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Howrey LLP
How the Internet Began
The Internet began several decades ago, partly as an effort that
grew out of the Cold War. The Defense Department wanted
to develop a computer system that could be protected in the event
of a major catastrophe such as an earthquake or an enemy attack.
This original computer network, called the Advanced Research
Projects Agency Networks (ARPAnet), has evolved over years
into the Internet we use today. With the advent of the World
Wide Web (www or the Web) in the early 1990s, Internet use
truly blossomed. Simplistically speaking, the Internet now
is the largest unregulated computer network on the globe.
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
The suite of complex communications protocols that enables the
Internet to exist is called Transmission Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol (TCP/IP). Although invisible to the Internet
user, TCP/IP manages the flow of data between computers and the
flow of data between applications. TCP/IP is the technology
magic that allows all types of computers to communicate with one
another on the Internet.
Domains and Domain Names
Although the Internet may be unregulated, there still is a need to organize the information on the Internet. This is accomplished through the use of domains and domain names. Everything on the Internet has some type of address, whether it is an e-mail address, a computer system or a Web page. Top level domains are indicated in the suffix of an Internet address. The main categories of top level domains on the Internet are:
| com |
commercial
|
| edu |
educational
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| gov |
U.S. government
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| int |
international
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| mil |
U.S. military
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| net |
networking organizations
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| org |
sites of non-profit organizations
|
The
lower levels of domains will indicate the specific computer or
computer system that a Web site exists on, and in the case of
e-mail addresses, the lower level domain will indicate a specific
user on a computer system. Some Web addresses also may contain
a domain indicating the country of origin for that site, such
as uk for the United Kingdom or us for the United
States. An example of a domain name in an Internet e-mail
address would be "jsmith@aol.com" for the fictitious person of
John Smith. An example of a domain name in an address for
a site on the Web would be www.howrey.com, in this case the Web site for Howrey LLP.
Major Features of the Internet
The Internet allows us to perform several functions
from our computers: Electronic Mail (E-mail), File
Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Telnet. E-mail enables
users to exchange messages over the Internet. FTP is used
to transport files of text or software over the Internet.
Telnet is the tool that enables your computer to access and use
the files and menus of a remote computer system. Perhaps
the most wonderful aspect of the Web is that it simplified using
the Internet. Many Web sites will be performing FTP or Telnet
functions when you are retrieving information or software from
the Web. The Web makes these FTP or Telnet functions invisible
to users while making them as easy as pointing and clicking your
mouse.
The World Wide Web
Perhaps the most significant event involving the Internet
was development of the World Wide Web. The Web has greatly
enhanced publishing and locating information on the Internet.
Before the Web, Internet users had to know if they were accessing
a Telnet or FTP site to successfully locate their information.
If you were unfortunate enough not to know the exact address of
Telnet or FTP site you needed to access, you had to know how to
use online tools such as gophers, jugheads, archies and veronicas
in order to find the site. With the Web, locating information
on the Internet has become much simpler.
Hyper-Text Markup Language (HTML)
The Web essentially is a way of publishing information
on the Internet. The real beauty of publishing information
on the Web is HyperText Markup Language (HTML). HTML is
what creates the links in Web publishing. When you find
a link in a Web page, it means you can click your mouse on the
link and you will be able to access another level of information
below that link. HTML links frequently are words or phrases,
which have been highlighted and underscored. HTML
links may take other forms, such as graphic representations or
some other form of text. All HTML links will turn your cursor
into a tiny hand with its index finger extended when your cursor
passes over the link. The transformation of your cursor
into a tiny hand is your clue that you can click your mouse on
that link to drill down to the next level of information.
This drilling down is reflected in the address box of your browser.
Just below your browser's tool bar is the address box, a window
that shows the address of the Web page that you are viewing.
As you drill down into the Web site, the address becomes longer
to show what page you are on. A "/" separates each level.
