 2.4 Using the History Facility The History facility provided with Internet Explorer records the web pages you visited on the current day and a specified number of previous days to make it easier for you to return to these pages. You can set the number of days history you want to keep. In Internet Explorer 6, this can be up to 999 days but you should consider the extra disk space this would use as well as the difficulty you would have finding the page you want when setting this number. To view the History recorded on your computer, click the History button on the Internet Explorer toolbar. This button looks like this:. This will display the History bar at the left of the window. History bar You can access pages from the History bar by clicking the entries in the bar. For instance, to re-visit pages visited last week on the site, you would click Last Week then apple ( and then the page you want to view again. Pages visited last week on the site Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 38

43 Sorting the History List Although the History list is initially sorted into the date the sites were visited, you can change this using the View button at the top of the list. Click the View button and choose how the list is to be sorted. Searching the History List It s also possible to search your History list to find a site that you ve visited during the History period. This search looked for the word biology on any of the pages that were viewed recently: Click the Search button and type a word or phrase you want to find in the pages on your History list. The search for biology found these previously-visited pages. Exercise 2.2 Now do Exercise 2.2 in the Exercise Booklet. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 39

44 2.5 Using the Favorites List When you find a website you like, you can add it to your Favorites list so that you can find it again quickly. When you want to visit the page again, you simply click it on the list. Sometimes the items on the list are called bookmarks. Viewing Pages from the Favorites List To see the pages that you ve added to the Favorites list, click the Favorites button on the Internet Explorer toolbar. Click the Favorites button to display or hide the Favorites list. Favorites list To display any of these pages, just click its name in the list. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 40

45 Adding Pages to the Favorites List When you want to add the page that you re currently viewing to be added to the Favorites list, display the Favorites list then click the Add button at the top of the list. When you click this button, a small dialog box will be displayed allowing you to change the way the page will appear on the list. You can expand the dialog box to show a list of folders from your Favorites list so that you can add this page to one of them. This is how the page will be shown in the Favorites list. If you want to be able to view the page even when you re not connected to the Internet, you would tick this box. Making Pages Available Offline To save on call costs, you can choose to make your Favorites available offline. This means you can view the pages even when you re not connected to the internet. When you choose this option, you then specify whether you want just the page you re adding to your Favorites, or the pages that it links to as well. You also choose how and when you want to refresh the offline content (this is called synchronisation). To make the page that you re adding available offline, select the option in the Add Favorite dialog box. When you do this, the Customize button becomes available. Click this button to start a series of dialog boxes (called a wizard) that will help you set the options. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 41

46 Organising the Favorites List You can rearrange your Favorites list using the Organize button at the top of the list. Using this facility you can remove pages you no longer want to keep on the list, and rename or organise the others into folders if you want, creating the folders you need if necessary. To create a folder, simply click the Create Folder button and type the name of the folder. It will appear on the list and can be used for storing pages straight away. To move a page to a folder, click it in the list then click Move to Folder. Choose the folder you want to move it to then click OK. To delete a page, simply click it then click the Delete button. To rename a page, click it in the list then click Rename and type the new name for the page. When you have finished working with the Favorites list, click Close. To make a page available offline, click it in the list, select the Make Available Offline option and use the Properties button to specify the download and synchronisation options. When you have finished working with the Favorites list, click Close. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 42

47 Note: The Favorites list and the options for working with it are also available from the Favorites menu in Internet Explorer. Exercise 2.3 Now do Exercise 2.3 in the Exercise Booklet. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 43

48 2.6 Using Search Engines Many newcomers to the internet worry about how they are going to find the addresses of websites that might be of interest to them. There is no equivalent of a phone book for the internet but with a little practice you will find it remarkably easy to find what you are looking for. As mentioned before, you can use search engines to find information that you re looking for. This might be text, numbers or even graphics. A search engine is a directory of millions of web pages that allows you to track down topics by typing in key words. With most search engines, you fill out a form with the key words you want to use then perform the search by clicking a button. Any sites that the search engine finds will be listed for you (these are sometimes known as hits), usually in order of relevance to your search. Although they all have a similar appearance, search engines can be put into different categories depending on how they work. For example, a search engine may be an indexing engine, a directory engine, or a metasearch engine: Indexing engines: Search engines that fall into this category use a program to scan web pages then index them based on a defined set of conditions. This creates a database of key words that s checked every time you do a search. This means you re not searching the entire internet, just the part that a search engine has scanned and indexed. Examples are Google, AltaVista and AlltheWeb. Directories: A directory groups sites based on their subject. Directories start out at the top level with a general group that s then divided into more specific sub-groups. The groups are usually created and organised by humans rather than a computer program, so when you do a search you may get fewer hits, but they will usually be a good match for your search and be good quality pages. Yahoo! is an example of this type of search engine. Metasearch engines: When you do a search using a metasearch engine it searches a number of other search engines to find the information you re looking for. This can save you time since it means that you don t have to search using the other search engines one at a time. Examples of metasearch engines are Dogpile and Mamma, although others are given in the following table. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 44

