In this chapter you will learn about:

★ Characteristics, uses and constraints of email communication (Slide2-3)

– Characteristics
– Netiquette
– Email groups
– Email operations
- Effects of spam email
★ Effective use of the internet: (Slides 4-9)
– differences between the World Wide Web (WWW) and the internet
– intranets – extranets
– blogs and wikis – social networking
– forums – Internet service providers (ISP)
– Search engines (including the evaluation of information found)
★ Internet protocols (Slide 10)
★ Internet risks. (slide 11)

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10.1 Characteristics, uses and constraints of email communication
Characteristics
• Legislation: Many countries have laws to protect people against the misuse of emails. Constraints like emails are
not sent out with false or misleading subject lines, Companies must provide subscribers with a very clear way to
unsubscribe from their listings etc.
• Acceptable language : Language used in emails, text messages and online forums cannot contain indecent images,
language that is regarded as abusive, wicked, inflammatory, strong, defamatory/insulting or offensive, racist or
violent messages as well as use of illegal materials or messages
• Guidelines set by an employer : Any company that employs people publishes guidelines regarding use of emails
and other electronic communications. They must follow the laws in the particular country in which the company
operates. Companies must indicate how they will ensure that all of their staff are following the rules.
• Copyright and security of emails: Emails are subject to copyright laws. Just because it is relatively easy to forward
an email does not mean it is always legal to do so. This is also true of any attachments sent with an email.
• Security and password protection: Like using strong passwords when logging on to your email account, changing
passwords on a regular basis, using spam filters to remove certain suspicious emails to a ‘junk folder’ or even to
block the email entirely, running anti-virus and anti-spam software at all times on your computer to protect against
emails from unknown or malicious sources.
Netiquette: It is also called interNET etIQUETTE. It is the need to respect other users’ views and display common
courtesy when posting views in online discussion groups or when sending out emails. Some examples are:
 Do not be abusive – do not threaten people or use personal violence.
 Do not send spam – do not repeatedly send somebody the same information.
 Remember that posts are public in most cases and can be read by anyone.
 Always check your spelling and grammar – give a good impression.
 Respect people's privacy and do not discuss or publish information that might embarrass somebody.
 Forgive people’s mistakes – do not be compelled to respond to an error.
 Do not use CAPITAL LETTERS to highlight comments – this is seen as ‘shouting’ in emails, text messages.
 Do not plagiarize/copy – always acknowledge quotes used in any messages you write.Do not use too many emoticons
as they might annoy your readers.
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10.1 Communication with other ICT users using email
Email groups
• It is easier for a user to send out multiple emails if the addresses are all grouped together under a single name; the
user only needs to use that single name in the ‘to’ box.
• Companies and organisations can group people together for marketing purposes, for example according to age,
hobbies, favourite music and so on – this means that each email can target specific groups.
• ‘Spammers’ can create email groups by buying addresses of people from certain companies or from software that
‘raids’ address books on computers or email companies – this means that several thousand people can be sent
spam at one time.
• Companies use email groups to set up meetings (for example, for a video conference) to ensure that everybody is
always invited to attend – it would be easy to forget a person if the email addresses were all typed in individually;
this way you can be sure all the correct recipients are sent messages.
Other email operations
• To the person you are sending the email to
• Cc / Carbon copies (Cc) those on the ‘To’ are the main recipients and those in the ‘Cc’ list are interested parties.
• Bcc/Blind carbon copies  Bcc address details are invisible to everyone receiving the email, apart from
• the Bcc recipient.
Forwarding of emails Forwarding of emails should be treated with great care. Many emails sent to you may be
spams or coming from banned web hosts.
• Attachments: Spam and phishing emails can potentially contain malicious attachments. It is also important to
remember when sending attachments that the ISP will have a limit on the size of file that can be sent. Emails were
never intended to include large files. It is better to look at alternatives when sending large files.
Characteristics and effects of spam
Any unsolicited email sent over the internet is regarded as spam. It is often sent to multiple recipients and can range
from being simply annoying to dangerous, because spam can contain viruses or be part of a phishing scam. Spam as a
cheap way of advertising to many people but it uses up people’s time, It generally annoys people, It uses up valuable
bandwidth on the internet, slowing it down, it can have viruses attached or be part of a phishing scam.
It can clog up users’ inboxes.
Mobile Spam is usually text messages being send to multiple phones. It is referred to as ‘m-spam’, ‘mobile spamming’
or ‘spam SMS’. It annoys people, but with some mobile phone providers charge each message they receive a fee. 3
10.2 Effective use of internet
The differences between the internet and the World Wide Web (WWW)

