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Exploring Your Computer’s Features
An overview of using the Internet
❖ Internet chat rooms
A chat room is a Web site that offers a place where people with
similar interests and ideas communicate in real-time, one-on-
one or in groups, by typing messages which are instantly
viewed by others on their computer screens.
❖ Internet news groups
A news group is similar to a chat room, but instead of using a
dedicated site to converse about a specialized subject with
others in real-time, it uses a Web site as a clearinghouse where
all the messages are placed, like a gigantic bulletin board.
❖ Blogs
A blog is an online journal where an individual, group, or
corporation can offer a record of activities, thoughts, or beliefs.
Materials are mostly written, but videos, audio, and images are
widely used elements as well. Some blogs present original
material, while others operate mainly as news filters, bringing
in various online sources and adding short comments and
Internet links. They may also provide a forum to encourage
visitors to leave comments and to interact with the publisher.
❖ Message boards
A Message board is a script on a Web site with a submission
form that allows visitors to post messages (called “threads” or
“posts”) on that Web site for others to read that pertain to a
particular subject, and unlike blogs, are generally short
messages. These messages may be sorted within discussion
categories, or topics, chosen by the host, or even the visitor. A
message board may also be called a “Web board” or a “forum.”
❖ Online shopping
Many Web sites offer products and services for sale.
Uploading to, and downloading files from, the Internet
Transferring files from one computer to another is termed
uploading (transferring data from your computer to a site on the
Web), or downloading (transferring data from a site on the Web to
your computer).
There are several ways to upload or download data. It can be as
simple as attaching a file or document to an email, or you can use
the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) features of your Web browser to
transfer large amounts of data.