UNIT 8 INTERNET AND E-MAILING

Internet and
E-mailing

Structure
8.1

Introduction
Objectives

8.2

Internet Basics
8.2.1 Key Usages
8.2.2 Internet Connectivity Options
8.2.3 Internet Protocols

8.3

Starting the Internet

8.3.1 Common Terminology
8.3.2 Browser Functions
8.3.3 Net Surfing

8.4

Searching
8.4.1 Google
8.4.2 Yahoo

8.5

E-mailing
8.5.1
8.5.2
8.5.3
8.5.4
8.5.5

Creating an E-mail Account

Checking E-mail
Sending E-mail
E-mail Attachments
Some Tips for E-mailing

8.6

Internet Chat

8.7

Summary

8.8

Answers to SAQs

8.1 INTRODUCTION
This unit familiarizes you with the basics of Internet. It also highlights the key
usages that the Internet is put to, the various options available to connect to the
Internet, the common terms associated with the Internet, and facilities available
on the Internet. It further details, how you could set up your own e-mail account
for sending and receiving mails, and use the Internet chat facility to keep in touch
with your friends, anywhere in the world.

Objectives
After studying this unit, you should be able to

identify the key usages of the Internet,

understand the various options available for Internet connectivity

along with their merits and limitations,

identify the Internet protocol used for transmitting and receiving data
over the Internet,

understand the common terminology used in context with the Internet,

use the search facility to search for, virtually any information

available on the Internet,

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create and use your e-mail account to send and receive messages, and

use the Internet chat to communicate with people in other cities and
countries.

8.2 INTERNET BASICS

In the past, computers were stand-alone systems. Transferring information from
one computer to another required media like a floppy disk or tape. Resources like
the CD-ROM drive and peripherals like printers and scanners could not be shared
across computers.
Interconnecting the computers or networking came as a welcome solution
resulting in a cost-effective way to share equipment across all connected
computers thereby helping people work collectively.
A network can be as simple as linking two computers or may consist of hundreds
and thousands of different types of computers and peripherals, connected directly
or indirectly.
The Internet is simply a series of computers, linked to one another around the
world, communicating almost instantaneously with one another. It comprises tens
and thousands of computer networks (a single network may consist of all the
computers of an office linked to each other. A larger network may be connecting
all the computers within a university premises) communicating with each other
like a big net or web! It can be termed as a network of networks. These
computer networks are physically linked with one another through telephone,
radio, cable lines, satellite, or even fiber optic.
The Internet has literally put a world of information at ones fingertips.
The Internet is the best thing that could have happened to us.
Computer Networks are available in different types :
Local Area Network (LAN)
LAN connects two or more communication devices (like computers and
printers) over a relatively short distance. LANs usually work within an
office premises, a factory or a campus where communication devices are
connected through a cable, within a distance of 2000 feet. Most LAN
networks shared medium networks, where the workstations shares and waits
for its turn to use a resource such as printer, plotter etc.
Newer terms like WLAN and Bluetooth Technology are also associated
with LAN today.
Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)
Wireless local area network provides LAN connectivity within a
small geographic area, normally within 150 meters and is typically
used where cabling is either not possible or would be very
cumbersome, for instance, you may wish to provide LAN
connectivity in an open air restaurant!
Bluetooth Technology
Bluetooth technology is a wireless medium for sharing information
across computers and other electronic devices like mobile phones,
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Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) etc, using low power radio

frequency.

Internet and
E-mailing

Wide Area Network (WAN)

WAN networks span larger areas than a single building or a campus. They
are long-haul networks covering wide geographical areas and often require
multiple communication connections like leased lines, satellites, and
microwave radio links to interconnect various LANs. LANs are usually
measured in feet, while WANs are measured in miles.
Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN)
A group of LANs connected through a high-speed, seamless
interconnection, within a metropolitan area, is termed as a Metropolitan
Area Network (MAN). The word metropolitan does not necessarily mean
a city but can be any area that is spread out, but is treated as one entity,
e.g. a company having its two buildings on the opposite sides of the road.
MAN connects users with computer resources in a geographic area that is
larger than that covered by a LAN but smaller than the area covered by a
WAN.
A recent trend includes installations of wireless MANs.