The address for this particular page is:
http://www.constructionweblinks.com/
Resources/How_to_Search_the_Web/
how_to_search_the_web.html
That is, you are in the ConstructionWebLinks.com Web
site; you are in the major category Resources; and you are in
the How to Search the Web subcategory. If there were more
levels below this page, the address would be even longer, and
the additional level would be set off with a "/". If a Web
site is connected to a database, a page's address may include
a lot of seemingly meaningless numbers and letters. That
is the name of the database search that satisfied your query
rather than the name of a particular page. Once you move
to another page, the result will be lost.
Metatags
HTML publishing also allows metatags to be embedded
into Web sites. Metatags are intended to contain information
about a Web site, such as how frequently it is updated and subject
terms to help describe the site. Metatags are invisible
to the Web user. A large part of the value of metatags is
that they can aid search engines in retrieving relevant sites.
But there also is a dark side to the development of metatags.
For example, Company A could put its competitor's name, Company
B, into a metatag on Company A's Web site. Then, when anyone
used a search engine to hunt for sites mentioning Company B, the
search engine also would retrieve the site for Company A.
Portable Document Files (PDFs)
Portable Document Files (PDF) are another way to publish information on the Web. PDFs enable documents and forms to be posted on a Web site. The beauty of a PDF is that it allows you to view, print or download the document or form and have it look the way it is supposed to appear in hardcopy format. This occurs independent of the operating system and software used. Many federal and state agencies have made their forms accessible through PDFs. For instance, the Internal Revenue Service has made nearly all of its forms available on the Web in portable document files. An additional piece of software is required to view and print PDFs. The most popular such software is Adobe Acrobat Reader. It is available for free at www.adobe.com/products/main.html
.
Java
Java is a high-level programming language that has
done much for enhancing the visual appearance of the Web.
Java allows for additional small applications programs to be added
to a Web site, which often are called "applets." Applets
bring such features as animation to Web pages.
Internet Service Provider (ISP)
If you want access to the Internet, including the
Web, you must have a computer, a modem, Internet software and
physical access to the Internet. Physical access to the
Internet requires an account through an Internet Service Provider
(ISP). It is through your modem that the Internet
software is able to connect to your ISP. Examples of ISPs
are EarthLink or Juno. Many ISPs also will provide you with
the software necessary to access the Internet. If
you travel and require remote access to the Web or your e-mail
account, check with your ISP to see how it recommends that you
gain remote access. The larger ISPs may have local phone
numbers throughout the country. Many e-mail accounts also
can be accessed through Web addresses. In this case, you
would have to find a computer that already has access to the Web.
Web users who want faster connections are shifting from
dial-up ISPs to DSL or cable television high-speed connections.
Browsers
Access to the Web requires a piece of software known
as a Web browser. Browsers commonly are included in the
software that is needed for Internet access. The two most
widely used browsers today are Microsoft's Internet Explorer and
Netscape's Navigator. Browsers are Windows-based software.
They have many of the familiar pull-down menus and toolbars that
are found in most Windows-based software. One of the most
important browser features enables users to access a new site
or page on the Internet.
The Browser Toolbar
As you surf the Web, take the time to get acquainted
with the functions on the toolbar of your browser and in its pulldown
menus. Functions such as back and forward buttons allow you to
move back and forth between the sites you are viewing. The
"find" function is a great way to locate specific language within
a Web document. The "bookmark" function allows you to mark
or tag a Web site on your browser so you can easily access that
site in the future without having to type in its Web address.
Another function allows you to save copies of Web pages in files
and to send a page to someone else via e-mail.
Uniform Resource Locators (URLs)
All Web sites on the Internet must have an address. The technical name for an Internet Web address is Uniform Resource Locator (URL). All Web addresses begin with http as in http://www.howrey.com. The computer protocol, which enables Web pages to exist on the Internet, is called Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). Hence, all Web addresses begin with http. As part of the addressing, the URL also will contain the name of the domain for the Web site. Howrey's URL includes a .com because it is a commercial site. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Web address is www.dot.gov because it is a federal government agency.