49 It s important to learn to use the search engines properly to get the best out of them. Each engine has rules about how to construct a search, but most also provide help on how to do this. These are some of the most popular search engines and their web addresses: Search Engines Yahoo!: AltaVista: (kids version: Excite: Google: Infoseek: Lycos: The Internet Sleuth: Ask Jeeves: (kids version: AlltheWeb: EntireWeb: Metasearch Engines MetaCrawler: Dogpile: ProFusion: Mamma: Search Engines Searched Google, Yahoo, Ask Jeeves, About, LookSmart, Teoma, Overture, FindWhat. Google, Yahoo, Ask Jeeves, About, LookSmart, Teoma, Overture, Teoma, FindWhat. AltaVista, Lycos, About, LookSmart, Teoma, WiseNut. Google, About, LookSmart, Teoma, Entireweb This site gives you access to a list of engines from a single page: To open a search engine from those listed, type its web address into the Address box and click Go or press [ENTER]. Then, in the search box, type in the words or phrases for which you wish to search, and press [ENTER]. A list of hits will appear. Click one of the links to display the website it relates to. As the search engines return all the results they can find, you may have to narrow down your search to find exactly what you re after. There are various ways of doing this which are related to the search terms the words and phrases for your search and how they are structured. The search engine s help system will describe how that engine works and will often give you hints for better searching. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 45

50 Enter your search phrase here. Choose whether you want to search all the pages on the web including UK pages or UK sites only. The results of your search will be referred to as matches, documents or hits and will be displayed in batches with the ones deemed to be most relevant at the top. It s unlikely that all the results in the hit list will be relevant and you will have to go through them picking the best ones for you. As results are usually listed in order of relevance to your search, the first 20 or so results should cover what you re after. If they do not, you may want to revise your search by, for instance, using additional search terms or different words. Use these links to move through the pages of hits returned by your search. Using Key Words in a Search Most search engines provide search instructions and advice that will make your searches more effective. These can usually be found under Help or Search tips. Following these suggestions should improve the effectiveness of your searches. Some engines will also show you more advanced search methods, such as how to narrow down your search if you receive too many hits by, for example, removing commonly used words from your search and replacing them with more specific terms, or enclosing specific words that must appear next to each other in quotation marks. There are two key decisions to be made when searching. The first is deciding the actual words (or search terms) that you ll use for your search. The second is to do with how you organise the words. These decisions can make the difference between finding lots of relevant information and not finding any. Example: How To Find Information on Concerts in Glasgow AltaVista and Jeeves, like some of the other search engines, allow you to use natural language searches, which means that you can type questions like Where can I get information about concerts in Glasgow? Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 46

51 The engine will return a list of websites, placed in order of relevance to your question. When there are more than 10 results returned, only the first 10 will be displayed, with links to the others at the bottom of the list. An alternative way to search for this topic would be to enter only the key words concerts and glasgow. However, this would return websites relating to either concerts or Glasgow, rather than to both. Placing a + sign before each of the words would ensure that both have to be found in the website, like this: Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 47

52 Using Common Operators in a Search As you ve just seen, using operators such as the + sign can help you make your search more specific. Standard ways of making your search more specific include those shown below. They are supported by most, but not all, the search engines. The + and - signs should be placed directly in front of each word, with a space between the end of that word and the next. Operator Example + +house +music +chart will find pages containing all the words, together in any order, or separately. A + in front of a word makes it mandatory that it is present. Some search engines use the operator AND instead of a music +chart -house will find pages that contain music and chart, together in any order, or separately, but will exclude pages that include the word house. Some search engines use the operator NOT instead of a -. house music chart will find pages that contain the whole phrase, with the words in that order. Further Tips on Searching Read the instructions at each search site. The way you perform a search can vary quite a bit from engine to engine. If you re using a metasearch engine, read the About, Help or Tips pages so that you can learn to use their full power. Include synonyms or alternate spellings in your search statements. Check your spelling. Use the correct mix of upper- and lowercase letters if the search engine is case sensitive (uppercase = capital letters; lowercase = small letters). This will narrow the search and give you better quality hits. If your results are not satisfactory, repeat the search using alternative terms. If you have too few results: drop off the least important words to broaden your search use more general wording experiment with different search engines. No two search engines work from the same index. try search engines that allow you to search multiple search engines simultaneously. Copernic is an example of this type of engine. You can download Copernic free of charge from its website. The address is If you want to search for images on the Internet, you can use special facilities provided by some of the search engines. For instance, using Google or AltaVista you enter key words but click the Images tab above the search box before searching. Yahoo also has a facility for finding images using the page Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 48

