What is the Internet and How Can I Access it?
Mr. Curt Minich

  1. Introduction to the Internet
    1. What the Internet Offers
      1. information
      2. email
      3. games and entertainment
      4. online shopping
      5. other
    2. Equipment Needed
      1. computer (Macintosh or IBM-compatible PC)
      2. modem (internal or external) - comes with practically all new computers
      3. telephone line
    3. Who Pays for the Internet?
      1. mostly supported by the government, universities, large companies
      2. many individuals pay flat monthly charges to connect to the Internet - usually $14-20/month for an unrestricted connection to an ISP (see below)
    4. How to Connect to the Internet
      1. call a local or national Internet service provider (ISP)
        1. answer a few questions
        2. necessary software will be mailed to you
        3. software is not too difficult to install
        4. call the ISP's technical support help line if you have problems
      2. buy an Internet connection kit at a store such as Staples
        1. follow the directions provided
        2. there may be a technical support help line to call
      3. your workplace or school may provide cheap or free Internet access - talk to the computer network administrator
      4. subscribe to a commercial online service such as America Online - insert a floppy disk or CD-ROM that you probably have already received in the mail or as a magazine insert and follow the directions
    5. ISP's and Commercial Online Services
      1. commercial online services
        1. American Online (AOL)
        2. CompuServe 
      2. Internet service provider (ISP)
        1. local - many are listed at Berks.net
          1. Epix (1-800-EPIX-NOW) - I have used this service and have no complaints.
          2. Third Wave
          3. 1USA
          4. many others
        2. national/regional
          1. NETCOM
          2. Bell Atlantic - I currently use this service and have no complaints.
          3. many others - Visit www.thelist.com or www.boardwatch.com to find others
        3. free services (you may have to put up with extra advertising)
          1. www.zDial.com
          2. www.FreePPP.com
          3. www.FreeI.com
          4. www.NetZero.com
          5. see this page for an up-to-date list of free ISP's

           

  2. The World Wide Web (WWW)
    1. Introduction to the WWW
      1. Web pages and Web sites
      2. hypertext - click your mouse on a highlighted word
      3. bookmarks/hotlists/favorites - favorite web pages
      4. URL's (addresses of Web pages) - long phrases that begin with "http://..."
    2. Web Browsers -
      1. Netscape Navigator - can be downloaded for free
      2. Microsoft Internet Explorer - often comes with new PC's
      3. AOL Browser - if you use AOL, you probably use this version of MS Internet Explorer
    3. Search Engines and Indexes
      1. You can find anything that is on the Web by using a search engine or index. Often this can be done from the menu of your Web browser, just look for "Internet Search" or some other reference to "search."
      2. Popular search engines and indexes
        1. Yahoo
        2. Infoseek
        3. Lycos
        4. WebCrawler
        5. Others

         

  3. Electronic Mail (email)
    1. Introduction to Email
      1. cost (usually free with a full Internet account)
      2. speedy
      3. convenient
      4. email programs
        1. Netscape Communicator (for Macs and PC's)
        2. Eudora (for Macs and PC's)
        3. Claris Emailer (for Macs)
        4. Internet Mail (for PC's)
        5. Outlook Express (for PC's)
        6. Others
      5. Parts of Email Addresses
        1. user ID (your official Internet email name) - My current address is 'mrminich@minich.com'. The userid is 'mrminich'. Sometimes you have a choice to pick your own userid, but sometimes you do not.
        2. domain name (the name of your organization) - The domain names to the addresses above are 'minich.com', respectively. These refer to the company that provides your Internet service.
        3. common endings to domain names
          1. ...com (commercial business)
          2. ...net (network provider)
          3. ...edu (educational organization)
          4. ...org (nonprofit organization)
          5. ...gov (government institution)
          6. ...mil (military organization)
    2. Email Messages
      1. text, graphics, attached files
      2. can easily reply to a message
      3. can easily forward a message to another person
      4. can easily and conveniently store and delete messages
      5. can printout a message

       

  4. Some Other Interesting Parts of the Internet
    1. Introduction to Mailing Lists
      1. A group that uses email to communicate on a specific topic. You receive anywhere from 0 to 100 email messages per day relevant to the topic of the mailing list. Joining a mailing list is almost always free. You can join numerous mailing lists but it may take you a long time to read all of your incoming mail.
      2. Join the Mr. Minich's WAEF Internet Education Mailing List to try one out.
      3. There are thousands of mailing lists covering many topics
        1. stock market tips
        2. vegetarians
        3. tennis
        4. math teachers
        5. Republicans
        6. home repair
        7. absolutely anything else you can think of, visit liszt.com , egroups.com, & topica.com to find more
    2. Introduction to Newsgroups (also known as discussion or message boards)
      1. Discussion groups in which the members send articles (messages) to a central location from where it can be read by anyone who 'subscribes' (ie. joins) the newsgroup. Joining a newsgroup is almost always free.
      2. There are thousands of newsgroups covering every and any topic imaginable. Some newsgroups, though, pertain to lewd and illicit topics including pornography.
      3. Visit Mr. Minich's Discussion Board and visit the "Internet Education" topic to participate in a Discussion Board.
      4. Visit Deja.com at deja.com/usenet to search for newsgroups related to your hobbies and interests.
    3. Introduction to Internet Relay Chat (IRC)
      1. Often called 'chat'. An Internet user 'goes to a chat group' (aka chat room or channel) to 'talk' with others who are in the same group at that very instant. By typing into your computer, every other person in the chat group across the world will see your message practically instantaneously!
      2. Warning- THIS IS VERY ADDICTIVE FOR SOME PEOPLE
    4. Internet Phone, audioconferencing, and videoconferencing
      1. Programs such as Microsoft NetMeeting and Internet Phone can often be downloaded for free. They are conferencing software which allows individuals to talk to each other in real-time (live) through their computers' microphones and speakers. You can also buy a tiny videocamera for $70-200 that plugs into your computer and allows you to see the person you're speaking to also!
      2. This means for communication is growing quickly much to the chagrin of the long-distance phone companies, since the participants are actually communicating through their Internet connections which are maintained on local phone calls. In fact, you can now use your Internet connection to make free long distance calls through free services like www.dialpad.com. See this page for more information.
    5. WebTV
      1. WebTV, which is a television-top appliance similar to a VCR, allows you to obtain an Internet account without using a computer. You simply plug a phone line into the WebTV box, and you plug the WebTV into your existing television. You surf the Web using a remote control or an optional infrared keyboard from the comfort of your recliner or sofa.
      2. Some television manufacturers currently  sell models with built- in WebTV.
      3. Microsoft is picking WebTV to be a successful device since it paid $425 million for the company.

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