Chapter 2 The Internet, the Web, and Electronic Commerce

The Internet, the Web, and Electronic Commerce. The internet and the web :  The Internet was launched in 1969 when the United States funded a project that developed a national computer network called (ARPANET).  The Internet is a large network that connects together smaller networks all over the globel.  The web,( also known as the World Wide Web or WWW), was introduced in 1991.  The web made it possible to include these elements. It provided a multimedia interface to resources available on the Internet. Generations of web : 1- Web 1.0: focused on linking existing information. In this generation search programs, like Google Search, were created to provide links to websites containing specific words or phrases. 2- Web 2.0, In 2001, the second generation evolved to support more dynamic content creation and social interaction. Facebook is one of the best-known Web 2.0 applications. 3- Web 3.0 is the current generation. It focuses on applications that automatically prepare personalized content for users. Difference between intenet and web :  The Internet is the physical network. It is made up of wires, cables, satellites, and  rules for exchanging information between computers connected to the network. Being connected to this network is often described as being online. The Internet connects millions of computers and resources throughout the world. The web is a multimedia interface to the resources available on the Internet. The most common uses of internet and web : • Communicating is by far the most popular Internet activity. You can exchange e-mail, photos, and videos with your family and friends from almost anywhere in the world. • Shoppi g is one of the fastest-growing Internet applications. You can window shop, look for the latest fashions, search for bargains, and make purchases. • Searching for information has e e ee o e o e ie t. You a a ess so e of the o ld’s largest libraries directly from your home computer. You can find the latest local, national, and international news. • Education or e-learning is another rapidly emerging web application. You can take classes on almost any subject. • E tertai games. e t options are nearly endless. You can find music, movies, magazines, and computer 5 Internet Access When provided with a connection to the Internet, you can use a browser program to search the web.  Providers The most common way to access the Internet is through an Internet service provider (ISP). The providers are already connected to the Internet and provide a path or connection for individuals to access the Internet. -Some of the best-known providers in the United States are: AT&T, Comcast, Sprint, TMobile, and Verizon. -Connection technologies : telephone lines, cable, and/or wireless connections.  Browsers are programs that provide access to web resources. - This software connects you to remote computers; opens and transfers files; displays text, images, and multimedia; and provides in one tool an uncomplicated interface to the Internet and web documents. - Four well-known browsers : Apple Safari, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox. For browsers to connect to resources, the location or address of the resources must be specified. These addresses are called uniform resource locators (URLs). All URLs have at least two basic parts: 1- Protocol used to connect to the resource, protocols are rules for exchanging data between computers. The protocol https is used for web traffic and is one of the most widely used Internet protocols 2- Domain name. It indicates the specific address where the resource is located. The last part of the domain name following the dot (.) is the top-level domain (TLD). Also known as the web suffix, it typically identifies the type of organization. * Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), a markup language for displaying web pages. The browser interprets the HTML formatting instructions and displays the document as a web page. 6 Technologies used to provide highly interactive and animated websites: • Cascading style sheets (CSS) control the appearance of a web page. CSS help ensure that related web pages have a consistent presentation or look. Netflix uses CSS to visually connect all its web pages. • Ja aS ript to trigger interactive features, such as opening new browser windows and checking information entered in online forms. - The Microsoft search engine Bing.com uses JavaScript to make its website more interactive and to assist its users by auto-filling search requests as they type content into the search box. • AJAX, an advanced use of JavaScript, is used to create interactive websites that respond quickly. Google Maps uses AJAX to make the maps fast loading, dynamic, and interactive. • Applets to display graphics, provide interactive games, and much more. For example, many of the online games at Yahoo! Games are JAVA applets.  Special browsers called mobile browsers are designed to run on portable devices.  special navigational tools are required to conveniently view web content. The Apple iPhone, fo e a ple, e a les ou to pi h o st et h the s ee ith t o fi ge s to zoom web content in and out. Web Utilities Web utilities are specialized utility programs that make using the Internet and the web easier and safer. Four types : 1- Plug-ins are programs that are automatically started and operate as a part of your browser. • A o at Reade f o Ado e—for viewing and printing a variety of standard forms and other documents saved in a special format called PDF • Flash Pla e f o • Qui kTi e f o Ado e—for viewing videos, animations, and other media. Apple—for playing audio and video files. • Wi do s Media Pla e f o more. Mi osoft—for playing audio files, video files, and much -note: So e of these utilities a e i luded i a of toda ’s owsers and operating systems. Others must be installed before they can be used by your browser. 7 2- Filters block access to selected sites. Usage :1) Filter programs allows to block out selected sites and set time limits. 2) Generate reports detailing the total time spent on the Internet and the time spent at individual websites. 3- File transfer utility, allows you to download and upload files.  