53 Each search engine has a link that reads something like Advanced Search. This link will usually help you construct more complicated search terms if you re not sure how to write them yourself. Search String Examples String chart music -britney Justin Timberlake Justin Timberlake OR The Darkness Justin Timberlake AND The Darkness country house hotels country house hotels - St Andrews St Andrews +golf St Andrews NEAR golf St Andrews OR Gleneagles +golf St Andrews OR Gleneagles - golf Result will find pages relating to chart music, but not if they include britney will find pages containing either the word Justin or the word Timberlake or both. will find pages containing either the phrase Justin Timberlake or the phrase The Darkness will find pages containing both the phrase Justin Timberlake and the phrase The Darkness will find pages containing the words country, house and hotels (in some search engines, this is the same as putting a + in front of each word) will find pages containing the words country, house and hotels unless they also include the phrase St Andrews will find pages containing the phrase St Andrews and the word golf will find pages containing the phrase St Andrews and the word golf close together will find pages containing either the phrase St Andrews or the word Gleneagles and the word golf will find pages containing the phrase St Andrews or the word Gleneagles but not if they contain the word golf Exercise 2.4 Now do Exercise 2.4 in the Exercise Booklet. Summary Tasks Now do the Learning Outcome 2 Summary Tasks in the Exercise Booklet. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 49

54 Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 50

55 Learning Outcome 3 Summary of Learning Points In this section you ll learn about: Using . Using chat rooms. Using newsgroups. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 51

56 Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 52

57 3.1 Using You can keep in touch with friends, family and business contacts using , sending and receiving messages almost immediately, where you might have sent a letter, a memo, or made a phone call in the past. messages can contain any mixture of text and graphics that you want to send. You can also attach files that are stored on your system to the message so that the recipient can view or work with the same information as you. You might, for example, send family photographs to a friend, or you might have to send a monthly budget spreadsheet to your boss, or your homework to your teacher. Addresses All addresses follow a similar format: yourname@something.something You can see in the illustration below, the new address created on Wanadoo is dr_jenks@fsmail.net As with web addresses, you have to type the address exactly as it should be or your message will not reach its intended recipient. Reading Messages In your Inbox, you can see who the sender of each message is and, if the sender has added a subject, what the message is about as well as the date and time the message was received. To read a message, simply click it. You can click any part of the message that is underlined to show that it s a link. This is the welcome message that users receive from Wanadoo when they open an account. Message header: information about the message and its sender. Message text. Options for working with the message. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 53

58 This is the welcome message from Yahoo! Mail. Message header: information about the message and its sender Message text Options for working with the message Now do one of the following: Exercise 3.1a If you have a non-internet account, open your program and then do Exercise 3.1a in the Exercise Booklet. Or Exercise 3.1b If you have an internet account, sign on to your account and then do Exercise 3.1b in the Exercise Booklet. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 54

59 Replying to Messages If you need to answer a message that you receive, simply click the Reply button shown when the message is open and type your message. The message will be automatically addressed to the person who sent the original to you. When you re ready, click the Send button. Note: If you are one of a number of recipients of a message, you can send your reply to the sender and the other recipients by clicking Reply All instead of Reply. You can see who the original message was sent to by looking at the message header information. Display name. address. You can see here who the message was sent to. If it was sent to other people, their addresses will also appear here. Click Reply to reply to only the sender of the message. Click Reply All to reply to the sender of the message and all the other recipients. Forwarding Messages If you receive a message that may be of interest to other people, you can send a copy of the message to them. To do this, click the Forward button shown when the message is open. Next, address the message by typing the addresses you want to send the message to into the To box and add any additional message you want to include. Finally, click Send. Type the addresses of the people you want to forward the message to. The original subject is preceded by Fw to indicate this message is being forwarded. If you want to add your own message, type it here. The original message is included here. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 55

