You'll be surprised
at the different Internet terms that not only beginners are unaware of, but
also among those who have been using the Internet for a long time on a daily
basis. To address this information gap, we have here a 2014 guide to Internet
terms for beginners – and the not-so-beginners alike.
Internet
and the Web: Is there a difference?
The Internet is a
system of networks that connects computers from all over the world using a
protocol called TCP/IP. What started as a communication experiment for the
military, the Internet we know today is a public platform where anyone can
freely broadcast want they want to say and share. To access the Internet (and
contribute to it), you need to have an Internet connection. This connection can
be provided privately by an ISP or publicly from a Wi-Fi network.
The Web is short for
World Wide Web. A subset of the Internet, the Web is that portion of the Internet
that we are most familiar using. We view the Web using a web browser software.
Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari and Mozilla Firefox are examples of
popular web browser software that we use.
http:
VS https:
HTTP is a an acronym
that stands for hypertext transfer protocol. When 2 computers communicate with
each other, it follows a certain protocol of communication. HTTP is the default
protocol that displays on our web browser when we browse a web page using its
URL address.
The only difference
between http: and https: is the latter is secure. You will notice https: on
your web browser if you are on a website that requires a username and a
password. If you need to access your bank account, transfer payment to a
merchant or share sensitive information, the web browser should be encrypted
with https: for your security and protection.
URLs
URL stands for Uniform
Resource Locators. It is the address that you put on your web browser when
accessing internet pages and other online media such as images and videos.
There are several
parts of a URL address, but let us keep it short and simple here.
Typically, a URL
address such as 'http://www.google.com' has 4 parts. 'http://' is the protocol.
'www' is the host name. 'google' is the subdomain name. '.com' is the domain
name. Collectively, 'www.google.com' is the resource name.
IP
Addresses
IP addresses are like
home addresses. It is unique per household. For instance, if you are having
pizza delivered, you need to let the delivery guy what your exact address is or
else he can just send the pizza to anybody else.
The Internet works
the same way. Without an IP address, information cannot be received. Whether
you are accessing the Web using your smart phone, your tablet computer or your
laptop, a dedicated IP address (it is formatted in numbers) is assigned to your
device.
Blogs
Blog is a contraction
for 'web blog'. Blogs these days are like diaries without a lock. It is a
highly public way to express your feelings. Both professional writers and
amateurs have turned to blogs to share their expertise and ideas on a wide
range of topics. Digital marketers have likewise used blogs in advertising
their brand.
ISPs
ISP is an acronym for
Internet Service Provider. It can be privately owned or a property of the
government that allows you to explore the Internet. An ISP can offer you
different internet services such as fibre broadband, fixed wireless, ADSL or
mobile internet. You can select your preferred monthly data allowance and speed
depending on what the ISP offers.
