Internet and Email — Study Notes

1. Introduction

The Internet is the largest network in the world. It connects millions of computers, mobile phones and other devices across the globe, allowing them to share information with one another. The Internet was developed from a project called ARPANET, which was started by the US Department of Defense in 1969. Today the Internet is used for education, communication, shopping, banking, entertainment and much more. Email, short for electronic mail, is one of the most popular services of the Internet, and it lets people send and receive messages and files almost instantly anywhere in the world.

2. How the Internet Works

Computers on the Internet communicate by a common set of rules called protocols. The most important protocol is TCP/IP, which stands for Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol, and it decides how data is divided into packets, sent across the network, and put back together at the destination. Every device on the Internet has a unique address called an IP address, such as 192.168.1.1, which identifies it on the network. The domain name system (DNS) translates easy-to-remember names like www.school.com into these IP addresses so that users do not need to memorise numbers.

3. The World Wide Web and Browsers

The World Wide Web (WWW) is a huge collection of documents called web pages, connected by links, that can be viewed through the Internet. The web is only one part of the Internet; other services include email and file transfer. A web browser is a program used to open and view web pages, and examples are Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari. A web page is written in a language called HTML. A group of related web pages from the same organisation is called a website, and the first page of a website is called the home page. Each web page has an address called its URL (Uniform Resource Locator).

4. Search Engines

With millions of websites available, we need a tool to find information, and that tool is a search engine. A search engine is a website that helps the user find other websites by typing keywords, and examples are Google, Bing and Yahoo. When the user types a keyword and clicks Search, the search engine shows a list of results called search results. To search better, the user can put a phrase in quotation marks, use several keywords, or use symbols such as + and - to include and exclude words. A search engine is different from a browser: the browser displays the pages, while the search engine finds the pages.

5. Email: Features and Address

Email is the sending and receiving of messages over the Internet. An email message can contain text and also attachments, which are files such as documents, pictures and videos sent along with the message. An email address has two parts joined by the @ symbol: the username on the left and the domain name of the provider on the right, for example amit@schoolmail.com. To use email, the user opens an account with a provider such as Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo Mail, and then signs in with a username and password. Inbox, Sent, Drafts, Spam and Trash are the main folders of an email account.

6. Sending and Receiving Email

To send an email, the user clicks the Compose button, types the email address of the receiver in the To field, adds a subject and the message, and then clicks Send. The sent message is stored in the Sent folder. Incoming messages arrive in the Inbox. The CC field sends a copy to other people, and the BCC field sends a copy without the other receivers seeing who else received it. A Reply answers the sender, a Reply All answers everyone in the conversation, and a Forward passes the message on to a new person. When the user wants to reuse a message, it can be drafted and saved before sending.

7. Netiquette and Safety on the Internet

Netiquette means good manners on the Internet. A good user writes polite messages, uses clear subject lines, does not type in all capital letters because it looks like shouting, and does not forward rumours or hurtful content. The user must also stay safe: never share personal information like passwords and home addresses with strangers, never meet an unknown online friend alone, and never open suspicious attachments or links. Cyberbullying, using the Internet to hurt someone, must be reported to a trusted adult immediately. Parents and teachers help by setting time limits and safe search settings.

8. Other Services of the Internet

Besides the web and email, the Internet offers many other services. Social networking sites like Facebook and Instagram let people share photos, videos and messages. Video conferencing tools like Zoom and Google Meet allow face-to-face meetings through the screen. E-commerce websites allow us to buy and sell goods online. E-banking lets us manage money in a bank without visiting it. E-learning platforms provide online courses and classes, and chatting through messengers allows instant text conversation. All these services work through the same Internet using the same TCP/IP protocol.

Quick Revision Tables

Table 1: Internet Terms

Table 2: Email Terms

Mind Map

Important Diagrams (SVG)

Diagram 1: Structure of an Email Address

Diagram 2: How the Internet Connects the World

Common Mistakes

1. Saying the Internet and the World Wide Web are the same. The WWW is only a part of the Internet.
2. Calling the browser a search engine. Chrome is a browser; Google is a search engine that runs in a browser.
3. Writing the email address with a space or two @ symbols. An address has no spaces and exactly one @.
4. Typing the receiver in CC when it should be in To. The To field holds the main receiver.
5. Using BCC when the sender wants everyone to see the address list. BCC hides the addresses; CC shows them.
6. Confusing Reply and Forward. Reply goes to the sender; Forward goes to a new person.
7. Believing ARPANET is a browser. ARPANET was the early network from which the Internet grew.
8. Sharing personal details while chatting. This is a safety mistake, never share passwords or addresses.

Exam Tips

1. Write full forms for WWW, URL, TCP/IP and DNS at least once in the answer.
2. Give one example each of a browser and a search engine to avoid confusion marks.
3. Explain the difference between CC and BCC in one clear sentence each.
4. Draw the email address diagram showing username, @ and domain when answering email questions.
5. List three safety rules of netiquette as separate numbered points.
6. State that ARPANET (1969) was the starting point of the Internet.
7. Mention attachment as a feature of email and one use of e-commerce, e-banking and e-learning.

Conclusion

The Internet is the global network that connects computers through the TCP/IP protocol, and the World Wide Web is the collection of pages we view with browsers. Search engines help us find information, and email allows fast communication through messages and attachments. With great power comes great responsibility, so netiquette and safety rules protect us online. This leads directly to the next chapter, where we learn how to protect ourselves and our computers from the dangers of the cyber world.