60 Deleting Messages You will usually have a limited amount of space for storing your , although the exact amount will depend on the provider you use. This means that you should remove messages you no longer need. You do this by selecting the message and clicking Delete or, if the message is open, clicking the Delete button shown in the message window. Usually, messages that you delete will be placed in a Deleted Mail folder so that you can retrieve them if necessary, although this folder may have a different name. The messages will be permanently deleted when you select to empty the Deleted Mail folder; until then, these messages count towards your space limits. Writing Messages When you want to send a message, click the Write Mail tab in the window. Sometimes this is shown as a simple link and it may be named Compose Mail or New, or something similar. The example illustrated uses Wanadoo , however, for systems supplied by other providers, the screens and the procedure will be similar, if not exactly the same. When you click Write Mail, a new blank form will be displayed. You simply complete this form and then send the message. Here s an overview of each of the message parts: To, CC, and Bcc: These fields should be filled with the names of the recipients of the message. The main recipients addresses should be typed in the To box, with those the message should be copied to in the Cc box. Any addresses you enter into the Bcc box will be hidden from other message recipients. Note: The Address Book that s available on most internet systems can usually be used for adding addresses to these fields, although the method of adding the addresses of your contacts to the Address Book can differ from system to system. Use the Help link on your e- mail page to find out the details of your Address Book. Subject: As you saw earlier, the subject appears in the message list when a user logs into their , so it can be important that you choose the subject carefully. If the recipient isn t interested in the subject of the message, they may not even open it. Attach: This link is used to attach files that you have on your system to the message, for example, family photographs or documents that need to be reviewed. When you attach a graphic as an attachment, it is also usually shown within the message. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 56

61 Use these buttons to format and work with the text in your message. Type your message here. Click this button to check the spelling in your message. Click here to send the message. Attaching Files No matter which provider you use, there will be a link or a button that allows you to attach files from your system to your messages. When you click this link or button, you ll be given the chance to locate the file you want to attach. Wanadoo provides this interface to help you attach your files. When you attach files, their names will be listed here. Use this button to find the file you want to attach to the e- mail message. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 57

62 When you click the Browse button at Step One, you ll be presented with this Choose File dialog box. Other providers may have their own interface or you may be presented with the dialog box immediately after clicking the attachment link. This box works in much the same way as the dialog box you used earlier to save Web pages. You display the name of the folder in which the file is located in the Look in box, then select the file and click Open to return to the interface or the message. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 58

63 Using Wanadoo, you would then click the Attach button at Step Two and the file will appear in the Attached Files part of the window. You would repeat these two steps until all the files you want to attach have been selected. Finally, you would click Apply at Step Three. Attachment names Note: When you send other users a file as an attachment, they must have a program that s capable of opening the file. For example, if you send someone a Microsoft Word document, they must have either Microsoft Word on their computer or a program that can open Word files. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 59

64 Note: When you send, reply to or forward a message, a copy is normally saved in the Sent Mail folder (this may be named slightly differently, eg Sent Items) provided for this purpose. Most providers allow you to choose whether or not to keep copies of sent messages in the illustration above, you can see that below the message text, there s an option to Save to Sent Mail. To save storage space, this option could be switched off when it s not needed. Copies of messages kept in this folder count towards your storage limits. Exercise 3.2 Now do Exercise 3.2 in the Exercise Booklet. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 60

65 Organising Messages So that you can easily find the message you want, you can organise your messages into folders much like you can the files on your disk drives. How you create these folders depends on the system you use although the process is similar in most of the popular systems. The following shows how Wanadoo folders work. Creating Folders To create a folder in Wanadoo mail, type its name into the box under Add new folder then click the Add button. The folders you create will be listed here this folder was created earlier. To create a new folder type its name then click Add. Moving Messages to a Folder To move messages into a different folder, tick the box next to them then choose the folder name from the Put in folder list. Tick the messages you want to move then choose the folder name from the list. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 61

66 Viewing Messages in a Folder Click the name of the folder in the list to see the messages it contains. These messages are in the Meetings folder. The different colour shows this folder is open. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 62

