About Internet

An Introduction to the Internet

The Internet is the most rapidly growing community in the world. Millions of people have access to it, and this number is increasing every day. Its popularity lies in the fact that people can access a wealth of information from any computer within seconds. Businesses, companies, governments, organisations and individuals worldwide have taken advantage of the opportunity to create their own presence on the Internet.

The Internet is essentially a world wide network of computers that share information resources with each other. Although it is regulated in some countries by government legislation to ensure it is not misused, the Internet is not owned by anyone - it simply consists of computers sharing information. The Internet consists of several functions including e-mail, newsgroups and the World Wide Web. Email allows you to send electronic messages and documents to specific people, newsgroups allow information to be shared publicly about various topics, and the World Wide Web allows you to read documents, view videos, listen to music, make purchases, sell products, download files and much, much more.

The World Wide Web

The World Wide Web, also referred to as the Web, is the multimedia portion of the Internet. To access the information on the Web, you need a software program called a Web browser. Information on the Web is usually found in documents called webpages. A group of webpages is called a website. Every webpage (and website) on the Internet has a unique address.

Connecting to the Internet

To connect to the Internet, you need a modem, a phone line and an account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) - a company that provides Internet connections. Most cities have a number of ISPs. If you are not connected to the Internet, but are planning to do so, look at the various ISPs available in your area, and choose the one that provides you with the service that best suits your requirements.

Factors that may influence your choice of ISP may include cost, how long you are allowed to connect to the Internet every month (if you use the Internet often, you might choose and ISP that offers unlimited connection times), and the speed of the connection. Since you are wanting to publish your own files on the Internet, a major influencing factor in your choice of ISP may also include whether they offer a personal website hosting service.