CONTENTS

• The Internet Nitty-Gritty
• The Net's Wunderkind: The World Wide Web
• Browsing Basics, Featuring Netscape Navigator

The Internet Nitty-Gritty

Before you can appreciate how the World Wide Web works, you need to step back and look at the big picture: the Internet itself. First off, I'll get the boring definition of the Internet out of the way: the Internet is (yawn) an international collection of networks.
Okay, so what's a network? Good question. A network is a collection of two or more computers (usually dozens or hundreds) connected via special cables so they can share stuff like files and printers. Large organizations such as universities, research labs, and corporations typically own these networks. The Internet's job, in a nutshell, is to connect these networks together using high-speed phone lines, fiber optic cables, or, occasionally, satellite links.

So could you say that the Internet is a connected collection of collected connections? Well, you could say that, but you'd just make everyone's head hurt. A network of networks is probably the simplest way to look at it. If an analogy would help, think of the Net as a giant city where the houses are computers. A neighborhood where the houses are connected with side streets is like an individual network connected via cables. In turn, each neighborhood is connected to other neighborhoods via larger roads and avenues or, for longer trips, by highways and expressways. (Insert your own cheesy information- superhighway metaphor here.)

The point is that in any city you can get from your house to any other house by traveling along a particular set of streets, roads, and highways. The Internet works the same way: you can "travel" to other computers on the Net by "following" the various communications lines that make up the Net's infrastructure. (The real good news is that you can do this even if, like me, you have a lousy sense of direction. You just tell your software where you want to go, and it picks out the best route automatically, behind the scenes.)

Okey, but what if I don't belong to one of these big-time schools, labs, or corporations that have their networks jacked in to the Internet? That's where the service providers come in. These are businesses that set up an Internet connection and then sell access to any Dick or Jane who needs it. You pay a fee (it's often an hourly rate, but you can get monthly or yearly fees that give you a certain number of hours per month), dial in with your modem, and start surfing.

Redefining the Internet

This dull "network of networks" definition is okay for starters, but it really doesn't describe the Internet as it exists today, or capture the diversity, the utility, or the frustration of this most complex of human creations. It also tells us nothing about why the Net holds such fascination for computer pros and amateurs alike. Here, then, is a more realistic definition of the Internet:

The Internet is a means of communication. Many Internet types are only interested in perusing the wonders of the World Wide Web, and the Web is (as you'll see) the most attractive way to communicate your ideas to the world at large. More about this later in this chapter (and, indeed, throughout the rest of this book).

The Internet is an information resource. To say the least. The Internet has literally millions of computers that are jammed to the hilt with documents, books, pictures, and other information resources. Whether you're researching a thesis or just have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, the Internet has something for you. (Be forewarned: these resources are so vast and so poorly organized, the patience of a saint is a real asset when looking for things on the Net.)

The Internet is a warehouse. If you scour your own computer, you'll probably find a few hundred or even a few thousand files scattered here and there. Imagine all those files multiplied by the millions of Net computers; this gives you some idea of the massive numbers of documents, graphics, sounds, and programs stored around the Internet. Happily, there are a number of tools (some of which are described later in this chapter) that you can use to locate and grab these files.

The Internet is a community. Behind everything you see on the Internet-the messages, the documents, the software-stands the person (or persons) who created it. Untold numbers of Net enthusiasts have spent countless hours assembling information, writing software, and answering questions. Amazingly, all this toiling in obscurity somehow managed to create a massive structure that works (most of the time) without the need for any semblance of central authority or governing body. Having said that, however, I don't want to be accused of viewing the Net through rose-colored glasses. Any endeavor that boasts millions of participants is bound to attract its fair share of bozos, buttheads, and bellyachers. Hey, that's life. Overall, though, the Net denizens you'll encounter will be surprisingly helpful and generous and only too willing to engage in random acts of senseless kindness.

An Overview of the Internet Services

It still need to talk about the other Internet services from time to time. Just to make sure we're always on the same page, let's review some of the available services you can use to interact with the various parts of the Internet: E-mail  E-mail (or electronic mail) is, by far, the most widely-used Internet service. Every day, untold millions of messages are whisked around the world to digital mailboxes in just about every country on the planet. These days, you're just not "wired" (which, in the modern world, has become a synonym for "hip" or "cool"). FTP  (short for File Transfer Protocol) is the most common way to bring files from a particular Net locale onto your computer. You'll almost always use anonymous FTP to log in to the other computer (using the name anonymous and your e-mail address as your password). Usenet  Usenet is a collection of topics available for discussion. These discussion groups (or newsgroups, as they're normally called) are open to all, and they cover everything. Gopher  A Gopher is a system that displays Internet documents and services as menu options. You just select a menu choice, and the Gopher either displays a document or another menu, or transfers you to a different Gopher. Mailing Lists  This is a system that sends out regular e-mail messages related to a specific topic. For example, if home beer making is your thing, then you'd definitely want to subscribe to the Homebrew mailing list to get things like recipes, how-to articles, beer festival announcements, and more. You usually subscribe by sending an e-mail message to the list's subscription address. You can also post messages to the other members of the mailing list. Telnet  This is a program that enables you to log in to another computer on the Internet and use its resources as though they existed on your machine. For example, you can often telnet to a library's computer to use the electronic version of its card catalog.