8.2.1 Key Usages

The key usages that the Internet is put to include:
Online Shopping
Online shopping is one of the biggest uses of the Net. Internet has helped in
removing all barriers of distance and nationality. Logging onto a web
portal, you can buy products and services from across the globe and pay for
the same using your international credit/debit cards. All without ever having
to step away from your office or home computer!
Online shopping has evolved from simple purchase and sale transactions to
sophisticated online bidding and auctioning. From purchasing of gum
chewed by Britney Spears to buying a state-of-art car, can all be done using
web portals like eBay.com, Bazee.com, etc.
Internet Telephony and Chatting
Till a few years ago chatting on the Internet was one of the fastest growing
uses of the World Wide Web. In a typical chat session two or more
individuals (from anywhere in the world) would log in to a chat room and
converse with each other by typing. The typed message was instantaneously
relayed on the computers of the chat room individuals. Because of its ease
of use and anonymity this was a greatly favoured medium among students,
voyeurs and housewives alike.
Some years ago some smart geeks figured out that Internet grid does not
care what you send over it. Whether it is data, voice or video its all the
same for the Net pipe. So it is no wonder, that you can now call up any
phone number in the world, through a computer based Internet line at a
fraction of a cost of a normal landline call. Improvements in connectivity
speed and proliferation of broadband has ensured that the voice and picture
quality of Internet telephony is not only as good, but sometimes even better
than that of conventional phones.
It is just a matter of time when all calls will be local calls!
Distance Education

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Because of its non-intrusive and flexible mechanism, the Internet provides a

perfect medium for knowledge sharing and information dissemination. As
with other things, Internet has removed the geographical barriers such that a
professor delivering a lecture in California can be heard and seen in realtime in Hyderabad. Students, especially those who are working, need not
now be physically present in a classroom. You can now pursue specialized
higher studies, in the comfort of your own office or home all you need is a
simple desktop and a reliable internet connection.
Sharing Music and Books
Napster.com pioneered the concept of sharing music between music lovers.
Although Napster.com is now no longer a free music site, there are
hundreds of other web clones with slight variations, who offer free
download of music.
The publishing industry has also realized the immense potential of e-books
(electronic books). No printing costs, no distribution costs, and no stocking
costs! Simply convert your paperback book into an electronic one (most
commonly an Adobe Acrobat file) and let web browsers to download this,
by making online payment at considerably reduced rates.
Banking
The banking industry was the first one to use IT in a major way to automate
operations and save costs. It was banks, who pioneered the concept of
ATMs which made the paradigm shift of outsourcing back-office work back
to the clients. In an ATM, the bank customer himself/herself feeds in his
account details instead of a bank clerk, thereby saving the bank
considerable time and money. This concept became the cornerstone for the
BPO industry especially the ITES (IT Enabled Services). Internet provides
the next logical step towards taking the bank to the doorstep of the
customer. You can now view your account details, transfer money, make
requests for cheque books and drafts, get information on new products and
services, all by accessing the banks web site.
Travel
The travel industry has been another major gainer from the Internet boom.
Whether it is the hotels, motels or inns, airlines, train companies, taxi or car
rental companies all of these have gained tremendously, by offering their
services through web sites. The customers, on the other hand, have also
greatly benefitted because they can now compare rates, make online
bookings, avail rock-bottom discounts, make last minute iternary changes,
and pay online without having to run around multiple offices. This
convenience has not only made travel more comfortable, but because of
easy access of information and bookings, expanded the travel market
substantially, by reaching out to people who would not have traveled so
often otherwise.
Bill Payments
Thanks to the government sector also for realizing the benefits of IT, it is
now possible to make online payments of public utilities like electricity,
phones, water etc. by using credit cards as a payment medium. Private
sector companies were anyway ahead in the race and so you can virtually
buy almost anything on the Net by making online payments.

