Tecchilaw - 7. Using Internet for Information and Communication

A network that consists of two or more computers can be considered as a computer network. The internet is an extra-large network with a large number of such computer networks. There are millions of computers on the internet.

At present, students can expand their knowledge by using resources like information, videos, images about any subject area by connecting to the internet.

They are many service rendered by the internet apart from providing educational knowledge. The ability to obtain information quickly on any incident in the world is one such service.

The uniform resource locator is the address used to identify one resource among the huge number of resources in the World Wide Web. The uniform resource locator is also known by its short name URL.

e:g: https:www.moe.gov.lk

Given above is the uniform resource locator or the address of the website of the ministry of Education.

With this website address, the Ministry of Education of Sri Lanka can be identified among many websites in the www.

In order to identify secured and unseceered websites separately different methods are used. The main two methods are given below.

Video conferencing is known as conducting discussions using video technology on the internet between two persons or a two groups who are geographically located at a distance from each other.

Advantages of conducting video conferencing

The initaial cost of conducting conferences can be minimized.
There is no need to travel to the location of the conference and therefore there is no tranport cost or waste of time.
It can be quickly arranged.

E-mail is electronic letters which are electronically exchanged between two people or among several people who have an e-mail address. Many things such as letters, photos, videos and documents can be sent as messages through e-mail.

E-mail Account

First, a suitable service providing website should be selected to create an e-mail account. In most cases such websites provided free e-mail accounts.

The characteristics of E-mail

🐝The ability to send copies of one e-mail message to several people at once.

🐝When the letter couldn't be sent properly to the relevant e-mail account, it is notified with a reply message.

🐝The ability to save e-mail addresses and retrieve them with the address book.

🐝The time and date of the sent e-mail is automatically entered to the copy of the e-mail.

🐝The ability to forward an e-mail message to another person.

🐝The ability to attach data or information file easily into the e-mail (a photo, a document).

Given below is a model of an e-mail window.

In the e-mail address saman@edupub.gov.lk, saman in the user name. @ symbol is used to connect the username to the other part. edupub.gov.lk after @ symbol is the domain name. .lk means it is an e-mail address in Sri Lanka.

Examples

E-mail address of Amara - amara@yahoo.com
E-mail address Nayana - nayana@gmail.com
E-mail address Meena - meena@yahoo.com

Given below are e-mail addresses mentioned in To, Cc and Bcc of an e-mail message created to send a greetings message.

To: amara@yahoo.com

Cc: nayana@gmail.com

Bcc: meena@yahoo.com

Here, Meena can see both e-mail addresses of Amara and Nayana. Nayana can only see the e-mail address of Amara. Similarly, Amara can only see Nayana's is e-mail address.

HTML (hyper text markup language) is the language used to create web pages. It has its own codes and a webpage is created by using these codes. Given below are several basic codes used in html.

A simple text editing software could be used to enter html codes to create web pages.

E:g:. notepad

Here, among the <title> codes, a suitable name for the web page should be used.

It appears on the title bar of the web page. Here what is mentioned in <body> _ <body> section is visible in the web page.

All codes should be written between '<' and '>' symbols. In most html codes, there is a beginning and an end. To indicate an ending code '/' symbol should be used.

e:g:

<title> beginning

end - <title>

The following table contains examples of how html codes are used to create a web page. The first column indicates the use of html codes and the second command indicates how it is visible in the web page.

Let's protect ourselves from hacking

🐝Safeguarding the accounts on the internet by using usernames and passwords.

🐝Protect the computer or the mobile phone used to enter the internet by using a username and a passwords.

🐝Protect the files, folders and programmes by using passwords.

🐝Encrypt the hard disk of the computer.

🐝Service used to access internet should be protected by using a username and a password.

🐝Keep back ups of data and information in the computer.

🐝Update the facilities such as antivirus software used for safety.

Protection from Virus Attacks

A virus is a type of malware software. (Revise the facts you learnt about malware software in lesson three).

🐝Install antivirus software and update it regularly.

🐝If the internet is used, use safe websites.

🐝Refrain from using black listed websites shown by antivirus software.

🐝Refrain from clicking on pop-up windows.

🐝Refrain from opening suspected emails and attachments.

Software Piracy

(Here, we have paid our attention to several measures that can be taken when using software)

🐝Study the licence agreement before installing a software.

🐝When buying a software, purchase them from a trusted company.

🐝If you download a software, use the website of the production.

🐝Obtain the help and advice of a knowledgable person when purchasing, downloading or installing a software.

Cyber bullying

🐝On websites such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.

🐝By short messages sent via SMS.

🐝Through instant messages : Applications and social media websites that provide instant message services. By e-mails

Stealing data which shows the identity of a person

Examples for data that indicate the identity of a person.

Name

Address

Telephone

Brithday

When the internet is used most of these stealings are done by accessing the computer or the tasks done by the user without his or her permission.

Examples for the misuse of data related to personal identity.

Precaution is important when working online using the internet. Several measures that can be taken are given below and they are already discussed under different topics.

🦜Update the antivirus software installed in the computer.

🦜Install the latest edition of the web browsers and update them regularly.

🦜Set the settings as to turn on automatic updates so that new updates of malware software and operating systems (windows 8 and 10) are enabled in the computer.

🦜Use a strong password: A password with at least eight letters should be used.

🦜Here it's better to contain simple letters, capital letters, numbers and special characters, ($, *, # ,@) eg: kanDY#4599 Protect the wifi router with a password to provide security to the internet connection.

🦜Be careful about phishing attacks.