Syllabus Focus: Unit 2 Module 2 Content 12

Specific Objective 12: use information technology tools to access and communicate withremote information sources;

Content: Tools including communication software, browsers, e-mail systems, fax, telephone, pager, computer, word processor, spreadsheet, presentation software, desktop publishing software, Internet: interactive on-line services; telnet, ftp, newsgroups, message board, mailing list, Internet telephony.______________________________________________________________________________

Information Tools on the InternetOftentimes, people who have not begun using computers and online resources find the new terms and concepts very confusing. It does not take long to gain a solid understanding of the Internet. By learning a few terms and taking the time to try them out and observe how they work, you will quickly overcome the "learning curve" associated with the Internet.

Several of the concepts essential to understanding the Internet are: World Wide Web, browser, web page, server, ftp, http, email, mailing list, chat, download and virus.

World Wide Webthe portion of the Internet accessed with a browser. This includes most of the public information on the Internet.

Browseran interface that gives access to the information and tools of the Internet, such as locating and reading the information on a web page, and using a search engine to locate information. Some

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browsers also incorporate a tool for using email, reading newsgroups, or connecting to a chat room.

Web pagelike a chapter in a book or an article in a newspaper or magazine, a web page is a text file that contains codes that instruct the browser how to display the contents of the page. Web pages can contain text, pictures, sounds, movies, and programs that run in the browser. You can create your own web page and view it in a web browser. If you store the file on a computer called a server, your page will become public and accessible to anyone with access to the Internet.

Serverthe actual computer that you connect to when you visit a web site with a browser. Anyone can set up a computer to be a server, even a small desktop computer. When many people are expected to view the pages, often a whole computer or even several computers, are devoted to being the server.

FTPstands for file transfer protocol. FTP is a program designed to upload and download files from the Internet. For example, if you wanted to create a web page for your family, when it was finished

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you would upload it to your Internet service provider''s computer, where it would become accessible over the Internet.

Httpstands for hypertext transfer protocol and is, like FTP, a communication protocol. It instructs the web browser about what kind of file is being requested so it will be displayed correctly: text, graphic, sound, or video. When you see a reference to a web site, very often you will see the prefix "http://."

Emailthe primary communication tool of the Internet. It works like written mail except that the letter (email) will be sent through the Internet electronically and the address needed is the Internet address of the person to whom we want to send the message. Messages can be sent in several seconds, making it a highly efficient tool to use when a fast response is needed.

Mailing Lista tool that lets many people participate in discussions via email. Someone sets up a list of electronic addresses of people who share a common interest, and everyone who is on the list receives messages sent to the list. It may be a list where everyone knows each other, such as a listserve for colleagues at work, or it may be an international list where anyone who asks to join the discussion is added to the list. Thousands of people may be participating, but they will not know everyone else who is reading the messages. They could be neighbors or people from around the world.

Chatsimilar to a conference room in which people exchange information, with the advantage that the participants do not have to physically travel to the meeting. In a chat session people type the information they wish to convey and the other participants see what is being typed. This is an example of synchronous communication, where there is no time delay (or very little) in sending and receiving information. All the participants must be online at the same time. Chat rooms can be accessed from the web, or through separate software.

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DownloadThis is the way programs, videos, and graphics are transferred from one computer to another. A typical scenario is the transfer of a program that you may want to copy to your computer, such as a new screen saver. You need to be careful with the download function because it can let viruses that can produce permanent damage infect your computer.

Virusa program made for a destructive purpose. These programs do not need human interaction to get activated. A virus can do things like delete the entire hard drive of a computer, forcing the user to reinstall all the software again, and lead to loss of any files saved on that computer. Viruses are constantly being produced by people with unscrupulous intentions, and therefore virus protection software needs to be upgraded frequently. The most common ways to avoid getting a computer virus are to use virus protection software, do not open email attachments from unknown senders, and do not download files from the Internet from unknown sites.

http://www.shodor.org/parentsguide/information.html

Types of Internet Communications

Posted August 05, 2005

By Vangie Beal

In this article we'll take a look at some of the most popular forms of real-time Internet-based

communications.

If you use the Internet, then you probably use Internet-based communications to contact family, friends or

co-workers.  From sending an instant message to a friend, to e-mailing co-workers, to placing phone calls,

to conducting video conferences, the Internet offers a number of ways to communicate.

The advantages of Internet-based communications are many. Since you're already paying for an Internet

account (or your employer is), you can save money on phone calls by sending someone an instant

message or by using VoIP instead of standard local telephone services. Of course, no technology is

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without a downside and Internet-based communications has plenty, such as viruses, privacy issues and

spam.