The Net's Wunderkind: The World Wide Web

The services mentioned above are important Internet underpinnings, but, with the exception of e-mail, they all take a backseat to the Net's current fave rave: the World Wide Web. (If "World Wide Web" is too much of a mouthful for you, the accepted short form is, simply, "the Web." In writing, you'll also see the Web referred to as W3 or WWW. The latter is still a bit of a tongue-twister, so you'll sometimes hear people pronounce WWW as "triple-dub.")

The Secret of the Web's Success

What accounts for the Web's Elvis-like level of popularity? Well, we can put our fingers on a bunch of reasons, but I think three in particular are worthy of note: handsomeness, hypertext, and HTML.

Handsomeness? Sure. When some Net brainiacs got together a few years ago to design the systems that would transport Web pages hither and thither, they were smart enough to anticipate the coming multimedia revolution. In particular, they didn't restrict Web pages to mere text. Instead, they made it possible for pages to contain pictures, fancy fonts, clickable buttons, and more. Depending on the browser software you use to access the Web, pages can be a real feast for the eyes and ears.

Hypertext? Sounds like text that's had one cup of coffee too many, but what's it really about? Hypertext is a special word or phrase in a Web page that acts as a link to other Net goodies (such as a different Web page). When you select the link (usually by clicking on it with your mouse), the linked resource automatically appears on your computer. Any word or phrase can be designated a hypertext link. Heck, there's no reason the link even has to be a word or phrase-a picture or button does just as well. There's also no reason why the link should point only to other Web documents. Why not use the link to start a Telnet session, FTP a file, or even access a Usenet newsgroup? As you'll see, the Web can do all this and more.

HTML? This, of course, is what this is all about. HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language, and it's what you use to design Web pages. It sounds like scary stuff, but it's really just a relatively small set of symbols that determine the look and feel of a Web page. I'll discuss HTML in more detail in the next chapter.

Some Web Words to Surf By

Like all Net services, the Web has its own vernacular and acronyms. To help you out as you work through this chapter and the rest, here's a rundown of some common Web jargon: browser  The software you use to display and interact with a Web page. When cobbling together your own pages.
form  A Web document used for gathering information from the reader. Most forms have at least one text field where you can enter text data (such as your name or the keywords for a search). More sophisticated forms also include check boxes (for toggling an option on or off), radio buttons (for selecting one of several options), and push buttons (for performing an action such as submitting the form over e-mail).
home page  The first Web document that appears when you follow a link to a Web server (see Web server).
hosting provider  A company that, for a (usually) small fee, will publish your pages on the Web.
hyperlink  Another name for a hypertext link.
publish  To make a Web page available to the World Wide Web community at large.
surf  To leap giddily from one Web page to another by furiously clicking on any link in sight.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator)  A Web addressing scheme that spells out the exact location of a Net resource. More about URLs in Chapter .
Web server  A program that responds to requests from Web browsers to retrieve resources. This term is also used to describe the computer that runs the server program.

Browsing Basics, Featuring Netscape Navigator

When Netscape Navigator was first released to the Net community in the fall of 1994, it immediately caused a huge sensation. Here was a new Web browser that came in lots of different flavors (Windows, Macintosh, and Unix), was faster than anything else around (especially with the modem-based Internet connections that many of us use), came with built-in newsgroup access and basic e-mail capabilities, and was as slick as a nude Jell-O wrestler.

Word of this hot new browser spread around the Net like wildfire, and now Netscape is, by far, the number one Web browser. This section uses Netscape to introduce you to some basic Web browsing techniques.

A Tour of the Browser Screen

Here's a summary of the main features of this screen: Title bar  The top line of the screen shows you the title of the current page.
Toolbar  These buttons give you point-and-click access to some of the main features. If you prefer to hide the toolbar.
Location field  This area shows you the URL of the current document.
Directory buttons  More point-and-click stuff. Here, these buttons give you easier access to the commands on brower's Directory menu.
Image map  Unlike most Web page graphics which are just for show, these are "clickable" images that take you to a different link, depending on which part of the image you click.
Content area  This area takes up the bulk of the browser screen, and it's where the body of the Web document appears. You can use the vertical and horizontal scroll bars to see more of the current document.
Links  Links to other documents (or to other places in the same document) appear underlined in a different color. You select a link by clicking on it.
Status bar  This bar lets you know browser's current status, and it tells you the progress of the current browser operation.

Copyright © 2004 KacMac. All rights reserved.