175
Exploring Your Options
An overview of using the Internet
5.375 x 8.375 ver 3.1
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
clearinghouse where all the messages are placed, like a
gigantic bulletin board.
❖Online shopping
Many Web sites offer products and services for sale.