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8.2.2 Internet Connectivity Options

Internet and
E-mailing

There are various options available to connect to the Internet. The commonly
used ones are explained below.
Dial-Up
Dial-up provides, connecting a device to a network using modem over the
public telephone network. Dial-up access is really just like a phone
connection, except that instead of two individuals on the two ends you have
computer devices. Since the dial-up uses the regular telephone lines, the
quality of connection is not always good. In the past, the maximum data
transfer rate over a dial-up connection was limited to 56 kbps (56,000 bits
per second). Newer technologies are providing better transfer rates.
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
ISDN, as the name suggests, is a digital communications line. It allows for
transmission of data, voice, video, and graphics, at very high speeds, over
standard communication lines. ISDN lines can carry large amounts of data,
while providing a single common interface to access digital communication
services required for varying devices, while keeping it transparent to the
end user. Owing to these features, ISDN applications have revolutionized
the way businesses communicate. ISDN is not restricted to public telephone
networks, but can use packet switched networks, CATV networks, telex etc.
Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL)
A DSL connection is a very high-speed connection that uses the same wires
as a regular telephone line. Many local companies, in addition to their
regular phone services, also provide Internet services (DSLs). DSLs are,
therefore, available in some (not all) areas where regular phone services are
available. A DSL connection has a much higher speed of connection, than a
regular dial-up connection (56 kbps) and the connection can be left open,
while you use your phone line for voice calls!
The reliability and monthly rates for a DSL connection are comparable to
that of the cable network service, but the connection speed is slower.
Leased Line
An alternative way to connect two computers is through a leased line. It is
like a private circuit between the two machines. A leased line can best be
understood, as a permanent dedicated communication link between two
points and is reserved, exclusively for the leased line purchaser.
A leased line can be a twisted pair, coax cable, or (more recently) a fibre
optic cable. Leased lines have varying data transfer rates, going up to a
speed of 1.544 Mbps. Using multiplexing techniques, these transfer rates
can be divided between voice and data.
Large companies having high Internet usage, usually go in for leased lines
since it is a more cost effective solution than the traditional one like ISDN.
Cable Internet Services
Today, in addition to the traditional cable services, most of the cable TV
companies also provide Internet services. These services come at
reasonable monthly rates, reliable and have high download transmission
and upload rates. You could contact your local cable provider to get more
information on services provided by them.
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8.2.3 Internet Protocols

Protocol defines a set of rules or code of behaviour. In the context of
networking, protocol defines a language of conventions and rules that specify
how the data will be packaged, sent and acknowledged.
Before we dwell more into the internet protocols, let us first discuss addressing.
The Internet consists of a large number of computers connected with each other
and hence, there is need of a proper addressing system. Each computer within this
network (called a host) must be uniquely identifiable. This is done by attaching a
number and a name to it.
IP Address
The Internet Protocol (IP) address is an unique number, that defines the
location of your computer, such that it is an identifiable machine within all
the computers connected to the Internet. This is a 32-bit number and is
divided into four octets. For readability purposes, humans represent these IP
addresses in a decimal notation that use periods to separate each octet. For
example, the IP address
00001010 00000000 00000000 00000010
in decimal notation separated with periods is represented as 10.0.0.2.
Since each byte is 8 bits in length, in each octet, an IP address ranges in
value from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 255. Thus, the full range of IP
addresses is from 0.0.0.0 through 255.255.255.255 which is total of
4,294,967,296 possible IP addresses.
Domain Naming System (DNS)
In a network, computers and devices can be grouped together and can be
administered as a unit with common rules and procedures, sharing a
common name. Such a group is referred to as a Domain.
Domain Naming System (or Service), commonly known as the DNS, is an
Internet service that translates domain names to or from IP addresses, which
is the actual basis of addressing on the Internet. Some examples of domain
names include Microsoft.com, Yahoo.com etc. The last three letters of the
address, provides information about the kind of organization to which the
address belongs.
Commonly used abbreviations in domain names :
Abbreviation
com

