1 How To Use a Browser A Module of the CYC Course – Computer Basics

9 What is the Internet and WWW? The Internet (also known as the Net) is a global, interconnected system of networks that connects computers around the world to exchange data. The World Wide Web (also known as the web or WWW) is a system of linked pages containing documents and multimedia.

2 Why use the Internet? Research Connect with friends and family Shop Download files like music or photos Take online classes Play games What else?

2 What is needed to connect to the Internet? A computer, laptop, or mobile phone. Internet Service Provider - A commercial organization that provides access to the Internet for a fee. Or, a free wireless connection (also called wifi). Web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc).

2 What Is a Browser? A software program that allows you to view web pages Popular browsers –Internet Explorer IE is free and included with computers using Microsoft Windows –Mozilla Firefox Firefox is free and needs to be downloaded and installed.

2 Main elements of a browser: Address box (used for typing in address of Website, for example, Menu Bar –Home button –Back and forward buttons –Stop and reload /refresh –Drop down menus

2 Address Bar Displays the URL or address of the Web page you are viewing. To visit a Web page, type the URL (web address), like in the address box and press Enter or click Go.

2 Home Button Home: The initial web page that is displayed when you open the Internet browser

3 Back and Forward Buttons Back: Returns you to the last web page you viewed. Forward: If you pressed the back button, the forward button will take you to the web page that you visited before pressing the back button.

2 Stop and Refresh Stop: Stops loading a web page. Refresh: Reloads the current web page to give you an updated version of the page.

2 Drop Down Menu Shows a list of previously visited Web pages.

2 Bookmarks or Favorites Saves the address of a favorite Internet site in a file in order to revisit that site in the future. Explorer: favorites Firefox: bookmarks

2 Practice finding: Home Stop Refresh Back Forward Address box Drop down menus Bookmarks/Favorites

2 Elements of a website A website is a collection of text, images, videos, links, and other elements with a unique web address. A web address consists of a name, a period & a top level domain. Most common extensions: –.org: mostly non-profits –.edu: colleges/universities –.mobi: mobile phone sites –.com: mostly commercial –.gov: U.S. federal government –.us or.uk: mostly country websites

2 Ways To Get To a Website Favorites/bookmarks URL Links Search engine

2 URL If you know a sites address, type the URL in the address box and press Enter or click Go. If you receive an error message, make sure that the URL is correct. Try: or

2 Links Hyperlinks, also simply called links, are text or graphics on a web page that provide access to other web pages. Text that is hyperlinked is usually underlined and may be a different color than the main text. Jumping from one web page to another by clicking on links is called surfing the Internet.

2 Home Page The home page is the initial Web page that is displayed when you open the Web browser. It can also be the main or introductory page of a Web site.

14 Additional Resources If your computer includes McAfee SiteAdvisor, you will see additional icons with your search results.McAfee SiteAdvisor Password checker How to clear your browser history - Browser%27s-Cache Browser%27s-Cache

14 Sources This curriculum was partially adapted from a slide presentation entitled Internet Basics created by the Indian Prairie Public Library. Additional content created by Connect Your Community, a project of OneCommunity, funded by the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program. OneCommunity Broadband Technology Opportunities Program

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