Like all technologies (and especially technology tied to the Internet), the way we can communicate online

is constantly evolving . In this article we'll take a look at some of the most popular forms of Internet-

based communications.

Instant MessagingOne of the fastest-growing forms of Internet communications is instant messaging, or IM. Think of IM as

a text-based computer conference between two or more people. An IM communications service enables

you to create a kind of private chat room with another individual in order to communicate in real-time

over the Internet. Typically, the IM system alerts you whenever somebody on your buddy or contact list is

online. You can then initiate a chat session with that particular individual.

One reason that IM has become so popular is its real-time nature. Unlike e-mail, where you will wait for

the recipient to check his or her e-mail and send a reply, if a person you want to reach is online and

available in your IM contact list, your message appears instantly in a window on their screen.

While IM is used by millions of Internet users to contact family and friends, it's also growing in

popularity in the business world. Employees of a company can have instant access to managers and co-

workers in different offices and can eliminate the need to place phone calls when information is required

immediately. Overall, IM can save time for employees and help decrease the amount of money a business

spends on communications.

While different IM clients offer slightly different features and benefits, the look and feel of an IM client is

basically the same. Public IM clients and services available include ICQ, AOL Instant Messenger (AIM),

Microsoft MSN Messenger, and Yahoo! Messenger. For businesses and enterprises looking for a more

secure method of IM, there are enterprise IM packages available such as Microsoft Live Communication

Server 2005 and IBM Lotus Instant Messaging. Third-party software is available to help businesses make

using public IM services in the workplace more secure.

Some problems and issues associated with IM include spim and virus propagation. Spim is the IM

equivalent of spam and is perpetuated by bots that harvest IM screen names off of the Internet and

simulate a human user by sending spim to the screen names via an instant message. The spim typically

contains a link to a Web site that the spimmer is trying to market. Spim is a bit more intrusive than spam

due to the nature of IM itself. These advertisements and junk messages will pop-up in your IM window

and you need to deal with the messages immediately, where with e-mail you can usually filter a lot of it

out and deal with it later. Additionally, viruses and Trojans can be spread through IM channels. These

malicious programs are usually spread when an IM user receives a message that links to a Web site where

the malicious code is downloaded. The message will appear to be from a known IM contact, which is why

recipients re more likely to click the hyperlink and download the file. Using safe chat rules (such as never

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clicking the link) and keeping an updated anti-virus program on your system will help reduce the chances

of becoming infected by malicious programs being spread through instant messaging.

Internet Telephony & VoIPInternet telephony consists of a combination of hardware and software that enables you to use

the Internet as the transmission medium for telephone calls. For users who have free, or fixed-price

Internet access, Internet telephony software essentially provides free telephone calls anywhere in the

world. In its simplest form, PC-to-PC Internet telephony can be as easy as hooking up a microphone to

your computer and sending your voice through a cable modem to a person who has Internet telephony

software that is compatible with yours. This basic form of Internet telephony is not without its problems,

however. Connecting this way is slower than using a traditional telephone, and the quality of the voice

transmissions is also not near the quality you would get when placing a regular phone call.

Many Internet telephony applications are available. Some, such as CoolTalk and NetMeeting, come

bundled with popular Web browsers. Others are stand-alone products. Internet telephony products are

sometimes called IP telephony, Voice over the Internet (VOI) or Voice over IP (VoIP) products.

VoIP is another Internet-based communications method which is growing in popularity. VoIP hardware

and software work together to use the Internet to transmit telephone calls by sending voice data in packets

using IPrather than by traditional circuit transmissions, called PSTN (Public Switched Telephone

Network). The voice traffic is converted into data packets then routed over the Internet, or

any IP network, just as normal data packets would be transmitted. When the data packets reach their

destination, they are converted back to voice data again for the recipient. Your telephone is connected to a

VoIP phone adapter (considered the hardware aspect). This adapter is connected to your broadband

Internet connection. The call is routed through the Internet to a regular phone jack, which is connected to

the receiver's phone. Special hardware (the phone adapter) is required only for the sender.

Much like finding an Internet service provider (ISP) for your Internet connection, you will need to use a

VoIP provider. Some service providers may offer plans that include free calls to other subscribers on their

network and charge flat rates for other VoIP calls based on a fixed number of calling minutes. You most

likely will pay additional fees when you call long distance using VoIP. While this sounds a lot like

regular telephone service, it is less expensive than traditional voice communications, starting with the fact

that you will no longer need to pay for extras on your monthly phone bill.

