Welcome to the World Wide Web! Are you ready for everything it can offer you? Do you know where to go to get started?
If using the Internet seems a bit overwhelming, then you’ve come to the right destination for learning how to use all of the resources in front of you. We’ve got a wide variety of in-depth articles that will give you all the education you need to become a savvy, 21st century web surfing master. When you have completed reading our “Mastering The Basics” section, you should be able to:
- Politely and professionally navigate websites of all different types
- Understand the benefits of using broadband internet and cable modems
- Know how to properly setup your monitor for the best viewing of websites and online media
- Get an understanding of where the Internet has been, and where the future of the Internet is going
Before you get started with your own web surfing mastery, however, you need to get a grip on all of the basics of using the Internet. Learn more about the basics of the Internet by checking out any of the articles below.
Netiquette
We expect other drivers to observe the rules of the road. The same is true as we travel through message boards, social networks, blogs, and other communities on the Internet. That's where netiquette comes in handy. Learn more about the basics of Internet etiquette here.
All About Broadband
While the distinctive chatter of a dial-up modem is only present in about 2 million homes in the United States, there is still a large percentage of the population that doesn’t have access to cable broadband Internet. If this top tier Internet service is just now becoming available to your home or business, there are a ton of benefits to consider. Learn more about the full benefits of broadband.
Making Connections
To go online your computer must be equipped with a modem, a device that translates the digital signals from your computer into analog signals that travel over a standard communication line – either a phone line, cable wire, or fiber wire. Learn more about getting connected to the Internet here.
About Modems
Telephone lines were designed to transmit the human voice, not electronic data from computers. While dial-up modems continue to carry Internet signals for dial-up and DSL internet users, cable modems are the main way millions of users get connected today. Learn more about modems and converting digital computer signals here.
Monitor Settings
Your monitor or laptop screen can be set to different screen resolutions and to display different numbers of colors. For optimum viewing of web pages, we recommend that you use a minimum monitor setting of 800 X 600 pixels with thousands of colors. Learn more about getting the best performance out of your computer monitor here.
Birth of the Net
The Internet has had a relatively brief, but explosive history. It grew out of an experiment begun in the 1960s by the U.S. Department of Defense–a computer network that would continue to function in the event of a disaster. Learn more about how the Internet was born with our detailed history lesson here.
Net Anatomy
Even though the Internet is a global network, in many ways it resembles a small town, with similar services. Learn more about the different types of websites and services available online, and how to get the most out of each site you visit as you travel the web.
The Future
While PCs were once the primary means of accessing the Internet, we're now seeing Internet-enabled devices such as smartphones and tablets that can send and receive data across the Web in a wide variety of ways. Soon, everything from your car to your refrigerator will be connected to the web and communicate with almost any other device via wireless connection. Learn more about the future of the Internet here.
There's No Time Like the Present
Think you've mastered the basics? Why not put your skills to the test?
The longer you wait to “Master The Basics” of the Internet, the more of a challenge you will face when you are forced to make it a part of your everyday life. There is a bit of learning curve with all of this stuff, and there are some complex things you may need to read about even further than our article galleries can provide. However, once you have the complexities out of the way, the applications for what you learned online can be almost endless.
With the Internet becoming such an important part of life and spreading its connections from computers to smartphones to tablets and wearable technology, you are going to need to embrace the Internet at some time. The future is here, and “Mastering The Basics” is the key to having a new, technology-centric base of knowledge that will open a whole new world (wide) web of information.
It's a world wide web out there. Once you have mastered the basics, there's no telling the places you'll go!