Downloading : you can copy files to your computer from specially configured servers.  Uploading :You can copy files from your computer to another computer on the Internet. Three types of file transfare utility: I. File transfer protocol (FTP) and secure file transfer protocol (SFTP) copy files to and from your computer across the Internet, used for uploading changes to a website hosted by an Internet service provider. II. Web-based file transfer services make use of a web browser to upload and download files.(dropbox.com) III. BitTorrent distributes file transfers across many different computers for more efficient downloadsA single file might be located on dozens of individual computers. When you download the file, each computer sends you a tiny piece of the larger file, making BitTorrent well suited for transferring very large files.( Unfortunately, BitTorrent technology often has been used for distributing unauthorized copies of copyrighted music and video). 4- Internet security suite is a collection of utility programs designed to maintain your security and privacy while you are on the web. Uasge : control spam, protect against computer viruses, provide filters, and much o e. T o of the estk o I te et se u it suites a e M Afee’s Internet Security a d S a te ’s No to I te et Se u it Communication At a personal level :friends and family can stay in contact with one another even when separated by thousands of miles. At a business level: electronic communication has become a standard way to stay in touch with suppliers, employees, and customers. 8 Types of Internet communication: 1) E-mail or electronic mail is the transmission of electronic messages over the Internet. A typical e-mail message has three basic elements: header, message, and signature. - The header appears first and includes : • Addresses: the person or persons to whom the e- ail is se t. The fi st pa t is the use ’s name and the second part is the domain name, which includes the top-level domain. The top-level domain indicates that the provider is an educational institution. • Subject: A one-line description, used to present the topic of the message. Subject lines typically are displayed when a person checks his or her mailbox. • Attachments: Many e-mail programs allow you to attach files such as documents and images. If a message has an attachment, the file name typically appears on the attachment line. -The letter or message comes next. - Finally, the signature ide tifies the se de . This i fo atio a i lude the se de ’s a e, address, and telephone number.  For many business communi atio s, the sig atu e also i ludes the se de ’s company name, address, and telephone number. There are two basic types of e-mail systems: • Clie t-based e-mail systems require a special program known as an e-mail client to be installed on your computer. Before you can begin e-mailing, you need to run the e-mail client from your computer, which communicates with the e- ail se i e p o ide . E a ple: Apple’s Mail a d Mi osoft’s Outlook. • We -based e-mail systems do not require an e-mail program to be installed on your o pute . O e ou o pute ’s o se o e ts to a e-mail service provider, a special program called a webmail client is run on the e- ail p o ide ’s o pute a d the ou a egi e- aili g. This is k o as e ail. E a ple: Google’s G ail, Mi osoft’s Hot ail, a d Yahoo!’s Yahoo!Mail. 9  For individual use, webmail is more widely used because it frees the user from installing and maintaining an e-mail client on every computer used to access e-mail. With webmail, you can access your e-mail from any computer anywhere that has Internet access. Spam is unwelcome and unsolicated e-mail that may include a computer virus or destructive programs often attached to unsolicated e-mail. Spam blockers/ filters : are programs that identify and eliminate spam. 2) Messaging Two of the best known are text messaging and instant messaging.  Text messaging, also known as texting or SMS (short message service), is the process of sending a short electronic message, typically less than 160 characters, using a wireless network to another person, who views the message on a mobile device such as a smartphone. you can now send images, video, and sound using a variation of SMS known as MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service).  Instant messaging (IM) allows two or more people to contact each other via direct, live communication. You can then send messages directly back and forth to one another. Most instant messaging programs also include video conferencing features, file sharing, and remote assistance. Two of the most popular instant messaging services are Facebook Messenger and Google Hangouts. 3) Social networking - is one of the fastest-growing and most significant Web 2.0 applications. -Social networking sites focus on connecting people and organizations that share a common interest or activity. * Three of the best known are Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn.  Facebook was launched in 2004. By 2008 it was the most widely used social networking site. Facebook provides a wide array of features and applications including instant messaging, photo and video sharing, games, and much more. There are three basic categories of Facebook users: individuals, businesses, and communities. Individuals create Facebook Profiles, which may include photos, lists of personal interests, contact information, and other personal information. Businesses create Facebook Pages to promote products and services. Public figures such as politicians and entertainers frequently use Facebook Pages to connect to their constituents and fans. Communities of individuals who share a common interest often create Facebook groups. These groups allow a number of people to come together online to share information and discuss specific subjects.  Google+ also known as Google Plus, was launched in 2011. It is a combination of so e of Google I .’s p e iousl e isti g se i es ith so e e se i es. These new services include Circles for grouping individuals according to common interests or other criteria and Hangouts for communicating with up to 10 people at a time. 10  LinkedIn started in 2003 and has become the premier business-oriented social networking site. Although not nearly as large as Facebook or Google+, it is the largest social networking site focusing on business professionals. LinkedIn provides tools to maintain business contacts, develop extended business networks, research individual businesses, search for job opportunities. 