Locating Information on the Web
How do you locate information on the Web? There are several basic approaches. One is to use Web search engines; another approach is to make use of Web portals; and a third is through use of Web directories. All of these approaches will enable you to perform topical research on the Web or to find specific Web sites.
Search Engines
Web search engines have gained great popularity over
the last few years as a way of finding information on the Web.
The number of search engines continues to grow. Many of
them, such as Google, Yahoo!, and Ask, have become household
words. In addition to being Web search engines, many of
these sites also serve as Web portals and Web directories.
No single search engine is capable of covering every site on the
Web. You will find that even when you perform the exact
identical search on a variety of search engines, you will get
different results with each search engine. Studies also
have found that search engines cover only a fraction of the information
available on the Web. In order to evaluate which search
engine is best for you to use, it helps to have a basic understanding
of how a search engine works.
Each search engine is uniquely programmed. The frequency
with which information is gathered about Web sites and the depth
of information retrieved from each Web site are unique to each
search engine.
First, visualize the Internet as a vast spiderweb-like network
of computers. All search engines use software programs commonly
called spiders, crawlers or robots to
go onto the Internet and gather data about Web sites.
Search engines send their spiders out to "walk" the Internet at
varying frequencies, depending upon each search engine.
Some search engines may send their spiders out to walk the Web
on a daily basis; others may be programmed to send their spiders
out less frequently. When a spider is sent out to
walk the Internet, it is looking for any instance of http://www.
that it can find on the Internet. This is the part of the
Internet address that tells the spider that it has found a Web
site on the Internet. The frequency at which a search engine
sends its spiders out to walk the Web is a major factor causing
search engines to deliver varying results when they are all given
the same search criteria.
Once a spider has found a Web site on the Internet, the next step
is for the spider to capture information about that Web site,
including any descriptive information found in metatags.
This is the other factor that causes differences between search
results. Some search engines may program their spiders to
record all of the text found on a Web site. Other search
engines may program their spider to record a limited amount of
information about a Web site, such as the first 500 words of text
rather than all of the text. This is how search engines
vary according to the depth of information they retrieve from
a Web site.
After a spider has captured all of the information it can, it
returns to its search engine. The information is then dumped
into a searchable file. This is the information you are
searching when you use a Web search engine. You really are
searching a file that resides at the search engine that contains
information about and links to Web sites that the search engine's
spiders have found.
Advanced Web Searching
Most search engines offer two levels of searching,
simple searching and advanced searching. The initial search
screen on a search engine usually is for simple searching.
Take a good look at the search engine's home page, and most likely
you also will find a link to an advanced search tool. The advanced
search tool will explain the best way to search for phrases, how
to truncate terms and how to formulate a search using Boolean
Logic.
Boolean Logic
Most advanced searches involve Boolean Logic.
Boolean Logic is the search protocol that allows you to formulate
a search using connectors such as "and," "or" and "not" between
search terms. Almost all children learn how to create "sets"
when they are first learning math. That is Boolean Logic.
Using the "or" connector between terms always will increase the
number of hits in your search results. The "and" connector
will decrease the number of hits. For example, if you wanted
a search engine to find Web sites that discussed legal aspects
of the construction industry, your search might look something
like this: (lawyers or attorneys or law or legal) and (building
or construction). Advanced searching will vary with each
search engine. One search engine may want you to use the
words "and" and "or" when you perform a Boolean search.
Another search engine may want you to substitute the plus symbol
"+" for the word "and" and use the minus symbol "-" in place of
the word "or." Using the advanced search option almost always
will give you more relevant search results.
Truncating Terms
Searches also can be expanded or limited by using
root expanders and related devices. Root expanders are symbols
that tell the search engine to look for one of several possible
variations on a word. An "*" or "!" often is used as an
expander although each search engine has it own set of symbols.
For example, if "build*" rather than "builder" were used for the
search term, the search engine would look for "build," "builder,"
"building" or any other word that begins with "build," no matter
how it ends. Search engines also can be focused on a particular
term, often by enclosing it in quotations (although how this is
done also varies from search engine to search engine). For
example, a search for "critical path schedule" should find only
sites mentioning that exact phrase and not sites containing only
"schedule" or only "path."
