Human Experiences
A Glossary of Basic Internet Terms for Qualtrics
A Glossary of Internet Terms
The Internet is a big part of daily life, from chatting with friends to researching school projects. It connects people, businesses, and information across the world in just seconds. But to use the Internet effectively, it helps to understand the words and phrases that describe how it works. From websites and browsers to data and security, these terms shape the way we experience the online world. Besides helping you have a better grasp of how the Internet keeps everything running behind the scenes, understanding these terms can help you use the Internet more easily and safely.
Basic Internet Terms
Browser: When you're surfing the Web, a browser is the software that lets you visit and interact with different websites.
Domain: The unique name that identifies a website on the internet, such as "example.com," is its domain.
E-mail: Short for "electronic mail," email is an electronic messaging system that allows people to send and receive text, files, and images over the Internet.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP): FTP is a technology used to transfer files from one computer to another online, allowing users to upload or download data.
Homepage: The homepage is the first page of a website, often serving as the main entry point to other pages.
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP): HTTP is the set of rules that enables Web browsers and servers to communicate and display websites.
Internet Protocol (IP) Address: An IP address is a unique string of numbers assigned to every device connected to a network, allowing it to send and receive data over the Internet.
Link: A link is a clickable piece of text or image that connects you to another Web page or online resource.
Telnet: Telnet is an older network protocol that allows users to remotely access other computers through text-based commands.
Uniform Resource Locator (URL): A URL is the full Web address you type into a browser to visit a specific Web page.
Web Page: A single digital document on the Internet, containing text, images, videos, and/or links, is a Web page.
Website: When you visit an online collection of related pages under a single domain, you're exploring a website.
- Introduction to Internet Terminology
- Basic Terms Related to the Internet
- Difference Between HTTP and HTTPS
- What Is Telnet?
Research and the Web
The Internet is a go-to place for research because it's packed with useful information. However, not everything online is trustworthy: Since anyone can post anything they want online, there's no built-in fact-checking, meaning that a lot of what you find could be inaccurate or even intentionally misleading. Unlike books or magazines, which go through editors before being published, many websites have no quality control. This means that you have to be careful to determine whether a site is reliable before you trust the information you find. While librarians can help you if you're doing online research at a library, it's important to know how to tell facts from opinions on your own. Understanding different types of websites makes it easier to find credible sources and strengthens your research.
Types of Websites
Advocacy Sites: These sites are created to support a specific cause or belief, aiming to spread awareness, influence opinions, or encourage action.
Business/Marketing Sites: Companies use these websites to showcase their products or services, attract customers, and build their brand.
Counterfeit Sites: These are fake websites designed to trick visitors, often by imitating real businesses in order to steal people's money or personal information.
Informational Sites: These websites focus on sharing knowledge, covering topics like science, history, or technology. Reliable sources for informational sites can include universities and government agencies.
News Sites: Designed to report on current events, these websites provide updates on politics, business, sports, and entertainment, sometimes in real time. Credible news sites report objective facts without bias.
Personal Sites: Personal sites are created by individuals to share their thoughts, hobbies, experiences, or creative work with others online.
- Informational Websites and How to Cite Them
- Types of Websites
- Types of Websites According to Purpose, Cost, and More
Browsers
A Web browser is a required piece of software for exploring the Internet, letting you search for information, view websites, and watch videos. The browser's primary job is to fetch and display files from remote servers. Browsers can also connect with other tools like email, Telnet, and FTP for additional functions. Some of the most popular browsers include Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari.
Chrome
Chrome is a popular Web browser built by Google that's known for its simplicity, speed, and extensive customization options.
Edge
Edge is a Microsoft product that integrates with Windows and includes built-in security features.
Firefox
Firefox is a customizable, open-source browser made by Mozilla that emphasizes privacy, security, and speed.
Opera
Opera, offered by the company of the same name, is a browser with a built-in ad blocker and VPN.
Safari
Safari is the default browser for Apple devices, offering speed, security, and seamless integration with macOS and iOS.
- Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, or Safari?
- What Is a Web Browser?
- Internet Basics: Using a Web Browser
- The History of Web Browsers
- Lessons From the Browser Wars
- Microsoft Internet Explorer Dies at 26
Search Engines
Search engines help users find information on the Internet by scanning and organizing Web pages into a searchable database. They work using special programs known as spiders or robots, which crawl websites and collect data. Since there are many search engines out there, learning how to use them all would take a lot of time, but understanding the best ones can make online research much easier. Choosing the right search engine and knowing how to refine your searches can greatly improve your results. These tools fall into different categories, including general search engines, subject-specific ones, and meta-search engines that pull results from multiple sources.
General Search Engines
General search engines create their own indexes and search through a single database. They cover a broad range of information, but some offer better results than others. A well-known example is Google.
Meta-Search or Multi-Threaded Search Engines
Unlike general search engines, meta-search engines search multiple search engines at the same time. This allows them to access more layers of Web content. However, they come with drawbacks, such as limited control over search settings and incomplete results.
Search Techniques
To get the most accurate search results, it's important to use effective strategies. Start by understanding the features of your chosen search engine, as each one has different tools and settings. Clearly defining your topic will help narrow down results and avoid irrelevant information. Keep in mind that no search engine is perfect: Some websites may not be indexed, and results can be incomplete. With so much information available, learning to filter and scan sources carefully is essential. Using advanced search methods, like Boolean operators and keyword variations, can improve accuracy. And relying on multiple search engines instead of just one can increase the chances of finding the best information.
- Search Engines
- Meet the Seven Most Popular Search Engines in the World
- How Do Search Engines Work?
- How to Properly Use a Search Engine
- 20 Alternative Search Engines to Google
- Understanding Customer Experience