the Internet – where to begin?
The Internet can be thought of as a global computer network. It is an excellent source of information and entertainment. It has also changed the way that we communicate on a global scale and is a constantly changing medium.
Originally the Internet was used purely as a communication network for the US Defense Force, known as Arpanet and has now evolved into a global communications network with people regularly sending emails and viewing websites. There is of course a lot more you can do on the Internet, such as listen to online radio stations, watch news and current affairs, use online chat (IRC), send instant messages and so much more.
what is a web site?
In a nutshell, a web site is a page on the Internet. There are web sites for just about anything and everything you could ever imagine. Web sites are mostly used to convey information, personal thoughts and ideas. To view a webpage you need to use a ‘Website Browser’ (Often referred to as a Browser). Most computers that have Microsoft Windows installed will have the Internet Explorer web browser which is used for viewing WebPages.
Some websites that you may be interested in having a look at are:
www.eftel.com – Our home page (this may come up as the first page automatically)
www.bom.gov.au – Bureau of Meteorology website, and
www.ebay.com.au – A global auction site for buying and selling goods online.
what sort of websites are there?
There are many different kinds of websites. The websites on the Internet can be thought of as a global library, with an almost unlimited amount of information available to people. Some of the more common websites are:
search engines
Web sites such as www.google.com and www.yahoo.com are two of the most popular search engines today. They index millions of web pages making it relatively easy to locate the information you are seeking.
For example, if you wanted to research dog training, head to www.google.com and enter the words ‘dog training’ in the search bar. Currently Google reports approximately 16,900,000 pages containing relevant information.
Blog / Weblog
The term ‘Blog’ or ‘Blogging’ come from the term ‘Web Log’. This is essentially an online public diary that anyone can read, with anyone being able to create a Blog to be read online. A good example of a Blog is: www.geekswithblogs.net
Online Shopping
The Internet has made shopping from home possible for anyone with an Internet connection. You can buy absolutely anything online, from fresh fruit, vegies and general groceries to books, computers, even cars and houses! Most sites require you to have a credit card, or at least a debit account. Some examples of online shops are:
www.colesonline.com.au – Online grocery shopping
www.buyquick.com.au – Online electronics and technology store
www.wishlist.com.au – Online gift store.
News and Current Affairs
The Internet has enabled us to obtain live news updates the instant that something happens. There are hundreds of websites dedicated to news stories. Some have general news and events, whilst others are dedicated to a specific category of news, such as technology sites and sports sites. Many news sites also feature streaming video and audio so you are able to see the latest news just like you could on a TV!
www.news.com.au – An Australian based news site with local, national and international news
www.reuters.com – An excellent international news site with a lot of online video and audio.
www.smh.com.au – The Sydney Morning Herald online
www.theage.com.au – The Melbourne Age online
www.thewestaustralian.com.au – The West Australian Newspaper
www.thecouriermail.com.au – Brisbane’s Daily Newspaper
www.theadvertiser.com.au - Adelaide’s Daily Newspaper
www.themercury.com.au – Hobart’s Daily Newspaper
There are so many different categories of web sites available, it’s impossible to list them all here. Generally, if you can think of something, there is most likely a web site about it!
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