Multiple Search Engines
A
number of sites are "multiple search engine" sites. When
you perform a Web search on these sites, they attempt to run your
search through a number of different search engines simultaneously.
Dogpile, found at www.dogpile.com,
is a good example. Dogpile lists the search engines it uses.
After Dogpile performs your search, it comes back and displays
the results from each of the search engines.
Evaluating Search Engines
Most
people who frequently use search engines have their favorites.
Someone might prefer Yahoo because it also serves as a Web directory
where humans actually create the directory portion of the site.
AskJeeves is popular because it uses "natural language queries,"
which means you can type in a question without having to know
anything about search protocols like Boolean Logic. Here
are several sites that will help you evaluate the differences
between search engines:
Click here
for the addresses of the largest search engines.
Web Portals
Web
portals are a good way to locate information on the Web.
Web portals are Web sites that have a variety of topical
links, thus making them into a "window" on the Web. Another
way to think of them is as a directory to the Web. Nearly
all search engines have made their Web sites into Web portals.
For instance, say you need a map of New Zealand. Rather
than search on the term "New Zealand," look to see if the search
engine you are using has a link for "maps." Or, you might
look for a "country information" link to see whether New Zealand
was included. Chances are you will get to the information
you need faster through a set of links that already have been
organized for you than you will by performing a Web search.
(This site is organized as a portal for the construction industry
and also provides a directory to reference and travel information
of use to construction industry professionals.)
Web Directories
Web
Directories are another way to find to information on the Web.
These directories work much like their hard copy counterparts,
and they often are topical in nature. CEO Express found
at http://www.ceoexpress.com
is a popular site for locating business information.
A great Web directory for linking to U.S. government Web sites is found at www.firstgov.gov/Agencies/
Federal/All_Agencies/index.shtml.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If
you are looking for additional information on a particular Web
site, look to see if it has a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
button. FAQs can be very helpful. FAQs may answer
questions about the content of the Web site and how to move about
it. (You can click
here
to learn how to navigate this Web site and to see its FAQs.)
There are times when you intuitively know that a particular Web
site has the information you need, but the site is too complex for
the new user to find the appropriate links. If the FAQs do
not help you, try to find an e-mail address for the Webmaster.
A well-designed Web site will include a way to e-mail the Webmaster,
the person in charge of maintaining the Web page. Often the
Webmaster will be able to assist you. (All top and bottom
navigation bars on this site include a Contact Us button that takes
you to a page where you are given four options for contacting us,
including e-mail.)
Folio
Folio
is an electronic publishing and retrieval system that often is
used for legal and other long documents. A folio-based system
allows users to browse documents in sections, navigating through
by means of "previous" and "next" buttons,
expandable tables of contents and multi-option search features.
Folio-based systems make long documents easily navigable and searchable
but are not as conducive to printing and downloading as other
files.
Cookies
Have
you ever wondered if the Web was watching you? Well, it
may be. When you access some Web sites, their servers send
a message to your Web browser. The message then is sent
back to the Web server the next time you access the site.
These messages are called cookies, and they are not visible to
the Web user. Cookies are intended to help Webmasters identify
the users accessing their site and to help them customize their
Web pages for particular users. Some sites may even include
a form that you fill out before you use a site. That information
is stored within a cookie. If you have ever accessed a Web
site more than once and it now seems to know something about you,
the Web site probably got that information from your cookies.
(This Web site does not use cookies or keep track of users by
name. We do count the number of visitors to this site, what
pages they look at, how long they spend here and the state or
country from which they connected. Voluntary registration
only places you on our mailing list and does not result in more
detailed tracking of your use of this site.)
Where to Learn More about the Internet and the Web
If you are looking for more information about the Internet and the
Web, try Webopedia, the online dictionary and search engine for
computer and Internet technology found at http://www.webopedia.com.
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