Internet World Wide Web

It is a collection of multimedia web pages and other
Users can send and receive emails
information on websites
Uses http(s) protocols to send hypertext Markup
Allows online chatting (via text, audio And video)
language (HTML) documents
Makes use of transmission protocols (TCP) and internet Uniform resource locators (urls) are used to specify the
protocols (IP) location of web pages
• Web resources are accessed by web browsers
It is a worldwide collection of Interconnected networks
• WWW uses the internet to access information from
and devices
web servers

Internet Intranet
INTERconnected NETwork INTernal Restricted Access NETwork
Covers everything To give local information relevant to the company
Possible to block websites but it is more difficult. Possible to block out certain websites
internet can be accessed by anyone from anywhere in intranet often requires a password and user ID, and can
the world, provided the user has an ISP account only be accessed from agreed points/computers
There is much less protection against hackers and It is always behind a firewall which gives some
malware protection against hackers, viruses
Information is stored on web servers where many can Information used here is usually stored on local servers
access which makes it more secure from outside users
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10.2 Effective use of internet
Reasons for adopting intranets rather than using the internet:
• Intranets are safer because there is less chance of external hacking or viruses.
• It is easier to prevent external links to, for example, certain websites.
• Companies can ensure that the information available is specific to their internal audience’s needs.
• It is easier to send out sensitive messages in the knowledge that they will remain within the company.
• Intranets offer better bandwidth than the internet, therefore there are fewer connection limits than with the
internet (that is, the number of bits per second that can be transmitted are usually higher within an intranet).
Note: To create extranets that allow intranets to be extended outside the organisation, but with the same advantages
as an intranet; this allows, for example, trading partners to have controlled access to some information

Intranet communication
• Communication via mobile phone : A person can connect to the company intranet using the mobile phone
network to contact the company’s secure server; a number of safeguards will permit only certain users to have
access to commercial data.
• Communication via virtual private network : Connection to the company’s secure server is made via the internet;
secret keys are used to encrypt all communications between the user and the server; no one can ‘eavesdrop’ on
the transmitted data without these keys – it is an example of a virtual private network (VPN).

Wikis : They are web applications or websites that allow any user to create and edit their web pages using any web
browser. A wiki will support hyperlinks and uses a very simple syntax (known as wiki markup) to create pages. They
have often been described as ‘web pages with an <edit> button’.
Features of wikis:
• Anyone can edit, delete or modify the content
• Many authors can be involved in a wiki
• It is possible to organise a page any way the author(s) wish(es)
• Shows/keeps track of all entries – that is, stores a document history
• Can be easily edited using a web browser
• Allows large documents to be seen by many people – it is easier than emailing several people.
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10.2 Effective use of internet
Blogs
• Web logs (blogs) are personal internet journals where the blogger will type in their observations on a topic (for
example, a review about the latest movie release) and perhaps provide links to some relevant websites. Blogs tend
to range from minor projects (such as the performance of a rock star) through to important social issues. However,
the comments made on blogs are NOT immune from the law; bloggers can still be prosecuted for writing offensive
material. Features of blogs:
• Updated on a regular basis by the author
• Usually organised in reverse chronological order (most recent to least recent entry)
• Normally public – anyone can read them
• Entries normally come from a single author
• Other internet users cannot change blogs – they can only read them.