Commercial organization

org

Non-profit organizations

net

Networking organizations

gov

Government agencies

edu

Educational institutions

in

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What It Represents

Indian organization

Communication Protocol

Internet and
E-mailing

When different computers, peripherals and devices are connected in a

network they need to follow a set of standard rules for transmitting and
receiving data to avoid data collision. These set of rules and conventions are
called Protocols. The Internet uses a set of communication protocols called
the TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). These
protocols enable information to be transferred between dissimilar
computers and is, therefore, said to bind the Internet.
Technically speaking, Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet
Protocol (IP) are two distinct network protocols. They are so commonly
used together that TCP/IP has become a standard terminology to refer to
either or both of the protocols.
TCP
When two computers wish to communicate with each other reliably,
they establish a connection. This is analogous to making a phone call,
say to a friend in California. A connection is established when you
dial the number and get a response from the other side. TCP
guarantees that when data is sent from one end of the connection, it
reaches the other end in the same order. Otherwise, an error is
reported.
IP
Information in a network is transmitted in the form of packets. It is
the task of IP to send a packet from one computer to another. It,
however, does not verify that the packet actually reaches its
destination, or that it reaches error free and in the correct order.
Technically, IP corresponds to the Network layer (Layer 3) in the OSI
model, whereas TCP corresponds to the Transport layer (Layer 4) in
the OSI model (a discussion on the OSI layers is out of scope for this
Unit).

SAQ 1
(a)

State TRUE or FALSE

(i)

Internet is simply a series of computers linked to one

another around the world.

(ii)

LAN connects two or more computers over large areas

like across the city.

(iii) Bluetooth technology is a wireless medium using low

power radio frequency to share information across
devices.
(iv) TCP/IP is a set of communication protocols used by the
Internet.
(b)

What are the various connectivity options available to connect to the

Internet?

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8.3 STARTING THE INTERNET

Before you start using the Internet, it may prove useful to understand some
common terminology used in context with the Internet.

8.3.1 Common Terminology

World Wide Web (www)
Commonly known as the Web consists of Internet servers that are
connected through hypertext. Related text organized into units by the user,
that can be activated using a link, is termed as hypertext. The documents are
formatted in a language called HTML (HyperText Markup Language)
which supports links to other documents, as well as graphics, audio, and
video files. Such documents are associated with the hyperlink in such a way
that when a user clicks on the link, information on that topic is displayed.
Thus, hyperlinks allow the user to navigate from one document to another
without having to worry about the actual location of the document (which
could be the same or another server located miles away). Thus, the World
Wide Web has made it possible to share information between disparate
users, computers and operating systems.
Website
The web can be understood as a collection of thousands and millions of
information locations connected to each other. Each such location is called
a website. A website comprises web pages an electronic page like any
other computer document, created using HTML (HyperText Markup
Language). Web pages can contain pictures, sound files, videos in addition
to text, thus allowing multimedia applications.
A website can be created by an individual or an organization and is an
virtual location on the web. An Uniform Resource Locator (URL) defines
the address of a Website and is used to point to the Websites homepage.
The homepage is the first page that is displayed when the website is
accessed and serves as a reference point containing pointers or links to
additional HTML pages or links to other Web sites.
HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
HTTP can be defined as a protocol (set of rules) for exchanging text, image,
sound, video, and other multimedia files across the Internet. It typically
consists of a HTTP client program at one end, and a HTTP server program
on the other. It is the most important protocol used in the World Wide
Web.
Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
An URL defines the address of a site on the Internet. It is an abbreviation of
Uniform Resource Locator, and states the global address of documents and
other resources on the World Wide Web.
For example :
http://msoft.com/index.html
ftp://www.freesoft/loadsoft.exe
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The first part of the address indicates the protocol to be used, and the
second part specifies the IP address or the domain name where the resource
is located. Above, the first URL specifies a web page to be fetched using
the HTTP protocol, while the second URL specifies an executable file to be
fetched using the FTP (File Transfer Protocol) protocol.

