INTERNET AND E-MAIL

What is the Internet?

 It is a large no. of connected computers

(or a large set of computer networks)
linked together that communicate with
each other, over telephone lines.

 It is a worldwide computer network

connecting thousands of computer
networks, through a mixture of private &
public data using the telephone lines.

 It isa worldwide (global or an

international) network of computers that
provide a variety of resources and data to
the people that use it.

 Internet refers to a global inter-

connection of computers and computer
 networks to facilitate global information
transfer. It is an interconnection of
computers throughout the world, using
ordinary telecommunication lines and
modems.

Internetis a facility that links the Internet

users to the actual Internet documents.
Therefore, it is a system that links together
many kinds of information all over the
world. This technology allows computers
equipped with telecommunication links to
exchange information freely, and as such,
the Internet has enhanced what is being
referred to as a global village.

Internet enables companies, organizations,

individuals, schools and governments to
share information across the world.

Features of the Internet.

 The Internet is a collection of networks; it
(i).

is not owned or controlled by any single

organization, and it has no formal
management organization. However,
there is an Internet Society that co-
ordinates and sets standards for its use.
In addition, Networks have no political
boundaries on the exchange of information.

(ii). Networks are connected by Gateways

that effectively remove barriers so that
one type of network can “talk” to a
different type of network.

(iii). To join the Internet, an existing network

will only be required to pay a small
registration fee and agree to certain
standards based on TCP/IP.
 The costs are low, because the Internet
owns nothing, and so it has no real costs
to offset. Each organization pays for its
own network & its own telephone bills,
but these costs usually exist independent
of the Internet.

(iv). Networks that join the Internet must agree

to move each other’s traffic (data) at no
charge to the others, just as it is the case
with mail delivered through the
International Postal system. This is why
all the data appear to move at the cost of a
local telephone call, making the Net a
very cheap communication media.
FUNCTIONS OF THE INTERNET.

The Internet carries many kinds of traffic,

and provides users with several functions.
Some of the most important functions are:
1. Communication.
Many people all over the world use the
Internet to communicate with each other.
Internet communication capabilities
include; E-mail, Usenet Newsgroups,
Chatting and Telnet. You can send e-
mails to your friends anywhere in the
world, chat with your friends, send instant
messages, etc.

2. Information retrieval.
The Internet is a library. Thousands of
books, magazines, newspapers and
encyclopedias can be read on the Internet.

3. Easy-to-use offerings of information and

products.
You can find information for your school
assignments, buy books online, check what
the weather is like anywhere in the world,
and much more.
INTERNET SERVICES.

1.Electronic Mail (E-mail).

An E-mail is a system that enables sending
& receiving of messages electronically
through computers. It is used for
communication between organizations or
departments in the same organization.
E-mail is a quick, cheap, efficient &
convenient means of communication with
both individuals and groups.

2.Fax services.
Fax services enable individuals &
businesses to send faxes through e-mail at a
lower cost compared to the usual
international Fax charges.

3.Conference services.
Conferencing on the Web can be defined
as the dynamic exchange of all kinds of
information – text, graphics, audio, video,
etc – in a situation whereby the
conversations are organized by item and
allows a participant to contribute
spontaneous responses to any item in the
conversation.

Application of Conferencing on the Web.

The conversation can:
 Provide important information that can
assist in decision-making.
 Provide any required technical support.
 Help in community-building, project
management & distance learning.
 Help to organize electronic meetings, etc.

The Internet also allows you to have access

to various types of information you might
require to make accurate and informed
decisions, E.g., it provides information on
business, education, sports, politics, etc.

4.Chatting.

Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a chatting

system on the Internet that allows a large no.
of people from various locations of the
world who are on the computer to chat (i.e.,
simultaneously hold live and interactive
electronic conversations) among themselves.

You can join discussion groups on the

Internet and meet people around the world
with similar interests. You can ask
questions, discuss problems and read
interesting stories.

Anyone interested in chatting can join a

discussion forum on one of the listed topics.
Only people who happen to be signed on at
the same time are able to talk because
messages are not stored.

5. Information retrieval.

The Internet is a voluntarily decentralized

network with no central listing of
participants or sites. Therefore, End-users,
usually working from PCs are able to search
& find information of interest located in
different sites assisted by special software
and data stored in readily usable formats.

