A Brief Guide to using the
Internet: What is the Internet? (Ref: PacLII 2007)

The Internet is a large computer network linking smaller computer networks worldwide. This network allows information to be transferred between computers and allows anyone with access to the Internet to find information from millions of different sources around the world. The Internet is a vast source of information that is constantly changing and expanding.

The most popular free Internet service is the World Wide Web (WWW). The WWW allows people to look at information easily by using ‘Hyper Text Transfer Protocol’ (HTTP). HTTP is a set of rules for exchanging information on the Internet. It performs the ‘search and retrieve’ functions for information. Each page of information on the WWW has its own unique address, which makes it possible for individual users and Internet search engines to find information. Within the hypertext on www pages are ‘hyperlinks’: text or images which, when clicked on with a mouse, will let the user move from webpage to webpage. Once you are connected to the Internet, you can use an Internet ‘browser’ to look for information on the WWW. A browser is a program that lets you locate and view webpages. The most widely used browser is Internet Explorer.