"Common Internet Terminology"

The following are the most commonly used Internet terminology that you should know before you really 'go' to the world of Internet.

Once you go online, often you will encounter those terms so it's good for you to understand it first.

Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
A URL is an address you can type in a web browser to access a particular resource. Some people also called URL a domain, which consists of a set of network addresses.

Example: https://www.gocomputertraining.com

Structure of this URL:
1. Protocol: http
2. Host computer name: www
3. Second-level domain name: GoComputerTraining
4. Top-level domain name: com

Several top-level domains are commonly used:

com	Commercial organization
edu	Educational institution, usually a college or university
gov	Government entity
net	Networking organization
org	Non-profit organization

There are new domain names were approved by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) such as: .me, .us, .info, .eu, .biz, .ws, .ca, .cn, .co.uk, .asia, .name (for individuals), .aero (for the aerospace industry), .coop (for cooperatives), etc.

In addition, dozens of domain names have been assigned to identify and locate files stored on host computers in countries around the world. These are referred to as two-letter Internet country codes, such as:

Country Code	Country	Domain Example
my	Malaysia	http://www.um.edu.my
cn	China	http://www.yahoo.cn
uk	United Kingdom	http://www.pcworld.co.uk
au	Australia	http://www.acs.org.au

Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP)

The protocol most often used to transfer information from World Wide Web servers to browsers, which is why Web addresses begin with http://.

World Wide Web (WWW)

A hypermedia-based system for browsing Internet web sites. It is named the Web because it is made of many sites linked together; users can travel from one site to another by clicking on hyperlinks. Text, graphics, sound, and video can all be accessed with browsers.

Browser

A program that allows users to read hypertext documents on the World Wide Web, and navigates between them. Examples: Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), Google Chrome, Netscape Navigator, Opera, etc.

Search Engine

A program on the Internet that help users search for files and information. Examples: Google, Yahoo, MSN, Ask, AOL, Infoseek, Altavista, Excite, etc. Most search engines find files that contain a keyword or words typed in by the user in the search box. Some search engines specialize in a subject area or type of file.

E-mail

E-mail is an electronic mail. A service that allows you to sends messages from one email account to another via local or global networks (Internet). E-mail address is an address that gives the source or destination of an e-mail message.

Download

Download means to get a file from the internet and have it stored on your computer. The file can be in any formats.

Upload

Upload is the process where by you transfer a file from your computer to the internet. The files can be text, images, songs, etc.

Web site

A collection of Web pages devoted to a single subject or organization.

Hyperlink

A hyperlink is simply part of the text or graphic on a web page, that when you clicked on will automatically:

• Take you to the different part of the same page
• Take you to the different page within a web page
• Take you to a page in a different web site
• Enabled you to download a file
• Lunch an application, video or sound

Normally, the words that are in blue color underlined or bold indicate a hyperlink.

Webmaster

The person(s) in charge of a Web site - develop, modify or adding contents to a site.

Surfing

The art and vice of bouncing from Web page to Web page in search of whatever.

Hosting

To put Web sites on a Web server so that people traveling the Internet can find the Web sites. The webmaster will uploads all the files of your Web site and hosted on a Web server.

Internet Service Provider (ISP)

A company that provides service to allow any users access to the Internet, search for information, e-mail services, and create a blog/web site. Different countries have their own ISP. While choosing an ISP, keep the following in mind:

• Availability: Check different types of connection that is available in your area - dial up, cable, DSL, etc. The speed of your connection can differ greatly depending on whether you choose to connect using dial-up or broadband. Nowadays, most users prefer the faster broadband connection.
• Reliability: Dedicated servers should be up and running at all hours of the day. If an ISP has a reputation of having their servers crash, you should probably look elsewhere.
• Upgradeability: If you start with a dial-up connection and find it too slow, does the ISP allow you to upgrade to a faster connection (broadband)?
• Setup Fee: Most ISPs charge a slightly different one-time set-up or enrollment fee.
• Monthly Service Cost: There can be a large difference among the costs of different ISPs. Most ISPs offer a discount if you pay for a year's worth of service rather than a monthly rate.
• Local Connection Numbers: If you're using a dial-up connection, make sure that the ISP you select has a local number for accessing the Internet, or you could be subject to long-distance rates while you connect.
• Virus/Spam filtering: Many ISPs offer built-in software that check for potential viruses and block unwanted e-mail spam.
• Technical Help: Try to find out how long the company takes to reply to e-mail or phone queries for technical assistance and whether the ISP maintains a 24-hour telephone line that you can call if you need technical assistance.

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