Internet and
E-mailing

8.3.2 Browser Functions

Learning a few basic things about browsing the Web, such as how to use the
buttons on the Internet Explorer toolbar, will make it fast and easy for you to use
the Web.
Toolbar (Internet Explorer)

The row of buttons on top of a web browser is known as the toolbar. It

consists of various icons that can be used to execute functions. In fact, most
of the options available through the menu bar are also available through the
icons in the toolbar. Some commonly used icons are detailed below:
Back
The back button allows you to navigate to the page you viewed last.
Similarly, the forward button on the toolbar navigates to the current page
from the previous page. To see a list of the last few pages visited, click on
the down arrow button beside the Back and Forward buttons.
Stop
The stop button can be used to terminate the loading of the current page.
This is usually used when you typed the wrong URL by mistake and you
want to stop the Web Page from loading or if the webpage takes too long to
download.
Refresh
As the name suggests, the refresh or the reload button is used to load the
current webpage again. In other words, it refreshes the contents of the
current page by fetching a new copy of it.
Search
Search allows you to find information on the web. You can find information
on the web in a variety of ways :

Click the Search button on the toolbar to gain access to a

number of search providers. Type a word or phrase in the
Search box.

Type go, find, or? followed by a word or phrase in the Address

bar. Internet Explorer starts a search using its predetermined
search provider.

After you go to a Web page, you can search for specific text on
that page by clicking the Edit menu, and then clicking Find (on
this page).
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Favourites
Favourites/Bookmarks is used to record addresses of frequently visited
websites. Once a website or a web page is added to the favourites list, it can
be revisited by simply clicking on the link in the list. This saves the effort
of typing the URL, each time the user wishes to visit the same site.
As your list of favourite pages grows, you can organize it by creating
different folders. For example, you could create a folder named
Technology for storing information about sites from where you collect
some Technology related information.
To organize your favourites into folders :
(a)

Click Organize Favourites on the Favourites menu.

(b)

Click on Create Folder and press ENTER.

(c)

Drag the shortcuts in the list to the appropriate folders.

History
History is a record of all pages visited in the last few days, hours, or
minutes. Clicking on the history button displays a list of all recently visited
webpages and/or websites. To revisit any one of them, simply click on the
address.
Print
Print button is used to print contents of the current webpage.

8.3.3 Net Surfing

Net surfing is a term associated with browsing or exploring a network or the
World Wide Web to find places of interest, usually without any specific goal in
mind. It is analogous to channel surfing with the TVs remote control.
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8.4 SEARCHING

Internet and
E-mailing

You can search for information on virtually, any topic on the Internet. This is
possible by using websites, that provide a Search engine. One of the most popular
search engines is Google. Other commonly used search sites include Yahoo,
Rediff, Alta Vista, Hot Bot, AskJeeves, and Khoj.

8.4.1 Google (www.google.com)

8.4.2 Yahoo (www.yahoo.com)

Since different search engines use different algorithms, so it will give different
results for the same search criterion. The user must, therefore, know which search
engine is best suited for his/her specific query.

8.5 E-MAILING
E-Mailing is one of the most common and popular uses of the Internet. You can
send or receive mails from anywhere in the world, that too in a matter of seconds.
Through e-mail, you can send and receive any type of file image, video, sound,
and, of course, plain text. It is a very versatile and open medium, with the
advantage of being a low cost one.
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If you wish to send and receive e-mails, you will need to create an e-mail account
for yourself, using a website that offers such services. Various sites provide this
facility some charge for it while others dont. Rediff.com is one of the sites that
provide for free e-mail services. Other such sites include yahoo.com,
hotmail.com, lycos.com and many more.
Since we are interested in learning how to use e-mail, let us use services provided
by Rediff to do the same.

