Transcript ecommerce: Getting Started

Using the Internet
Internet for Development
by Taholo Kami
for UNESCO
"These materials have been produced with support from UNESCO. The
author is responsible for the choice and presentation of the facts in
the materials and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not
necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization."
Outline
Using the Internet
Email
World Wide Web
Finding Information
History
Governance of the Internet
World Wide Web Words
 Browser - the software interface used to display
information from the web on your computer. Common
browsers are Internet Explorer by Microsoft and
Netscape Navigator
 URL: Universal Resource Locator or web address /
domain also known as Domain Name
http://www.yourname.com
 Search Engine: Searchable databases on Internet that
compile information from web pages enabling users to
search vast amounts of data on one database.
More WWW Words
 Cyberspace: Virtual world for electronic
communications associated with the Internet.
 Internet Service Provider (ISP): a supplier of
Internet access services usually your local telecom or
other source to the Internet

Universal Access is equitable and affordable access
by all citizens to information infrastructure via the
Internet and other communications mediums
Email
Using the Internet to send and receive
messages and files electronically.
The “killer application” or most popular use of
the Internet.
Instant communications where cost is not
determined by distance.
Replacing formal letters and faxes / cutting
costs.
Language is informal and less emphasis on
structure
Email Applications
Email networking with mailing lists or list serves
(yahoogroups.com).
Informal groups
Professional networks
Email web surfing / file retrieval
Get web (www.healthnet.org)
Email distribution - empowering information
providers in existing networks.
Some Email Issues
Security
Assume all files are accessible to service provider
In many Pacific countries before Government LANs
were introduced many Government departments used
the commercial ISP provider for all email services
Use encryption if security is an issue.
Careful with private / personal messages.
Email may be legally binding
Limitations
Email may seem abrupt - be sensitive to receivers
perspective.
IF upset wait awhile before sending email reply.
Reread before sending ANY email since mistakes are
common
World Wide Web
Visual: text, images, video on webpages.
Ability to interact with viewer allows for
feedback and transactions
Trillions of webpages online
Dead Pages
Hobbies, Personal information, Communities
Shopping, Advertising, Services
news, journals, academic papers, forums
directories / portals etc etc.
Finding Resources Online
 Portals
www.yahoo.com - General Directory on whole Internet
www.sidsnet.org - Directory on Islands Development Issues
www.fijivillage.com - Directory on Fiji issues
 Search Engines; some common search engines
www.Google .com
www. Lycos.com
www.altavista.com, www.hotbot.com
Quick Search Hints
Try one or two search Engines
Use Combinations of keywords and put them in
“inverted commas” - this refines the search criteria
From the search results select sites which are more
likely to have good information sources.
Use links from the better websites on your subject
instead of going back to search engine - Good sites
within area of interest will have better links to
resources in that field.
Time Line
1969 ARPANET
Military Funding and setup by researchers
Packet Switching replaces circuit Switching
The ability for computers to talk to each
other over distance and multiple
connections irrespective of local interface /
model
Cooperation amongst core group of
developers in several organizations
Time Line.
1971 First Email
Email drove initial use
Early assumptions - 256 networks
sufficient for foreseeable future.
1992 WWW - CERN and MOSAIC
browsers with images.
1994 Netscape - commercialization of
Internet applications.
Today
3-400 million users
Web sites
June 93
June 94
Dec 94
June 95
June 96
June 00
130
2738
10,022
23,500
252000
15m
Internet Governance
Department of Defense coordinated early
Internet.
John Postel and later other organizations
controlled assignment of names.
Single registry.
1992 Contract given to Network Solutions
Internet Assigned Names Authority (IANA)
allocated IP address.
Wild West:
Who makes the rules
?
No one was prepared for Internet explosion
1994 onwards.
First come first serve basis with distribution of
domain names.
Network solutions becomes huge monopoly.
1998 ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned
Names and Numbers
ICANN allows multiple registrars for domain
names
ICANN
Setup by US Government
To establish competition in domain name
registration
To develop and maintain Internet standards
applied equally around the world, across
economic social boundaries.
19 Board members - 9 elected from
membership.