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What is the
Internet? |
Simply put, the Internet is a monolithic communication network,
much like the telephone system. Only instead of using the telephone
to dial directly to another person, you use your PC and an Internet
address. The Internet provides access to a vast amount of information
around the globe and in many different languages. You can review
information, post messages on a bulletin board, download files
and hold interactive chat conversations with other users. |
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What is the
WWW? |
The World Wide Web (W3 or WWW) was originally developed in Europe.
The physicists at the Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire
(or CERN) developed the web technology to exchange data and research
material with other scientists. In 1992 the web grew beyond the
confines of CERN and in just 2 years, web technology covers the
globe. The Web was meant as an open access communication network,
allowing for file transfers, along with textual and graphical
displays. In the few short years since 1992, the uses of the
web have grown to include various database applications and business
transaction processing. It has quickly become a major network
of commerce and there's no telling how far it can go. |
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How does the
internet work? |
To simplify it, companies set up a server that provides all the
connectivity and access to the WWW. The server uses a protocol
called the HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP), which is an agreed
upon system for passing information back and forth along the
net. These companies are called Internet Carriers, such as NetCom,
Erol's, Portal and PSI (Performance Systems International). For
a small fee, these companies provide the software and authorization
for their members to access the Internet. Companies like America
Online and CompuServ are not internet carriers, but rather provide
access to the internet through a gateway system, kind of like
a pipeline from their closed network to the open WWW network. |
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What is a
browser? |
The browser software is installed on your PC and translates the
computer code behind a web page, which is written in the HyperText
Markup Language (HTML). The browser reads this language, translates
it and displays the data on your screen. |
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What is a
home page? |
A Home-Page is simply the starting point for a set or group of
web pages. It's the book cover, a main menu or table of contents.
The entire group of pages is called a web-site. You might relate
the homepage to the Program Manager window on your Windows system.
The program manager window displays all the group windows, which
in turn, provide access to applications on your pc. |
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What is
a link? |
A hypertext-link or "link" is a method of connecting
information from webpage to webpage, or a webpage to a document.
The document can be a text file, MS-Word, Excel or PowerPoint
document. A link can not be created from a document to a webpage.
Links appear on a web page with an underlined word or set of
words, and are usually highlighted in blue. A user can change
the color specifications on their personal browser. A web developer
can change the color of their text on the actual web page, so
this color may vary.
Example:
This is a hyper text link back to the main SpringWolf
Designs home page. |
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What is an
imagemap? |
An image map is another way to create a link. The only difference
is the web developer used a graphic or picture to identify the
link. The menu side bar at the top of this page, is an example
of using an image (or graphic) as a link. |
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What's the best
way to design
a web page? |
Like most things, the "best" way depends on your point
of view on what might be a good or bad design. It's best to establish
some polices and guidelines to help you create a good design
from a business perspective. But the best way to learn what's
good and not so good is to simply surf the web to see a few real
examples for yourself. |
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Next: Designing A Web Site |