8.5.1 Creating an E-mail Account

Type the URL http://www.rediff.com in the Internet explorer to visit the Rediff
website. The homepage will be displayed as follows :

New User

Since you are a new user at this time, you need to Sign Up as a new user.
Click on Sign Up to create yourself as a new user. A new page will be displayed
that will allow you to select the kind of account you want Free or paid (these
differ in the storage space and additional facilities).

Click here to
Create a Free
E-mail Account

Once you click on the Sign Up Now button, Rediff displays a registration form
and requires you to fill some necessary details like a user ID, password, Name
etc.
After you register yourself on a website, you become a member and can then
simply log into your mail account using the username and password. It is,
therefore, very important to remember your username and password because
without that you cannot access your e-mail account.
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8.5.2 Checking E-mail

You can access your e-mail at any time by logging into your email.
Type the URL http://www.rediff.com in the Internet explorer to visit the Rediff
website.
Enter your Username and Password in the home page and click on the Go
button to take you to your Inbox.

Username
Password
Go

Inbox
Subject

To read an email, simply click on the subject of the mail. This will display the
actual text of the mail for you to read and take necessary action.
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8.5.3 Sending E-mail

To send e-mail, click on Write Mail. The screen that follows would look like
this :

Send

Attachments

To
In the To box, type the name of the recipient of the form
recipient@domain.com. You must enter the correct email Id of the recipient
else the message will return to you.
Cc
CC or Carbon Copy is used to send the message to more than one recipient
at the same time. Type in the mail IDs of the additional recipients in this
box (you can put more than one mail ID in this box by separating the list
with commas).
Bcc
Bcc stands for Blind Carbon Copy and is used when you wish to send the
message to multiple recipients without them being able to see the names of
other recipients. All the recipients names will remain hidden. Only you
would know the names of members to whom the mail has been sent.
Subject
The Subject box is used to specify the subject of the mail. The recipient
can get a fair idea about the mail contents by looking at the subject.
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Message Box

Is the place provided for typing in your mail message.

Once you have typed in your message, simply click on the Send button to
send the message to the recipient(s). You will get a message informing you
that your mail has been sent.

Internet and
E-mailing

8.5.4 E-mail Attachments

You can send and receive attachments with mail messages. Attachments are files
(of different types like text, sound, video etc.) attached with the mail.
Sending Attachments
To send an attachment with your mail, click on the Attachments button
while writing a new mail. A screen like below is displayed for you to attach
the necessary files.

Browse
Attach

Done

Clicking on the Browse button opens the standard files selection dialog
box. It lets you browse through the files on your disk(s) and select the file
you want to attach.

Open

Once you locate the file, click on it and then click on the Open button.
You can repeat this process if you wish to attach more than one file with
your message. Once you are done with the selection of files, click on
Attach button to attach the file to your message. Finally, click on the
Done button to return to your message. Now when you Send your
message, it is sent along with the attachments (files).
Opening Attachments
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If you receive an e-mail with attachment(s), you can view the attached files
on-line and/or save these to your disk and view them later. While reading
the received mail, clicking on the Go to Attachments button will display
the following :

Go to
Attachments
Download
Attachment

Clicking on Download Attachment will display the following screen :

To view the file without saving it, click on the Open button. The file will
open (provided your computer has the associated application installed, e.g.
MS Word if the document is a word file, MS Excel in case it is an Excel file
and so on) allowing you to view the file contents.
Alternatively, you could click on Save to save the file in the desired folder
on your disk. You can then view this file(s) whenever you wish, at a later
time.
A Word of Caution
Attachments can prove dangerous to your computer, because these can
conceal dangerous viruses or other malicious programs that may destroy the
data on your computer. It is, therefore, advisable to scan such files (using
anti-virus software) before opening them.