67 Etiquette On page 68 you ll find a section on netiquette, a set of guidelines that help you use the internet responsibly. These guidelines also relate to but there are additional pointers specific to . Some of these are listed below. Formatting: Some people format their to enhance the way it looks. You should bear in mind that not all programs are capable of seeing this formatting. Some e- mail programs allow you to send in different formats such as HTML, which not all systems are capable of handling either. This means that your message may be displayed as gibberish. Salutations: The salutation on a letter, fax, memo or is the reference to the recipient at the start of the message, for instance Dear Mr Banks. How you open an e- mail message will depend on how formal it is. If you re sending a message to a friend you might begin with Dear Andy, or even just Andy. However, if you re sending a message to an instructor or a business contact you might want to begin with Dear Mr Banks or just Mr Banks. Threads: A thread is a series of messages starting with a new message and including all the replies it receives. When you want to respond to an you should use the Reply facility rather than start a new message. This helps all the recipients follow the conversation. However, if there is a long string of replies, the message can become difficult to follow. Here you should include as much of the previous conversation as the readers will need to make sense of your reply. Quotes: You can save both your and the reader s time when you reply to their message by including only the part of their message that you are replying to rather than the entire message. For example, if someone sends you a long , part of which is a request that you do something, your reply may be simpler to follow if you quote only the part of the original that makes the request along with your response. Privacy: Although some providers may tell you that their messaging system is completely secure this is not true. It may be that your organisation monitors your messages to ensure security and acceptable use policies are being implemented, or it may be that there is a problem with the system and your message is sent to the wrong recipient. Alternatively, it may be that a hacker breaks into your system and reads your . You should keep this in mind when using with sensitive or confidential information. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 63

68 3.2 Using Chat Facilities Chat Rooms The chat facility offered by many ISPs allows real-time communication between two or more users in chat rooms, usually dedicated to a particular topic. You will have to have an account with the provider or a separate chat account that gives you a nickname for use in the chat rooms. Note: Some other sites will have chat (and perhaps newsgroup) facilities relating to their specific subject. For example, the BBC films site has its own newsgroup relating to the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings series of movies. Although you can usually read the messages that have been posted, you often have to register before you can take part. Safety in Chat Rooms Since anyone can create an account giving details which may or may not be true, it s important that you are aware of the rules and guidelines that will help you use chat rooms safely. Each provider will usually have a list of these guidelines online so that you can access them whenever you need to. Remember: Use chat rooms and instant messaging safely and wisely and be cautious of giving out personal details. Using Chat Rooms Once you ve logged into chat, you ll usually be presented with a list of the rooms that are available, perhaps with some additional information highlighting particular categories of chat room, such as those for specific interests like gardening, music etc. You simply click the room you want to join and then you ll be shown a window where the conversation that s currently taking place in that room will be displayed. To join in, just type your message and press the [ENTER] key. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 64

69 This is a sample chat window. The real-time conversation appears in the main part of the window, which has various buttons and links to other parts of the chat system. Quit. Help. Members online. Standard messages from the service provider. Type your message then press [ENTER] or click Send. Instant Messaging Instant Messaging (or IM) allows you to use your computer to have a private chat with one or more users of your choice. This means that you can chat to your friends or colleagues as if they were in the same room or on the telephone. There are a number of programs that you can use to chat with, such as Microsoft Windows Messenger, or Yahoo! Messenger. As well as sending text messages, some of these programs also allow you to use video and voice messaging if you have the right equipment (a webcam and a microphone). Microsoft Windows Messenger is provided as part of the Windows program, and the other programs can be downloaded from the internet free of charge. Just click the link on the provider s page and follow the instructions. Using Instant Messaging First start the messaging program then sign in using the name and password you created when you signed up. Once you have signed in, you ll see a list of the people you can chat with (called contacts or sometimes buddies). To begin a chat with one of your contacts, doubleclick their name and then type your message in the window that appears. When you press [ENTER] your message is sent to them and is displayed in a similar window on their computer. In this way, you can exchange messages with one another, inviting others to join your conversation if you want. Note: Each program has a menu option that lets you add people to your contact list as long as they allow it. Use the Help system in your messaging program to find out more about this. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 65

70 This is a sample of the Microsoft Windows Messenger program. To send an instant message to one of your contacts you would double-click their name in this list to open a new window. To add someone else to your contact list, you would click this link and follow the on-screen instructions. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 66