The Internet gives you information on

almost any subject. This is because of the
Worldwide Web (www).

The World Wide Web is a global (an

international) system of connected Web
pages containing information such as, text,
pictures, sound and video. The WWW is
hypertext based (i.e., it is able to access text
and graphical data formatted for easy search,
retrieval and display).

6. Downloading of Programs.
There are thousands of programs available
on the Internet. These programs include;
Word processors, Spreadsheets, Electronic
cards, etc.
You can therefore, look for the latest
software over the Internet, e.g., you can get
the latest Anti-virus software, and in
addition, retrieve a free trial issue.

7. Entertainment.
There are hundreds of simple games
available on the Internet. These include;
Chess, Football, etc. The Internet also
allows you review current Movies and hear
Television theme songs.

8. Online Shopping.
You can order goods and services on the
Internet without leaving your desk. E.g.,
you can view a catalogue of a certain clothes
shop over the Internet and fill in an online
Order form.
Commercial enterprises use the Web to
provide information on demand for purposes
of customer support, marketing and sales.

9.File Transfer.
Data in the form of files can be transferred
across the Internet from one site to another
using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
FTP software is needed at both ends to
handle the transfer. It is through FTP that
the two pieces of software manage to
‘understand’ each other.
10. Discussion Groups.
A Discussion group is a collection of users
who have joined together to discuss some
topic.
There are many discussions on different
topics including Cooking, Skydiving,
Politics, Education, recreational, scientific
research, etc.

11. Video Conferencing.

Video conferencing provides real-time
transmission of video & audio signals to
enable people in 2 or more locations to have
a meeting.
The fastest growing form of video
conferencing is Desktop video
conferencing.
Small cameras installed on top of each
camera enable meetings to take place from
individual offices.
Advantage of Video conferencing.

(i). Saves time & cost, as it reduces the need

to travel.

12. Access& Use of other computers.

The Internet has a facility called TELNET

that enables a user on one computer to use
another computer across the network, i.e.,
the user is able to run programs on the other
machine as if he/she is a local user.

Telnet is a protocol, which enables a user on

one computer to log in to another computer
on the Internet.

TELNET establishes an error-free, rapid link

between two computers, allowing a user to
log on to his/her home computer from a
remote computer even when traveling. You
can also log on to and use third-party
computers that have been made available to
the public.

TELNET will use the computer address you

supply to locate the computer you want to
reach and connect you to it. You will, of
course, have to log in & go through any
security procedures you, your company, or
the third-party computer owner have put in
place to protect that computer.

Telnet requires an application image

program on the Client computer and an
application layer program on the Server of
the host computer

13. Electronic Commerce.

Many people are actively using the Internet
for Electronic Commerce (i.e., doing
business on the Internet).
The use of the Internet in E-commerce is not
necessary for making money as such, but
mainly to find information, improve
communication and provide information.
Many people automatically focus on the
retail aspect of e-commerce, i.e., selling
products to individuals. However, this is
just one small part of e-commerce. The
fastest group and the largest segment of e-
commerce is business-to-business settings.
There are 4 ways in which the Web can be
used to support E-commerce;

(i). Electronic Store.

Electronic Store is a Website that lists all
the products or services a business wishes
to sell, thus enabling customers to
purchase them by using the Internet itself.
(ii). Electronic Marketing.
E-marketing sites focus on the products or
services of one company with aim of
increasing sales. This type of site supports
the sales process, but does not make
actual sales. The goal is to attract and
keep customers.
Computers also use e-marketing sites to
provide newsletters with information on
the latest products and tips on how to use
them. Other companies enable potential
customers to sign up for notification of
new product releases.
E-marketing is cheaper in many ways
than traditional marketing (radio, direct
marketing, TV or print media).

(iii). Information / Entertainment provider.

The Information/Entertainment provider
supplies information (in form of text or
 graphics) or entertainment. These
providers provide information from many
sources with an aim of helping the users.
Several radio and TV stations are using
the Web to provide broadcast of audio and
video. The Web also offers new forms of
real entertainment e.g., enables new
multiplayer interactive games, which are
not available in any other media. The
information / entertainment providers
generate revenue by selling advertisement
printouts.

(iv). Customers Service sales.

