The Web (Copied from Cengage Publishing)

Role of the Web in Daily Life

The web, originally known as the World Wide Web, has changed the way people access information,
conduct business transactions, and communicate.

Terms:
• A webpage is an electronic document that can contain text, graphics, sound, video, and links
to other webpages.
• A collection of webpages makes up a website
• Browser, an app designed to display webpages
• Uniform resource locator (URL), an address that identifies the location of the webpage on
the Internet

• Top-Level Domain -In a web address, the three-letter extension after the period indicates a
top-level domain (TLD), such as the “com” in “cengage.com”. Popular TLDs in the U.S.:

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Identify Types of Websites

Web portal--A web portal, or portal, is a website that combines pages from many sources and
provides access to those pages.

Web app-which are apps you can run entirely in a browser, for example Microsoft 365, Google Docs

o In a web app, data is usually stored in Cloud Storage

See Reading 2.2 for Pros and Cons of Web Apps

Components of Web Page

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Secure and Insecure Websites

Encryption- is a security method that scrambles or codes data as it is transmitted over a network so it
is not readable until it is decrypted.

An encrypted website displays https instead of http in the URL. The “s” in https stands for
“secure,”

Search Engine or Search cite - A database such as Google that compiles a database of information
about webpages using programs called spiders or crawlers, that comb the web to find webpages and
add new data about them to the database.

Query—entering a search term with keywords - words that best describe what you want to find

Search Tool finds online information based on criteria you specify

You can also refine a web search by using search operators, also called Boolean operators, which
are characters, words, or symbols that focus the search. For example, you can type computer* to
search for computer parts, computer parts, computer hardware, computer system, etc.

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Evaluate Online Information Covered in the Library Website overview

• Credibility - Identify the author of the webpage and check their credentials.
• Accuracy - Verify its facts and claims. Consult an expert or use fact-checking sites to find
professionally researched information. Check to see if the source has a bias and evaluate the
information with the bias in mind. Be wary of web addresses that contain slight modifications of
legitimate sites, use unusual domain names, or have long URLs.
• Reasonableness - Identify the purpose of the webpage. Is the page designed to provide facts
and other information, sell a product or service, or express opinions? Does it offers more than
one point of view. Does the website contain emotional, persuasive, or bias? Look for a conflict of
interest.
• Support - Look for links or citations to reputable sources or authorities. Look for quotations from
experts. Did the website give credit for photos or other reproduced content?

Gathering Content from Online Sources - follow ethical guidelines and be aware of ownership
rights to avoid legal, academic, and professional sanctions and be a responsible member of the
online community.

Intellectual property rights, which are legal rights protecting those who create works such as
photos, art, writing, inventions, and music.

Copyright gives authors and artists the legal right to sell, publish, or distribute an original work.

Digital rights management (DRM), which are techniques such as authentication, copy protection, or
encryption that limit access to proprietary materials for illegal distribution. For example, how many
times can you legally download Microsoft Office from the CCBC Microsoft 365 website?

Software license - Specifies the number of devices or people/users authorized to use the software,
any expiration dates, and other restrictions.

Piracy - the Illegal copying of software, movies, music, and other digital materials.

Public domain means that the item, such as a photo, is available and accessible to the public
without requiring permission to use and therefore not subject to copyright

Fair use doctrine allows you to use a sentence or paragraph of text without permission if you include
a citation to the original source.

Ethical Use - Part of information literacy involves the ethical use of the information you find on the
web. When you use the Internet for research, you face ethical decisions.

Ethics is the set of moral principles that govern people’s behavior. Many schools and other
organizations post codes of conduct for computer use, which can help you make ethical decisions
while using a computer.

Plagiarism using the work or ideas of someone else and claiming them as your own without citation.

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