Working with Internet

• Start your computer.

• Sign on to your internet provider: at home, if you use a:

  • Modem : this means that you will have to let your computer dial into your ISP and establish a connection by following your providers instructions.

  • DSL, Broadband, or Cable: your computer is always connected to the ISP and the Internet, so you don't have to do anything special to go on line.

• Find the icon for Microsoft Internet Explorer (a blue lower case E). After you connect with the ISP and click on it. This will open your Internet Explorer browser.

• The first page that is displayed is called the Homepage.

• Look for the bar that says File, Edit, View: open each drop down menu to see what is inside.

• Look for the bar that says Address: type a web page address and click go to go to a web page.

• Look for the blue buttons that point Back or Forward using an arrow.

  • Use the Back or Forward button to go to other pages you have opened.

  • Use the drop down arrow to the immediate right of the Forward arrow to chose from a multiple set of pages.

• Look for the little house: this will get you back to the Homepage.

• Look for the button that looks like revolving arrows: this will refresh the page you are on.

• Find the word Favorites in two places: if you like a web page, put the web address in Favorites so you can return to the page without typing the address in the address bar.

• Find a place on the web page where the arrow turns to a hand. This is a hyperlink that will let you link to another web page.

Search Engines are used to find items of interest on the Internet. They are like giant card catalogs in a library. You will type a request for information into the search bar to process the request for information: Google, MSN, Yahoo, Ask have search engines on the website Homepage. We will use Google for this lesson.

Print a copy of exercise

• The web address for Google is: http://www.google.com/

• Look at the Address Bar. Type the web address for Google. (Make sure you include the http://)

• Type the following: http://www.google.com

• Press the Enter key on the key board to go to Google

• Searching for something:

  • In the search bar, type a word or words describing what you want to find. We are going to look up information about Scottish fold cats.

  • In the Search dialog box type: Scottish fold cats

  • Click Search

  • The search page opens and displays all the references to Scottish fold. Notice that there are many hundreds. Click on the first reference and you will be taken to the page on Scottish fold cats.

  • When there are too many references to view, you can refine your search. For example: you might want to view : Scottish fold cats and kittens. 

• Many websites have their own search engines.

• This is my homepage:  http://www.vweb-consult.net

• Here are some additional Search Engine web addresses:

  • http://www.google.com/

  • http://www.msn.com/

  • http://www.yahoo.com/

  • http://www.ask.com/

  • http://www.webcrawler.com

  Make sure you add these into your Favorites

  Exploring More Web Links:

• Find the Mail icon on the Hotmail! homepage and click it.

• This will take you to the Sign In page.

• Find the Email Address white dialog boxes on the right side of the page. You will find two boxes: User ID and Password: Contact instructor for user id and password.

• Click in the User Name box to make sure the blinking cursor is in it.

• Type a Hotmail ID in the first box. Use the Hotmail email address name you were given in class.

• Click on the Password dialog box to make sure the blinking cursor is in it.

• Type the Hotmail email password and click Sign In button.

• This will take you to your Hotmail email homepage.

• Click on Inbox to get your email.

• Click on Compose to write an email.

Back to Index

Remember: You can access the class account by going to www.hotmail.com and clicking on Mail. Sign In to the account using the user name and password for the class account: You will be able to read messages sent to this account.