This provides a variety of information for

customers after they have purchased a
product or service – to allow customers
access most commonly needed
information 24 hrs a day.
 Many software companies post updates
that fix problems so that customers can
download for themselves.
Customer service sites benefit both the
company and the customers. They enable
customers to get a 24 hr support and easy
access to needed information.

Information Superhighway.
In general, the Information superhighway
can be defined as;
 A facility that provides a global
electronic data interchange between
computer users at a higher rate of message
exchange, and at cheaper costs. E.g., the
Internet that allows researchers,
businesses, and electronic media to
exchange information.
 An Information Communication
Technology (ICT) network, which delivers
all kinds of electronic services – audio,
 video, text, and data to households and
businesses.
The communication services on the
superhighway can be one-to-one way
(Telephones, e-mail, fax, etc); one-to-many
(Broadcasting, interactive TV, video
conferencing, etc), many-to-many (typified
by bulletin boards and forums on the
Internet).

Importance of services provided on the

Internet.
The services offered by the Internet can be
used as important tools in various ways:
1). As a research tool:
To learn about new developments or
products, competitors, market news and
customer opinions.
2). As an advertising / trading tool:
 To help in selling goods or delivering
information through the Web pages to
customers on a 24-hour basis.

3). As a communication tool:

To support communication with
customers, suppliers or staff through
Electronic mail (e-mail).
4). As an Entertainment channel:
Most of the Games, Movies, and
Television theme songs are available for
free on the Internet.
In addition, you can have live, interactive
conversations with people around the
world including celebrities.

Users of the Internet.

Considering the facilities & the various tools
offered, the Internet has attracted among
others the following users;
 Researchers can get information.
 Writers and Scientists use the Internet to
compile, compare and analyze their work.
 Individuals use the Internet for their work
or to communicate with each other.
 People with the same interests can share
ideas.
 Large organizations use the Internet to
communicate with each other, and also to
keep in touch with subordinate
(subsidiary) companies or their suppliers.
 Students can communicate and gather
information.
 Business people can advertise,
communicate and sell their goods.
 Sales people use the Internet to keep in
touch with their home offices.
 Buyers can do their shopping online.

Intranet
Intranet is defined as private
network of computers within an
organization with its own server
and firewall. Moreover we can
define Intranet as:
 Intranet is system in which
multiple PCs are networked to
be connected to each other. PCs
in intranet are not available to
the world outside of the
intranet.
 Usually each company or
organization has their own
Intranet network and
members/employees of that
company can access the
computers in their intranet.
 Every computer in internet is
identified by a unique IP
address.
  Each computer in Intranet is
also identified by a IP Address,
which is unique among the
computers in that Intranet.

Benefits
Intranet is very efficient and
reliable network system for any
organization. It is beneficial in
every aspect such as collaboration,
cost-effectiveness, security,
productivity and much more.

Communication
Intranet offers easy and cheap
communication within an
organization. Employees can
communicate using chat, e-mail or
blogs.
Time Saving
Information on Intranet is shared in
real time.
Collaboration
Information is distributed among
the employees as according to
requirement and it can be
accessed by the authorized users,
resulting in enhanced teamwork.
Platform Independency
Intranet can connect computers
and other devices with different
architecture.
Cost Effective
Employees can see the data and
other documents using browser
rather than printing them and
distributing duplicate copies
among the employees, which
certainly decreases the cost.
Workforce Productivity
Data is available at every time and
can be accessed using company
workstation. This helps the
employees work faster.
Business Management
It is also possible to deploy
applications that support business
operations.
Security
Since information shared on
intranet can only be accessed
within an organization, therefore
there is almost no chance of being
theft.
Specific Users
Intranet targets only specific users
within an organization therefore,
once can exactly know whom he is
interacting.
Immediate Updates
Any changes made to information
are reflected immediately to all the
users.
Internet vs. Intranet
Apart from similarities there are
some differences between the two.
Following are the differences
between Internet and Intranet:
Intranet Internet

Localized Network. Worldwide

Network

Doesn't have Have access to

access to Intranet Internet.