E-mailShort for electronic mail, e-mail is the transmission of messages over communications networks. The

messages can be notes entered from the keyboard or electronic files stored on disk. Most mainframes,

minicomputers and computer networks have an e-mail system. Some e-mail systems are confined to a

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single computer system or network, but others have gateways to other computer systems, enabling you to

send electronic mail anywhere in the world.

Using an e-mail client (software such as Microsoft Outlook or Eudora), you can compose an e-mail

message and send it to another person anywhere, as long as you know the recipient e-mail address. All

online services and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer e-mail, and support gateways so that you can

exchange e-mail with users of other systems. Usually, it takes only a few seconds for an e-mail to arrive

at its destination. This is a particularly effective way to communicate with a group because you can

broadcast a message or document to everyone in the group at once.

One of the biggest black clouds hanging over e-mail is spam. Though definitions vary, spam can be

considered any electronic junk mail (generally e-mail advertising for some product) that is sent out to

thousands, if not millions, of people. Often spam perpetrates the spread of e-mail Trojans and viruses. For

this reason, it's important to use an updated anti-virus program, which will scan your incoming and

outgoing e-mail for viruses.

For more information on e-mail, see "Deciphering Internet E-mail", a Webopedia Quick Reference.

IRCShort for Internet Relay Chat, IRC is a multi-user chat system that allows to people gather on "channels"

or "rooms" to talk in groups or privately. IRC is based on a client/server model. That is, to join an IRC

discussion, you need an IRC client (such a mIRC) and Internet access. The IRC client is a program that

runs on your computer and sends and receives messages to and from an IRC server. The IRC server, in

turn, is responsible for making sure that all messages are broadcast to everyone participating in a

discussion. There can be many discussions going on at once and each one is assigned a unique channel.

Once you have joined an IRC chat room (chatroom discussions are designated by topics), you can type

your messages in the public chatroom where all participants will see it, or you can send a private message

to a single participant. With many IRC clients you can easily create your own chatroom and invite others

to join your channel. You can also password protect your chatroom to allow for a more private discussion

with just people whom you invite.

Once you become familiar with your IRC client you'll find many options available to help you moderate

and take part in a channel. One problem commonly associated with IRC is lag. IRC relies on the

connections between the servers, and the connections or the servers can slow down. If you're in a

discussion and people do not respond, or you notice that people are responding to things you types several

minutes ago, then you can attribute this to lag. If you continue to experience lag, you can try connecting

to the IRC network on a different server.

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VideoconferencingVideoconferencing is a conference between two or more participants at different sites by

using computer networksto transmit audio and video data. Each participant has a video camera,

microphone and speakers connected on his or her computer. As the two participants speak to one another,

their voices are carried over the network and delivered to the other's speakers, and whatever images

appear in front of the video camera appear in a window on the other participant's monitor.

In order for videoconferencing to work, the conference participants must use the same client or

compatible software. Many freeware and shareware videoconferencing tools are available online for

download, and most Web cameras also come bundled with videoconferencing software. Many newer

videoconferencing packages can also be integrated with public IM clients for multipoint conferencing and

collaboration.

In recent years, videoconferencing has become a popular form of distance communication in classrooms,

allowing for a cost efficient way to provide distance learning, guest speakers, and multi-school

collaboration projects. Many feel that videoconferencing provides a visual connection and interaction that

cannot be achieved with standard IM or e-mail communications.

SMS & Wireless CommunicationsShort message service (SMS) is a global wireless service that enables the transmission of alphanumeric

messages between mobile subscribers and external systems such as e-mail, paging and voice-mail

systems. Messages can be no longer than 160 alpha-numeric characters and must contain no images or

graphics. Once a message is sent, it is received by a Short Message Service Center (SMSC), which must

then get it to the appropriate mobile device or system. As wireless services evolved, Multimedia

Messaging Service (MMS) was introduced and provided a way to send messages comprising a

combination of text, sounds, images and video to MMS capable handsets.