8.5.5 Some Tips for E-mailing

Each day millions of e-mail messages travel over the Internet. Since each of us
contributes towards the large volume of such messages and deal with a large
number of them on a daily basis, it may be worthwhile keeping the following tips
in mind :
224

Arrange your e-mails into different folders (depending on their

content). This will organize your mails into different categories, e.g.
Travel, Education, Newsletters etc. while leaving only those in your
Inbox that require immediate action.

Periodically scan your messages to delete the old messages and

preserve your e-mail account space.

Always write meaningful subject in your mails.

You can also set up e-mail filters to avoid cluttering your Inbox.
Filters are used to automatically send certain messages (by sender for
example) to separate folders.

Zip your attachments if they are very big.

Scan the attachments received before opening them.

Periodically change your password to protect your e-mail account

from unauthorized users.

Do not forward junk mails or chain letters.

Do not forget to log out of your e-mail account.

Internet and
E-mailing

8.6 INTERNET CHAT

In the earlier days, the only medium of online communication with people
residing in other cities and countries was a long distance call (STD or ISD). With
the Internet gaining popularity, options like Internet Telephony, Internet Chat are
also becoming the preferred medium of communication.
Internet Telephony (or IPT) is characterized by transportation of telephone calls
over the Internet. All you need is a microphone, earphone and special software on
your PC to talk to anyone on the Internet. This makes the telephonic conversation
very cheap and is being widely used amongst the Internet society.
Internet Chat (or IRC as it is popularly called) allows you to type in a message,
and your friend (anywhere in the world, but logged on to the Net at the same time
on the same chat site) would receive it almost instantaneously who can then
respond in the same way. Other than the difference of having to type instead of
speaking, chatting is almost as good as speaking to another person on the phone.
There are various free chat sites that you can use to communicate with other
people one of the most popular being Yahoo. You can log on to the free chat
site, go to the specific chat room where you have agreed to meet the other person,
and start chatting by typing your message.
You could go to the Yahoo site by typing the URL http://www.Yahoo.com.
Once you have done that, click on Chat from the Yahoo home page.

Chat

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You can now type in your Yahoo Id and Password and then click on Sign in (in
case you do not already have a Yahoo account, you can create one by clicking on
Sign Up for Yahoo Chat which will let you create a new Yahoo account).

Sign In
Sign Up for
Yahoo Chat

Once you are logged in you can Enter Chat Room to start chatting.

Enter Chat
Room

Clicking on this will take you into a room called Chat Central where you can
find many people chatting. You can simply jump in and start chatting. You can
also change your chat room by clicking on Change Room to get a list of chat
rooms to select from.

Change Room

Type Here and

Press the Send
Button to Chat

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Internet and
E-mailing

SAQ 2
What is the difference between E-mail and Chat?

8.7 SUMMARY
In this unit, you have studied the key usages of the Internet, the connectivity
options available to connect over the Internet, the most common Internet
protocol, and the common terminology used in context of the Internet. You have
also learnt how to search the Internet using various search engines available.
This unit also familiarized you with E-mail and Chat, the two most common uses
that the Internet is put to. It details the steps required to create your own e-mail
account thereby being able to send and receive messages to people anywhere in
the world.

8.8 ANSWERS TO SAQs

SAQ 1
(a)

(i)

True

(ii)

False

(iii) True
(iv) True
(b)

The various Internet connectivity options include:

Dial-up

Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)

Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL)

Leased Line

Cable Internet Services

SAQ 2
E-mail and Chat are popular uses of the Internet. They are both cheap and
relatively fast medium for communicating with people anywhere in the
world. The main difference between the two, is that using e-mail you cannot
communicate with people in real time. It requires, at least a couple of
minutes before reaching the intended person. Chat, on the other hand, is
instantaneous. It is as good as speaking to another person over the phone
except that you need to type the message instead of speaking.

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