164 Exploring Your Options
An overview of using the Internet
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Surfing the Internet
Once connected to the Internet, the Web browser displays a
home page, for example, your ISP’s home page on the
Internet or your company’s Web site home page.
To visit a desired Web site, type in the Web address. The Web
address, or Uniform Resource Locator (URL), is a unique
identifier for that computer system linked to the Internet. Web
addresses can also appear within a Web page’s text, and are
known as links. Clicking a link automatically transfers your
Web browser to that site.
You can also use a Search Engine, a Web site specifically
designed to help you look for information.
Internet features
The Internet offers many types of communication tools to
help you perform many tasks.
❖Internet email
To send and receive email of your own, you need a
mailbox on the Web, or an email address.
If you have an account with an ISP, you can probably set
up an email address at the same time as you sign up for
the service.
❖Internet chat rooms
A chat room is a Web site that offers a place where
people with similar interests and ideas can communicate
in real-time, one-on-one or in groups, by typing messages
which are instantly viewed by others on their computer
screens.
❖Internet news groups
A news group is similar to a chat room, but instead of
using a dedicated site to converse about a specialized
subject with others in real-time, it uses a Web site as a