CHAPTER 2 : THE INTERNET, THE WEB AND ELECTRONIC COMMERCE

The Internet and The Web

The internet was launched in 1969 when the United States funded a project that developed a national computer network called Advanced Research Project Agency Network (ARPANET)
The internet connects million of computers and resources throughout the world.
The web is a multimedia interface to the resources available on the internet.
From the internet, we can do communicating, shopping, searching, entertainment and education or e-learning.

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Access

Once you are on the internet, your computer become an extension of what seems like a giant computer-computer that branches all over the world. When provided with a connection to the internet, you can use a browser program to search the web.

Providers

The most common way to access the internet is through an Internet Service Provider (ISP). The providers are already connected to the internet and provide a path or connection for individuals to access the internet.
The most widely used commercial Internet Service Providers are national (provide access through standard telephone or cable connections) and wireless (provide internet connections with wireless modems an a wide array of wireless devices).

Browsers

program that provide access to web resources. We can do web surfing and exploring, transfer files, display text and sound. Example of web browser: Mozilla Firefox, Netscape Communication, Internet Explorer and Opera.

Communication

The most activity through internet is communication. There is three most popular types of internet communication that is e-mail, instant messaging and social networking.

Email

E-mail or electronic mail is the transmission of electronic messages over the internet. Example: Microsoft Outlook Express, Mozilla Thunderbird.

Instant Messaging

Instant messaging (IM) is an extension of e-mail that allows two or more people to contact each other via direct, live communication. Example: Yahoo Messenger, Windows Messenger

Social Networking

Connecting individuals to one another. There are three main categories of social networking site: reuniting, friend-of-a-friend and common interest. Example: MySpace, Friendster, Facebook.

Search Tools

The function of search tools is to collect the information through internet. There are three main categories of search tools; search engines, metasearch engines and specialized search engines.

Search Engines

Search engines are specialized programs that assist us in locating information on the web and the internet. Example: Yahoo!, Google, Ask Jeeves and MSN.

Metasearch Engines

Metasearch engines are programs that automatically submit your search request to several search engines simultaneously. Example: Dogpile, Ixquick and MetaCrawler.

Specialized Search Engines

Specialized search engines focus on subject-specific websites. Example: http://www.infomat.com/ for fashion and http://www.medsite.com/ for medicine.

Electronic Commerce

Electronic commerce or e-commerce is the buying and selling of goods over the internet. There are three main category of e-commerce; business to consumer (B2C), consumer to consumer (C2C) and business to business (B2B).

Business to Consumer (B2C)

Involves the sale of a product or service to general public or end users. Example: online banking, online stock trading and online shopping.

Consumer to Consumer (C2C)

Involves individuals selling to individuals. This often takes the form of an electronic version of the classified ads or an auction. Example: E-Bay, Lelong, Amazon.

Business to Business (B2B)
Involves the sale of a product or service from one business to another. This is typically a manufacturer-supplier relationship.

Web Utilities

Web utilities are specialized utility programs that make using the internet and the web easier and safer.

Web based applications

Typically, application program are owned by individuals or organizations and stored on their computer system’s hard disk. An emerging trend, however, is to free users from owning and storing applications by using Web-Based services such as Think Free. This free service provides access to programs with capabilities similar to Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

FTP

Files Transfer Protocols (FTP) is an internet standard for transferring files.

Plug-Ins

Plug-Ins are programs that are automatically started and operate as a part of your browser. Many websites required one or more plug-ins to fully experience their content. Example: Acrobat reader, Quick Time, Real Player.

Filters

Filters block access to selected sites. The internet is an interesting and multifaceted arena. But one of those facets is a dark and seamy one. Example: CyberPatrol, Net Nanny, WebSense.

Internet Security Suite

An internet security suite is a collection of utility programs designed to maintain our security and privacy while we are on the web. Example: McAfee’s Internet Security, Kaspersky Internet Security Suites.