Communication on wireless devices such as mobile phones and PDAs is frequently changing. Today you

can use your wireless device to not only make phone calls, but to send and receive e-mail and IM. While

you can use e-mail, IRC or IM for free if you have an Internet account, you will end up paying fees to you

mobile carrier to use these services on a wireless device.

https://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Internet/internet_communications.asp

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faxPosted by: Margaret Rouse

WhatIs.com    A fax (short for facsimile and sometimes called telecopying) is the telephonic transmission of scanned-in printed material (text or images), usually to a telephone number associated with a printer or other output device. The original document is scanned with a fax machine, which treats the contents (text or images) as a single fixed graphic image, converting it into a bitmap. In this digital form, the information is transmitted as electrical signals through the telephone system. The receiving fax machine reconverts the coded image and prints a paper copy of the document. (https://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/fax)

TelephoneWRITTEN BY: 

David E. Borth LAST UPDATED: Jun 28, 2019 See Article HistoryAlternative Title: telephonyTelephone, an instrument designed for the simultaneous transmission and reception of the human voice. The telephone is inexpensive, is simple to operate, and offers its users an immediate, personal type of communication that cannot be obtained through any other medium. As a result, it has become the most widely used telecommunications device in the world. Billions of telephones are in use around the world. (https://www.britannica.com/technology/telephone)

pagerPosted by: Margaret Rouse

WhatIs.com

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A pager is a small telecommunications device that receives (and, in some cases, transmits) alert signals and/or short messages. This type of device is convenient for people expecting telephone calls, but who are not near a telephone set to make or return calls immediately.

A typical one-way pager fits easily in a shirt pocket; some are as small as a wristwatch. A miniature, short-range wireless receiver captures a message, usually accompanied by a beep. (This is why the device is also known as a beeper). The simplest one-way pagers display the return-call telephone number of the person who sent the message. Alternatively, a code can be displayed that indicates which of several designated parties is requesting a return phone call. Sophisticated one-way pagers can display short text messages. (https://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/definition/pager)

What Is Desktop Publishing Software?Publishing software is a crowded field with only a few standoutsby Jacci Howard Bear Updated June 03, 201972

Desktop publishing software is a tool for graphic designers and non-designers to create visual communications such as brochures, business cards, greeting cards, web pages, posters, and more for professional or desktop printing as well as for online or on-screen electronic publishing.

Programs such as Adobe InDesign, Microsoft Publisher, QuarkXPress, Serif PagePlus, and Scribus are examples of desktop publishing software. Some of these are used by professional graphic designers and commercial printing technicians. Others are used by office workers, teachers, students, small business owners, and non-designers.

The term desktop publishing software among professional designers refers primarily to high-end professional page layout software applications including Adobe InDesign and QuarkXPress.

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Desktop Publishing Software Becomes a Catch-All Phrase

Other applications and utilities often included in the desktop publishing software category are better classified as graphics, web publishing, and presentation software. Nonetheless, they play an important role in print and digital media. The DTP programs covered in this article do the core task of desktop publishing — composing text and graphics into page layouts for publishing. 

Desktop Publishing Revolution Increases Home Software Options

An explosion of consumer programs and the associated advertising hype stretched the use of "desktop publishing software" to include software for making greeting cards, calendars, banners, and other crafty print projects. This resulted in a wide range of low-end, low-cost, easy-to-use software that doesn't require traditional design and prepress skills to use. The primary page layout software applications in use by professional graphic designers and commercial printing prepress technicians are Adobe InDesign and QuarkXPress.

Who Makes Desktop Publishing Software?

The main players in the field are Adobe, Corel, Microsoft, Quark, and Serif with products that stick close to the original use of desktop publishing software for professional page layout. Additionally, Microsoft, Nova Development, Broderbund and others have produced consumer or print creativity and home desktop publishing software for many years.

Adobe makes many professional software packages used by designers. You've probably heard of Photoshop and Illustrator, for example. The company's other programs are not page layout software applications for print publishing; they are graphics software, web design software, programs for creating and working with the PDF format, all of which are important adjuncts to the publishing process. Adobe   InDesign  dominates the field of professional page layout software.

Corel is best known for its graphics suite that includes CorelDRAW and Corel Photo-Paint. In the past, it produced creative printing or home publishing programs used for desktop publishing too, but the primary page layout software from Corel is CorelDraw.

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Microsoft produces Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and various consumer graphics and creative printing programs used alone or in conjunction with other applications to do some form of desktop publishing. Microsoft's entry into page layout for print is Microsoft Publisher.

Quark has other software, but the one most closely associated with desktop publishing is QuarkXPress and its many XTensions that enhance and expand the basic capabilities of QuarkXPress.

Serif produces a suite of applications for graphics and web design. The core desktop publishing software application is Serif PagePlus.

Types of Software Used in Desktop Publishing

In addition to the sometimes fuzzy division of desktop publishing into professional, home and business categories, there are other types of software closely associated with desktop publishing. Of the four types of software for desktop publishing — word processing, page layout, graphics, and web publishing — each is a specialized tool used in publishing, but the lines are blurred.

