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What You Can Do on the Internet

Once you’ve connected to the internet, you have access to a vast array of fun and useful free services, including:
  • The world wide web
  • Email
  • Instant messaging

The World Wide Web

The world wide web, commonly referred to as the web, is a network of billions of websites (called sites for short), nearly all of which you can access for free once you’ve connected to the internet. Websites, also known as web pages, are electronic documents that can contain text, graphics, audio, and video. Unlike paper documents, web pages include hyperlinks (called links for short) that can connect each web page to one or more other pages on the same website or on another site on the web. Websites provide everything from news and games to maps and directions.

How to Use the Web

To use the web, you need a browser, a program used to view web pages. Internet Explorer®, Firefox®, and Netscape® are the three most popular free browsers. A PC usually comes with one of these browsers pre-installed, so check your Windows desktop for an Internet Explorer, Netscape, or Firefox icon, and click on it. Once the browser software launches, a default web page, known as the homepage, loads. To access other web pages:
  • Enter a specific web address: Each website has a specific uniform resource locator (URL), which points the browser to the site. Web addresses use the prefix http://www. followed by the site’s name (for instance, quamut.com’s URL is http://www.quamut.com). Typing the prefix http:// into the URL is optional, though.
  • Search: Search engines are websites that maintain a database of other sites, which you can access by entering a search term. If you entered the term “skiing,” for instance, your search results would list web pages on that topic. The most popular search engine, Google, is located at www.google.com.
  • Browse: Move among web pages by clicking links on a website or online directory of sites, such as www.yahoo.com. Web browsing is also called web surfing.

Sending and Receiving Email

Email stands for electronic mail. Email messages, or emails, are like electronic letters sent and received via the internet. To send an email, type a message into an email program, enter the recipient’s email address (for instance, richard@quamut.com), and hit “send.” The message travels over the internet to the recipient’s email account. When the recipient goes online, they see your message in their electronic mailbox, or inbox. The main services that let you use email are web-based email and email software programs.

Web-Based Email

Several major internet services, such as MSN, Yahoo!, and Google, offer free web-based email. Web-based email requires you to connect to a website in order to send and receive email. The only downside to these free services is that you aren’t able to download your messages to your PC; you need to be online to access them. To sign up for one of these services, go to one of the following websites and click “Sign up for a new account.”

Email Software Programs

Several free email software programs will allow you to download your email messages to your PC. Mozilla Thunderbird® and Eudora® are two of the top free email programs. To use one of these programs, you must first download (transfer to your PC) and install it onto your PC.

The following websites provide the software you need to install as well as links to help documentation in case you have questions:

Instant Messaging

Instant messaging (IM) services allow people who are online to exchange messages back and forth in real time, for free. Formerly just a text service, today IM also provides voice chat and even video conferencing with the use of a headset (with a microphone) and a webcam (short for web camera). The three most popular IM services are:
 
 
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