Concepts Associated with the Internet and Intranet

Electronic Mail

Electronic Mail (E-Mail) - An application that allows people to send messages via
their computers on a network or over the internet.

Advantages of electronic mail

1. Cheaper than ordinary mail

2. No need to go to the post office
3. Speed
4. The same message can be sent to a group of people simultaneously
5. Files and graphics can be sent in compressed form

Disadvantages of electronic mail

1. Cannot send money

2. Cannot send legal documents
3. Personal touch is lost
4. Email can be used to send viruses

Bulletin board
Online communication system: a computer-based forum used by an interest group to allow
members to exchange e-mails, chat online, and access software.

News groups
Internet discussion group: a discussion group maintained on a computer network such as the
Internet in which people leave messages on topics of mutual interest for other participants to read

IRC (Internet Relay Chat)

IRC stands for Internet Relay Chat. IRC is a multi-user, multi-channel chat system that is run on
a network. It gives people all over the world the ability to talk (type) to one another in real time.
Each user has a nickname (handle) and converses with other users either in private or on a
channel (chat room).

Telnet - A protocol that allows terminal emulation capabilities

Terminal Emulator - a program that allows a computer to act like a (particular brand of)
terminal for a host computer. E.g. xterm is a terminal emulator for the X Window System.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) - A protocol that permit the transferring of files between
computer systems.

WWW (World Wide Web) - A collection of computers and servers connected together sharing
data and information spanning geographical or intercontinental boundaries. They support the use
of documents formatted with HTML.

Web Browser - is a program that allows a user to view HTML documents.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) - a standardized system for tagging text files to achieve
font, color, graphic, and hyperlink effects on World Wide Web pages. Hypertext Markup
Language is the standard markup language for creating web pages and web applications. With
Cascading Style Sheets and JavaScript, it forms a triad of cornerstone technologies for the World
Wide Web.

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) - HTTP is the underlying protocol used by the World
Wide Web and this protocol defines how messages are formatted and transmitted, and what
actions Web servers and browsers should take in response to various commands.

Web Page - A document on the World Wide Web, consisting of an HTML file and any related
files for scripts and graphics, and often hyperlinked to other documents on the Web

Web Site - A set of interconnected Web Pages, usually including a homepage, generally located
on the same server, and prepared and maintained as a collection of information by a person,
group, or organization.