What is E-Mail?
Electronic mail, or E-mail, was one of the first applications of the Internet and is still one of the most popular applications today. It has quickly become an accepted means of communication between people, and business. Cost savings are a very big reason that E-mail has become so popular. You can send and receive e-mail messages from anywhere in the world. It is one of the most inexpensive and powerful communications vehicles ever invented.
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What is an Internet Service Provider (ISP)?
Every person in the world who uses the Internet must connect to it through an Internet Service Provider (ISP). ISP’s provide a service that allows your computer to connect to the Internet through a local phone connection. You may be communicating with people across the globe through the Internet but you will incur no long distance charges.
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What is a Modem?
To connect to the Internet your computer must use a device called a Modem. This modem can reside within your computer (internal) or connect to the outside of your computer similar to a printer (external). You simply plug a telephone line into your modem and now your computer can talk to other computers through the Internet.
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What is a Browser?
A browser is a software program that allows you to view the World Wide Web. This software converts the digital information on the Internet into text, graphics, pictures, animations, audio, video, etc. The two most popular browsers on the market today are Netscape’s Navigator and Microsoft’s Explorer.
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What is a Search Engine?
A search engine is a website that users can visit that will help them find other web sites on the Internet. There are hundreds of different search engines available on the Internet today. Of these search engines most users use only use the 6-8 most popular ones. The use of these search engines is usually free and providers make their money from the sale of advertising over the site. These search engines can act as lures to bring new customers to your website.
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What is the World Wide Web (WWW)?
Up until the late 1980’s, the Internet was mostly a text based communications medium. It was used for sending and receiving e-mail, as well as participating in News Groups and bulletin board discussions. In the early 1990’s, the Internet came to life with the introduction of the first Internet browser (Mosaic) which gave birth to the World Wide Web. The World Wide Web is the most commercial area of the Internet where users can view multi-media information such as graphics, pictures, audio, and even video.
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What is a Host?
Every website on the Internet must be hosted somewhere. A host computer is connected to the Internet 24 hours a day through a dedicated Internet line. These dedicated Internet access lines can be very costly and can only handle so much bandwidth (Internet traffic). The more visits you have to your website the more bandwidth your hosting computer needs. All of your website information is stored on the hard drive of the host computer. The host computer is operated by an ISP which will charge the owner of a website form $30.00-$100.00 a month for these hosting services.
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What is a Hyperlink (Link)?
A link allows users to click on an image or highlighted text to display another page of information on a website. This helps readers to move through information of interest to them quite easily. Some web sites have "links" to other sites around the world, creating a massive "web" of inter-linked sites.
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What is a Banner Advertisement?
Banner ads are one method of directing more traffic to your website. Many companies have areas on their website where you can place a banner to advertise your website. Banners can have text, graphics, and animation to draw the attention of the reader. The idea being that Internet surfers that visit the site where your banner ad is placed, will choose to click on your banner which will then link them to your website.
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