Microblogs are similar to blogs, but are most often used on social networking sites to make short, frequent posts. The
posts can be done using instant messaging, emails or use other social networking vehicles (such as tweets). Social
networking sites use microblogs to allow members to update their personal profiles, for example.

b-blog – short for business blog – which is used by businesses to promote themselves on the internet.

Social networking sites: These focus on building online communities of users who share the same interests and
activities. They enable people to share photos, videos and music, hobbies, favourite eating places, and so on. The
members do this by creating public profiles and thus form relationships with other users.
Features of social networking sites:
• Each member is provided with free web space where they can build their own private and public profiles.
• It is possible to upload content such as text messages, photos and videos and even to ‘write on each other’s walls’.
• Members are given free instant messaging and video chatting.
• It is possible to email other members within the community.
• Members can create pages where they can post photos, articles, and so on.
• It is possible to invite people to become friends.
• Members have control over who can access their private or personal data.
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10.2 Effective use of internet
Forums
• A moderated forum refers to an online discussion forum in which all the posts are checked by an administrator
before they are allowed to be posted. Many users prefer this type of forum, compared to an unmoderated one, as
the moderator can not only prevent spam, but can also filter out any posts that are inappropriate, rude or
offensive, or even those that wander off the main topic.
• Unmoderated forum.: No one ‘owns’ the internet, and it is essentially not policed. The only real safeguards are a
voluntary cooperation between the users and the network operators. However, most social forums or networking
groups on the internet have a set of rules or protocols that members are requested to follow or they will be
deleted.

Internet service providers (ISP) : A company that provides users with access to the internet. It is normal to pay a
monthly fee for this service. When a user registers with an ISP, an account is set up and they are given login details that
include a user ID and password.
An ISP has the equipment and telecommunications lines required to access the internet – usually broadband
connections which, in many cases, use fibre optic cables.

Web addresses, URLs, hyperlinks and web browsers

A web browser is software that allows a user to display a web page on their computer screen. They interpret or
translate the HTML from websites and show the result of the translation. This can often be in the form of videos,
images or sound.

URL contains the protocol, site address and file name. If you type in:
https://www.hoddereducation.co.uk/IG/cambridge-igcse-it to a web browser, you will go to the home page for the
website.
https  protocol (secure site) www.hoddereducation.co.uk--> Website address
IG  folder path cambridge-igcse-it  file name

Search Engine: A program which looks up for the words entered in the search box, in the database of web pages to
find out which of them match the search criteria. If you want to search more precise content, use a + sign between the
search words. 7
10.2 Effective use of internet - Using the internet to find information

Advantages Disadvantages
• The internet is not regulated – anything can be
posted on a web page and, consequently,
• Information on the internet tends to be up to date information may be biased or totally incorrect
because it is quicker and easier to amend web pages (books, on the other hand, usually undergo some
than it is to, for example, reprint books. form of review before being published).
• The internet has vast, almost limitless, amounts of • There is always the risk of accessing inappropriate
information. websites when using search engines; these can take
• Searching for information using a search engine is many forms and can be very distressing to certain
fast and easy. people.

• People can look for information in the comfort of • It is too easy to be distracted when searching on the
their own home – there is no need to travel to a internet – users can find computer games or enter
library to find required books. social networking sites instead of doing their work.

• Information on the internet is essentially free of • There is always the risk of ‘information overload’ if
charge. the user lacks the necessary experience or expertise
when using search engines.
• Pages on the internet can have multimedia elements
(for example, videos, animations, cartoons and • Because it is very easy to copy material from the
music/ voiceovers) that make learning more internet, there is a huge temptation to plagiarise
interesting and often makes it easier to understand material; this is more likely to occur than when
the topics. using books.
• Some research skills are lost when using the
internet as search engines do all the work for you.