4) Blogs, Microblogs, Webcasts, Podcasts, and Wikis Web 2.0 applications that help ordinary people communicate across the web . offer greater flexibility and security Blogs or web logs,created by individuals to keep in touch with friends and family.Often, readers of these sites are allowed to comment. Some blogs are like online diaries with personal information, there are also group blogs with multiple contributors. - Some businesses and newspapers also have started blogging as a quick publishing method. Several sites provide tools to create blogs. Two of the most widely used are Blogger and WordPress. A microblog publishes short sentences that take only a few seconds to write, rather than long stories or posts like a traditional blog. Microblogs are designed to keep friends and other contacts up to date on your interests and activities. The most popular microblogging site, Twitter, enables you to add new content from your browser, instant messaging application, or even a mobile phone. webcasts and podcasts deliver media content such as music and movies over the Internet to your computer. 1) Webcasts use streaming technology in which audio and video files are continuously downloaded to your computer while you are listening to and/or viewing the file content. After a webcast has been completed, there are no files remaining on your computer. YouTube.com. 2) Podcasts do not use streaming technology. Before a podcast can be run, the media files have to be downloaded and saved to your computer. Once downloaded, the files can be run to listen to music or watch a movie as often as you would like. Podcasts are widely used to download music, tutorials, and educational training. A wiki is a website specially designed to allow visitors to use their browser to add, edit, or delete the site’s o te t. Wikis suppo t olla o ati e iti g i hi h the e is ’t a si gle e pe t autho , ut rather a community of interested people that builds knowledge over time. Ex: Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia, written and edited by anyone who wants to contribute, that has millions of entries in over 20 languages. 11 Search Tools  a number of organizations called search services operate websites that can help you locate the information you need. Search services maintain huge databases ,The information stored at these databases includes addresses, content descriptions or classifications, and keywords appearing on web pages and other Internet informational resources. spiders :Special programs continually look for new information and update the search services databases. search engines :search services provide special programs that you can use to locate specific information on the web.  Search engines are specialized programs that assist you in locating information on the web and the Internet. The search engine compares your entry against its database and returns a list of hits, or sites that contain the keywords .  Specialized search engines focus on subject-specific websites. Specialized sites can potentially save you time by narrowing your search.  Content Evaluation Search engines are excellent tools to locate information on the web. Be careful, however, how you use the information you find. To evaluate the accuracy of information you find on the web, consider the following: I. II. III. IV. Authority. Is the author an expert in the subject area? Is the site an official site for the information presented? Accuracy. Has the information been critically reviewed for correctness prior to posting on the web? Objectivity. Is the information factually reported, or does the author have a bias? Currency. Is the information up to date? 12 Electronic Commerce also known as e-commerce, is the buying and selling of goods over the Internet. Electronic commerce is fast-growing and widely used in part because it provides incentives for both buyers and sellers.  Advantages :  F o the u e ’s pe spe ti e, goods a d se i es a e pu hased at a ti e of da o night from any location that has an Internet connection.  F o the selle ’s pe spe ti e, the osts asso iated ith o i g a d ope ati g a etail outlet can be eliminated.  Disadvantages:  the i a ilit to p o ide i ediate deli e of goods, the i a ilit to t purchases, and questions relating to the security of online payments. o p ospe ti e Electronic commerce involves two parties: businesses and consumers. There are three basic types of electronic commerce: o Business-to-consumer (B2C) commerce involves the sale of a product or service to the general public or end users. It is the fastest-growing type of e-commerce The three most widely used B2C applications are for online banking, financial trading, and shopping.( Amazon.com) o Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) commerce involves individuals selling to individuals. C2C often takes the form of an electronic version of the classified ads or an auction. Web auctions are similar to traditional auctions except that buyers and sellers seldom, if ever, meet face to face. Sellers post descriptions of products at a website, and buyers submit bids electronically. (eBay.com) o Business-to-business (B2B) commerce involves the sale of a product or service from one business to another. This is typically a manufacturer-supplier relationship. For example, a furniture manufacturer requires raw materials such as wood, paint, and varnish. Security The two greatest challenges for e-commerce are (1) developing fast, secure, and reliable payment methods for purchased goods. (2) providing convenient ways to submit required information such as mailing addresses and credit card information. The two basic payment options are by credit card and by digital cash:  Credit card purchases are faster and more convenient than check purchases. Credit card fraud, however, is a major concern for both buyers and sellers.  