Much of the best design software is used for both print and web and sometimes doubles as both page layout and graphics software, creative printing and business software or other combinations. (https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-desktop-publishing-software-1078923)

word processing (word processor)A word processor is software or a device that allows users to create, edit, and print documents. It enables

you to write text, store it electronically, display it on a screen, modify it by entering commandsand

characters from the keyboard, and print it. 

Of all computer applications, word processing is the most common. Today, most word processors are

delivered either as a cloud serviceor as software that users can install on a PC or mobile device.

(https://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/word_processing.html)

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SpreadsheetUpdated: 05/13/2019 by Computer HopeA spreadsheet or worksheet is a file made of rows and columnsthat help sort data, arrange data easily, and calculate numericaldata. What makes a spreadsheet software program unique is its ability to calculate values using mathematical formulas and the data in cells. A good example of how a spreadsheet may be utilized is creating an overview of your bank's balance.

Spreadsheet overview

Below is a basic example of what a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet looks like, as well as all the important features of a spreadsheet highlighted.

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In the above example, this spreadsheet is listing three different checks, the date, their description, and the value of each check. These values are then added together to get the total of $162.00 in cell D6. That value is subtracted from the check balance to give an available $361.00 in cell D8.

Difference between a workbook, worksheet, and spreadsheet

Because the terms spreadsheet, workbook, and worksheet are so similar, there can be a lot of confusion when trying to understand their differences. When you open Microsoft Excel (a spreadsheet program), you're opening a workbook. A workbook can contain one or more different worksheets that can be accessed through the tabs at the bottom of the worksheet your currently viewing. What's often most confusing is that a worksheet is synonymous with a spreadsheet. In other words, a spreadsheet and worksheet mean the same thing. However, most people only refer to the program as a spreadsheet program and the files it creates as spreadsheet files.

Examples of spreadsheet programs

Today, Microsoft Excel is the most popular and widely used spreadsheet program, but there are also many alternatives. Below is a list of spreadsheet programs that can be used to create a spreadsheet.

Google Sheets  - (online and free).

iWork Numbers  - Apple Office Suite.

LibreOffice  -> Calc (free).

Lotus 1-2-3  (discontinued).

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Lotus Symphony  - Spreadsheets.

Microsoft Excel .

OpenOffice  -> Calc (free).

VisiCalc  (discontinued).

https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/s/spreadsheet.htm

What does Presentation Software mean?

Presentation software is a category of application software that is specifically designed to allow users to create a presentation of ideas by stringing together text, images and audio/video. The presentation tells a story or supports speech or the presentation of information.

Presentation software can be divided into business presentation software and general multimedia authoring software, but most presentation software applications already provide tools that allow users to create both professional-looking business presentations and general multimedia presentations.

Presentation software is also known as a presentation program. (https://www.techopedia.com/definition/16572/presentation-software)

What does Newsgroup mean?

A newsgroup is an Internet-based discussion around an individual, entity, organization or topic. Newsgroups enable remotely connected users to share, discuss and learn about their topic of interest by exchanging text messages, images, videos and other forms of digital content. 

Newsgroups are also referred to as usenet newsgroups. (https://www.techopedia.com/definition/3202/newsgroup)

What does Message Board mean?

A message board is an online discussion area in which users with similar interests discuss topics. These conversations or discussions are available in the form of posted messages. 

Discussions are listed in a central place maintained on web pages. Message boards can be specialized or general, global or local, free or subscription-based, public or private, etc.

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Due to the simplicity and uncomplicated accessibility, message boards have become an excellent source of discussion and communication on the Internet. 

In these friendly discussion spots, members are able to view posts, post new queries or respond to existing queries posted by other members. 

A message board is also known as a forum, an online forum, and Internet forum or a discussion board. (https://www.techopedia.com/definition/23565/message-board)

What does Internet Telephony mean?

Internet telephony is a type of communications technology that allows voice calls and other telephony services like fax, SMS and other voice-messaging applications to be transmitted using the Internet as a connection medium. Software under this technology is cost-effective and convenient because it allow the user to communicate through fax, voice and video calls anywhere in the world as long as there is an Internet connection. In this way, users are able to bypass the charges that are common in traditional telephone services. However, the quality of this service is not as good as that of traditional circuit-switched networks used in traditional telephone services because it is very dependent on the quality and speed of the Internet connection.

Internet telephony is also called IP telephony or broadband telephony. (https://www.techopedia.com/definition/7783/internet-telephony)

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