71 Chat Shorthand and Emoticons You ll find that experienced chatters use shorthand of their own to cut down on the amount of typing they have to do. This shorthand is similar to that used by people who send mobile telephone text messages. Some of the provider sites have a help guide to this language, similar to that shown below. Emoticons are sometimes referred to as smileys, since they are a combination of characters (usually shown on their side) that show an emotion. Some examples are shown below. :-) happy :-< very unhappy :-> sarcastic ;-) winking :-( unhappy :-D laughing Note: Some chat providers now use graphics as emoticons rather than character combinations. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 67

72 Netiquette Netiquette is short for Internet Etiquette and refers to a system of rules relating to the use of the Internet in general and with specific rules relating to use of , chat rooms and newsgroups. Some newsgroups and chat rooms are moderated, ie a real person oversees the discussion in a chat room or judges a message s suitability for the target newsgroup before allowing it to appear there. This is used in situations where, for example, children are the target audience of the room or group. Below is a brief overview of the rules. If you want a fuller explanation, use one of the search engines to find netiquette on the Web. You ll often find the netiquette for any particular newsgroup via a link that says rules, or netiquette or even help. This page will also often give the purpose of the group and so you should read it before contributing to the group. Overview Don t type in block capitals: This is taken as shouting. Remember that other people online are human too: Don t say anything online that you wouldn t say to someone s face; remember your manners, be polite; don t use bad language. Don t hog the conversation: Allow and encourage everyone to have their say, don t let the conversation be dominated by one or two people. Respect the law: Breaking the law is bad netiquette. Know where you are online: Make sure you re in the correct chat room or newsgroup for the topic you want to discuss. Posting a message on the wrong topic often ends up with other users sending (often nasty) to the offender. This is called flaming which itself it bad netiquette and can be cause to be banned from a chat room or group. Posting follow-up messages: You won t always get a reply to your messages, so you may have to post more than one to get the response you need. Although it may be useful to post your initial message to more than one newsgroup, be careful to post it only to the appropriate groups or you may end up being flamed. Be brief and simple: Keep your discussions to the point and don t waffle. Use simple fonts and little or no formatting other users may not have the same systems as you, so the effect could be lost anyway. Make sure that what you contribute is clear and precise and that you know what you re talking about. Help others: If you re an expert in a particular area, help other users who ask questions online. Be tolerant: Have patience with new users (newbies) you were new once too. Downloading files: Your provider may supply facilities for file-swapping via their chat or newsgroup functions. Be aware of the risk of infection from files supplied by another user. Most sites have their own additional netiquette, which will often be found in their FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section. Reading this will also tell you what the room/group is about and so can save you becoming the victim of flaming. It might also help you to lurk for a while before joining in with the discussion. This means watching the discussion progress without taking part until you re sure you know that you re in the right place and you know what you re doing. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 68

73 Exercise 3.3 Now do Exercise 3.3 in the Exercise Booklet. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 69

74 3.3 Using Newsgroups Newsgroups, also known as forums and sometimes as simply groups, are online discussion groups. They differ from chat rooms in that they are not real-time. One user posts a message then others reply to it in their own time. Each of the many thousands of newsgroups relates to a particular topic or theme. For example, there are newsgroups for music lovers in general, each individual genre of music, and for specific performers. You can access newsgroups either through a provider s site, much in the same way as chat, or using a newsreader program like Microsoft Outlook or Microsoft Outlook Express. Here you ll see how to access the groups via the provider s site. Remember that the way that the screens look will vary depending on your provider, but the features work in a similar way. You will also find that the same shorthand and emoticons that are used with chat are used in newsgroups. Just as you need an account to access a provider s chat facilities, so you may need another account to access their newsgroups. Viewing Newsgroups Once you ve logged into newsgroups, you ll usually be presented with a list of the groups that are available, perhaps with some additional information highlighting particular categories of group, such as those for painting or for music lovers. This illustration shows some of the groups under the Genealogy group heading in the Yahoo! newsgroups. Click the group name to view it. Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 70

75 Joining a Newsgroup Once you find a newsgroup you d like to take part in, you usually have to join or subscribe to it if you want to contribute to the discussion, although you can often read the messages without joining. You can join a group by means of a button or link on the newsgroup s home page. Click this link or button to join the group. Click the message title to read the message or click the member s name to view their details (their profile). Reading Messages To read a message posted in a newsgroup, click its title. When the message opens, you ll see that it looks much like an message. The screen will have buttons or links that allow you to work with the message, eg to reply to it or forward it to an address, as well as navigation links to move around the messages posted in the same group. Links for working with this message. Navigation links Internet Student Workbook Intermediate 71