Digital cash is the I te et’s e ui ale t to t aditio al ash. Bu e s pu hase digital cash from a third party (a bank that specializes in electronic currency) and use it to purchase goods. Sellers convert the digital cash to traditional currency through the third party. Although not as convenient as credit card purchases, digital cash is more secure. 13 Cloud Computing  Application programs are owned by individuals or organizations and stored on their o pute s ste ’s ha d disks .  Cloud computing uses the Internet and the web to shift computer activities f o the use ’s computer to other computers on the Internet.  cloud computing frees users from owning, maintaining, and storing software and data. It provides access to these services from anywhere through an Internet connection. The basic components of cloud computing are clients, the Internet, and service providers.  Clients are corporations and end users who want access to data, programs, and storage. This access is to be available anywhere and anytime that a connection to the Internet is available. End users do not need to buy, install, and maintain application programs and data.  The Internet provides the connection between the clients and the providers. Two of the most critical factors determining the efficiency of cloud computing are  the speed a d elia ilit of the use ’s a ess to the I te et .  The I te et’s apa ilit to p o ide safe a d elia le t a s issio of data and programs.  Service providers are organizations with computers connected to the Internet that are willing to provide access to software, data, and storage. These providers may charge a fee or may be free. For example, Google Drive Apps provide free access to programs with apa ilities si ila to Mi osoft’s Wo d, E el, a d Po e Poi t. The Internet of Things  (IoT) is the continuing development of the Internet that allows everyday objects embedded with electronic devices to send and receive data over the Internet. A Web 3.0 application can (1) access the Fitbit data, (2) combine that data with other data on the web, (3) process the data, and (4) send information back to another device. -Five types: 1) desktop :small enough to fit on top of or alongside a desk yet are too big to carry around. 2) laptop (notebook): portable and lightweight and fit into most briefcases. 3) tablet: smaller, lighter and generally less powerful than laptops, have a flat screen but typically do not have a standard keyboard, it use a visual keyboard 4) smartphones : most widely handheld computers. Cell phones with wirless conections to thr internet and processing capabilities. 5) wearable devices : like apple's watch. 14 Personal computer hardware Physical equipments : 1- system unit : a container that houses most of the electronic components that make up a computer system. * Two important component of the system unit are: 1)microprocessor: controls and manipulates data to produce information. 2) memory: holding area for data, instruction, and information. One type, randomaccess memory (RAM) holds the program and data that is currently being processed, this referred to as temporary storage, because it content will typically be lost if the electric power to the computer is disrupted. 2- input/output: input devices translate data and programs that humans can understand into a form that the computer can process, like keyboard and mouse. Output devices translate the processed information from the computer into a form that humans can understand, like monitor. 3- secondary storage: holds data and programs even after electric power to the computer system has been turned off. Most important types : A- hard disk : used to store programs and very large data files. using rigid metallic platters and read/write heads ,data and information are stored using magnetic charges on the desk's surface. B- solid-storage: Relia le / does ’t ha e o i g pa ts/ e ui e less po er. Saves data and information electronically, but not volatile. C- optical discs: use laser technology to store data and programs. - three types : 1- compact discs (CD's). 2- digital versatile/video discs (DVD). 3-blu-ray discs (BD) 4- communication : using communication devices a personal computer routinely communicates with other computer systems located near or faraway , using internet. -Modem : is a widely used communication devices that modifies types of data into a form that can be transmitted across the internet. 15 5- Data: raw, unprocessed facts , including text ,numbers, images ,and sounds. -Processed data becomes information. Four types of files: 1)document files: word perocessor / to save documents such as memos, term paper,and letters. 2) worksheet files:electronic spreadsheets/ to analyze things like budgets and to predict sales. 3)database files: by database managment programs /to contain highly structured and organized data. 4) presentation files: by presentation graphics programs / to save presentation materials. 6- Connectivity and the mobile internet : - Connectivity : is the capability of your personal computer to share information with other computers. - network : is a communications system connecting two or more computers. - the largest network in the world is the internet , It is like a giant highway that connects you to millions of other people and organizations located throughout the world. - web: provides a multimedia interface to the numerous resources available on the Internet. -The Internet has driven the evolution of computers and their impact on our daily lives. Along with the Internet, three things that are driving the impact of technology on our lives are: 1- cloud computing: shift a o pute a ti ities f o a use ’s computer to computers on the Internet. Rather than relying solely on their computer, users can now use the Internet to connect to the cloud and access more powerful computers, software, and storage. 2- wireless communication: The rapid development and widespread use of wireless communication devices like tablets, smartphones, and wearable devices has led many experts to predict that wireless applications are just the beginning of the wireless revolution 3- The Internet of Things: is the continuing development of the Internet that allows everyday objects embedded with electronic devices to send and receive data over the Internet. 16