Welcome to the Internet. You have already succeeded at a tough
challenge: getting on-line. This article will help you to
understand the Internet better and get around to the sites that
interest you most.
The Internet is a global computer system that is accessible to
people throughout the world. The Internet consists of tens of
thousands of computers around the world that are linked together
and communicate using a common language.
Finding information may seem overwhelming at first, but there
are many freely available tools that can speed your search. Here
are some basics to help you get started.
- Underlined
Words
Whenever you see an underlined
word, you may click on it to go to wherever
it takes you. It may take you to another part of the
page, to another page or to a computer on the other side
of the world!
- Internet
Addresses
Today, Internet addresses are everywhere. The address for
this site, for example, is "http://www.shoptrac.com".
If you have an Internet address for a site you would like
to visit, look at the top of your browser window. You
should see a type-in area that may be labeled
"Netsite", "Location" or
"Address" (see illustration below). Type the
address exactly as it appears and press enter. On most
browsers, you do not have to type "http://",
just start with "www".
When you press the Enter key, you will notice that the
browser adds the http:// automatically.
- Pictures & Buttons
You will often see pictures or buttons that act like
underlined words: they move you to other sites. You can
recognize these links by moving the mouse pointer over
the object. If the pointer becomes a hand with a pointing
finger
, you may click to go where it
will take you. For instance, run the mouse over this
image of a button 
and watch the pointer. Then click on it
to see the classic car of the week.
You
may click on the underlined words below to get more information
about each topic.
- Browsers
- Programs like the one you are currently using
to access the Internet
(i.e. Netscape navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer)
- Search Engines
- Sites that help you locate specific
information on the Internet.
- E-Mail - (Electronic
Mail) An easy, cost effective way to send messages,
files, pictures and sounds to anyone in the world who
also has an Internet account.
- News groups -
A method for people with similar interests to communicate
and share ideas and opinions
- Terminology
- Some of the more common words and phrases that
are used on the Internet.
Click
here for Microsoft's Internet Tutorial
A browser is a program that resides on your hard disk and is
run when you click on its icon. The program you are currently
using to access the Internet is a browser. There are a number of
browsers on the market today, the most popular being Microsoft
Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. Browsers have a number
of buttons and pull-down menus at the top of the screen to allow
you to control and guide your trip through the world wide web.
Here is a description of some of the more important controls.
. 
The Back button
returns you to the last page you were in before you came to the
current page. If you continue to click it, it will take you back
along the path you followed to get to where you are now. If the
button stops working and turns gray 
it
means that you have returned to the first screen.
Note: If you are sure that there are more pages before the one
that you are on and the back button is gray and will not work, it
may be that one of the pages that you went to started a second
browser program running on top of the original browser. To find
out, move the browser window and see what's behind it. If you see
another browser window, close the top window to get back to where
you were.
.
The
Forward button will retrace your steps forward after you used the
Back button.
. 
The Home button takes you to the web site that is
set as your Home Page. This is the site that comes up when you
first start your browser. You can set your browser to start with
any home page you wish.
In Netscape, click on Options,
then click General Preferences..., you will then see a place
where you can enter the Home Page of your choice. If you wish to
make ShopTrac your home page, then enter our address which is "http://www.shoptrac.com"
In Microsoft Internet Explorer, click
on View, then Options..., then click on the Navigation tab.
. 
The Reload or Refresh button allows you to refresh a
page you are currently viewing if it did not load properly or is
out of date.
. 
The Stop button stops a download that is in progress
before it finishes loading. This button is useful if you change
your mind about viewing a site that is taking too long to load.
Return
A search engine is a tool that helps you locate information:
it is your guidebook to the vast expanses of the Internet. Using
the Internet without search engines is like driving in an
unfamiliar country without a road map or watching cable TV
without a TV Guide. You may hear about a site or two from a
friend but you'll miss out on a lot.
You use a search engine by typing the words or phrases that
describe what you are looking for. It then searches the entire
Internet and then presents you with a list of its findings in a
matter of seconds. At the top of the list is a count of how many
matching sites it found followed by the list of sites. You can
then click on the underlined name of any of the sites that you
wish to visit.
There is a very good search engine on the first page of this
site. To return there now, click here;
when you are finished, use the Back button at the top of your
browser window to return to this page.
Here are some of the more popular search engines.
Return
E-mail is a great way to communicate with anyone in the world
for the price of a local call. You can send or receive e-mail by
simply clicking the mail button on your browser. The Netscape
button is at the lower right corner of the window and looks like
this 
. You can
also click on Window, then Netscape Mail using the
pull-down menus at the top of the browser window.
The Microsoft button is grouped with the other buttons at the top
of the window and looks like this 
.
If you have a problem getting or sending mail, call your
Internet service provider (they're the ones you send the
check to every month so you can be on the Internet) and ask
for their tech support.
Return
Under Construction
Return
Under Construction
Return
An underlined word is called a hyperlink and is common way to
navigate (or surf) the Internet. In this case you just went to a
different part of the page you were reading but you could have
just as easily been transported to a site on the other side of
the world.
Okay, so how do I get back?
Thats easy. Look for the Back button at the top of your browser's
window. It usually has an arrow pointing to the left. Two
examples are from Netscape, and from Microsoft Internet Explorer.
If you click the back button, you will go right back to the
last place you where. Sometimes, there is also an underlined word
or button to take you back if you just went to another part of
the same site. For example, if you click on the underlined word
"return" below, you will go back to where you were.
Return