More Expensive Less Expensive

More Safe Less Safe

More Reliability Less Reliability

Extranet
Extranet refers to network within
an organization, using internet to
connect to the outsiders in
controlled manner. It helps to
connect businesses with their
customers and suppliers and
therefore allows working in a
collaborative manner.
Issues
Apart for advantages there are
also some issues associated with
extranet. These issues are
discussed below:
Hosting
Where the extranet pages will be
held i.e. who will host the extranet
pages. In this context there are
two choices:
  Host it on your own server.
 Host it with an Internet Service
Provider (ISP) in the same way
as web pages.
But hosting extranet pages on your
own server requires high
bandwidth internet connection
which is very costly.
Security
Additional firewall security is
required if you host extranet pages
on your own server which result in
a complex security mechanism and
increase work load.
Accessing Issues
Information cannot be accessed
without internet connection.
However, information can be
accessed in Intranet without
internet connection.
Decreased Interaction
It decreases the face to face
interaction in the business which
results in lack of communication
among customers, business
partners and suppliers.
Extranet vs. Intranet
The following table shows
differences between Extranet and
Intranet:
Extranet Intranet

Internal Internal
network that network that
can be can not be
accessed accessed
externally. externally.

Extranet is Only limited

extension of users of a
company's company.
Intranet.

For limited Only for

external communicatio
communicatio n within a
n between company.
customers,
suppliers and
business
partners.

E-mail
Email is a service which allows us
to send the message in electronic
mode over the internet. It offers an
efficient, inexpensive and real time
mean of distributing information
among people.
E-Mail Address
Each user of email is assigned a
unique name for his email account.
This name is known as E-mail
address. Different users can send
and receive messages according to
the e-mail address.
E-mail is generally of the form
username@domainname. For
example,
[email protected] is
an e-mail address where
webmaster is username and
tutorialspoint.com is domain name.
 The username and the domain
name are separated by @
(at) symbol.
 E-mail addresses are not case
sensitive.
 Spaces are not allowed in e-mail
address.
E-mail Message Components
E-mail message comprises of
different components: E-mail
Header, Greeting, Text, and
Signature. These components are
described in the following diagram:

E-mail Header
The first five lines of an E-mail
message is called E-mail header.
The header part comprises of
following fields:
FROM
The From field indicates the
sender’s address i.e. who sent the
e-mail.
DATE
The Date field indicates the date
when the e-mail was sent.
TO
The To field indicates the
recipient’s address i.e. to whom
the e-mail is sent.
SUBJECT
The Subject field indicates the
purpose of e-mail. It should be
precise and to the point.
CC
CC stands for Carbon copy. It
includes those recipient addresses
whom we want to keep informed
but not exactly the intended
recipient.
BCC
BCC stands for Black Carbon Copy.
It is used when we do not want one
or more of the recipients to know
that someone else was copied on
the message.
GREETING
Greeting is the opening of the
actual message. Eg. Hi Sir or Hi
Guys etc.
TEXT
It represents the actual content of
the message.
SIGNATURE
This is the final part of an e-mail
message. It includes Name of
Sender, Address, and Contact
Number.
Advantages
E-mail has prooved to be powerful
and reliable medium of
commmunication. Here are the
benefits of E-mail:
Reliable
Many of the mail systems notify
the sender if e-mail message was
undeliverable.
Convenience
There is no requirement of
stationary and stamps. One does
not have to go to post office. But
all these things are not required
for sending or receiving an mail.
Speed
E-mail is very fast. However, the
speed also depends upon the
underlying network.
Inexpensive
The cost of sending e-mail is very
low.
Printable
It is easy to obtain a hardcopy of
an e-mail. Also an electronic copy
of an e-mail can also be saved for
records.
Global
E-mail can be sent and received by
a person sitting across the globe.
Generality
It is also possible to send graphics,
programs and sounds with an e-
mail.
Disadvantages
Apart from several benefits of E-
mail, there also exists some
disadvantages as discussed below:
Forgery
E-mail doesn’t prevent from
forgery, that is, someone
impersonating the sender, since
sender is usually not authenticated
in any way.
Overload
Convenience of E-mail may result
in a flood of mail.
Misdirection
It is possible that you may send e-
mail to an unintended recipient.
Junk
Junk emails are undesirable and
inappropriate emails. Junk emails
are sometimes referred to as
spam.
No Response
It may be frustrating when the
recipient does not read the e-mail
and respond on a regular basis