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10.2 Effective use of internet –
Why internet searches are not always a fast way of finding information
• When using search engines, there is always the danger of information overload. It is possible to find millions of
websites that match the given criteria. Unless the user narrows down their search criteria, it can take a long time
to find out exactly what they are looking for If the user is uncertain of what needs to be asked, it can take a long
time to obtain only relevant information.
• Each search engine has to decide what they think is the most appropriate result for a search query.
• Exactly how each search engine decides on the rank of their search results is kept top secret. But search results
may not always contain exactly what the user is looking for – more appropriate websites might be hidden deep
within the search results.
• Search engines also rank the time it takes to load up pages from websites – the fastest are given priority when the
results appear on the screen. All of this means that the user may not find exactly what they are looking for when
using the search engine.
• It is common to assume that if the first page of search results does not contain what the user was looking for then
it does not exist. This is not true. It might be that the search engine misunderstood what the user was looking for –
or it might have listed the correct website on the eleventh page of search results.

How to evaluate information found on the internet ??

1. Is it possible to verify the legitimacy of who wrote the material posted on the website? Does the information
come from a reliable source that can be verified?
2. Is there a way to check if the information is factually correct; can it be verified from another source; is it
grammatically correct and free of spelling mistakes?
3. Is the article objective? Is there any evidence of bias (for example, does it contain links to organisations to support
the ‘bias’ in the article and does it contain any advertising which reinforces the bias in the article)?
4. Is the information dated? When was it last reviewed and by whom?
5. Does the article cover all aspects and are all the arguments fully supported either by information supplied or
references to external experts, or external links to well-respected organisations (such as universities)?
6. Does the website look legitimate? Do all the links in the website still work?

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10.2 Effective use of internet –
Internet protocols
Hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) - is a set of rules that must be obeyed when transferring website data across the
internet. When a web page is being accessed, entering http:// at the front of an address tells the web browser that
‘http rules’ for communication are to be obeyed.

Hypertext transfer protocol Secure(HTTPS) – There is security(SSL certification) or encryption is used then the protocol
is changed to HTTPS, this is often seen along with the padlock symbol. The letter ‘S’ in https refers to secure(d).

File transfer protocol (FTP): is a network protocol used when transferring files from one computer to another
computer over the internet. It is similar to HTTP, but the protocol is specifically for the transfer of files.

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)

• It is a protocol that allows data to be sent and received securely over the internet. It is designed to work with
communication protocols like HTTP and FTP.
• When used with HTTP, a user logs onto a website as normal, but SSL encrypts the data – only the user’s computer
and the web server are able to make sense of what is being transmitted.
• A user will know if SSL is being applied when they see HTTPS, or the small padlock in the status bar at the top of
the screen.
• An SSL certificate is a form of digital certificate which is used to authenticate a website. This means any
communication or data exchange between browser and website is secure as long as this certificate can be
authenticated.
Examples of where SSL would be used:
• Online banking and all online financial transactions, Online shopping/commerce
• Sending and receiving emails, instant messaging
• Using cloud storage facilities
• Intranets and extranets (as well as the internet)
• Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) when carrying out video chatting and/or audio chatting over the internet
• When making use of a social networking site.

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10.2 Effective use of internet –
Internet risks-Policing the internet:
• Material published on websites is already available from other sources.
• It would be very expensive to 'police' all websites and users would have to pay for this somehow.
• It would be difficult to enforce rules and regulations on a global scale, as different countries have different laws.
• It can be considered against freedom of information/speech.
• Many topics and comments posted on websites are already illegal and laws already exist to deal with the
offenders.
• Who is to decide what is illegal or offensive? Many things are only offensive to certain people like religious
comments but not necessarily to the majority.

Precautions that can be taken:

• ISP companies give the ‘bill payers’ some control over what can be accessed. Hence, parents can put filters onto
the
• central router. This can prevent unnamed devices from accessing the internet through their router
• Mobile phone companies offer a similar service and can block access to certain websites.
• Schools and textbooks can also play their part by educating users about the correct use of the internet – what to
look out for and what precautions to take.
• Teachers are an excellent source of information; if a student wishes to access a new website, it is always worth
checking with the teacher first to see if it is safe to go online and access the website.

Assignement : Page 247 to 250

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