Using the Internet Internet for Development

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Using the InternetInternet for Development

• by Taholo Kamifor UNESCO"These materials have
  been produced with support from UNESCO.
  Theauthor is responsible for the choice and
  presentation of the facts inthe materials and
  for the opinions expressed therein, which are
  notnecessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit
  the Organization."

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Outline

• Using the Internet
• Email
• World Wide Web
• Finding Information
• History
• Governance of the Internet

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World Wide Web Words

• Browser - the software interface used to display
  information from the web on your computer. Common
  browsers are Internet Explorer by Microsoft and
  Netscape Navigator
• URL Universal Resource Locator or web address /
  domain also known as Domain Name
• http//www.yourname.com
• Search Engine Searchable databases on Internet
  that compile information from web pages enabling
  users to search vast amounts of data on one
  database.

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More WWW Words

• Cyberspace Virtual world for electronic
  communications associated with the Internet.
• Internet Service Provider (ISP) a supplier of
  Internet access services usually your local
  telecom or other source to the Internet
• Universal Access is equitable and affordable
  access by all citizens to information
  infrastructure via the Internet and other
  communications mediums

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Email

• Using the Internet to send and receive messages
  and files electronically.
• The killer application or most popular use of
  the Internet.
• Instant communications where cost is not
  determined by distance.
• Replacing formal letters and faxes / cutting
  costs.
• Language is informal and less emphasis on
  structure

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Email Applications

• Email networking with mailing lists or list
  serves (yahoogroups.com).
• Informal groups
• Professional networks
• Email web surfing / file retrieval
• Get web (www.healthnet.org)
• Email distribution - empowering information
  providers in existing networks.

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Some Email Issues

• Security
• Assume all files are accessible to service
  provider
• In many Pacific countries before Government LANs
  were introduced many Government departments used
  the commercial ISP provider for all email
  services
• Use encryption if security is an issue.
• Careful with private / personal messages.
• Email may be legally binding
• Limitations
• Email may seem abrupt - be sensitive to receivers
  perspective.
• IF upset wait awhile before sending email reply.
• Reread before sending ANY email since mistakes
  are common

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World Wide Web

• Visual text, images, video on webpages.
• Ability to interact with viewer allows for
  feedback and transactions
• Trillions of webpages online
• Dead Pages
• Hobbies, Personal information, Communities
• Shopping, Advertising, Services
• news, journals, academic papers, forums
• directories / portals etc etc.

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Finding Resources Online

• Portals
• www.yahoo.com - General Directory on whole
  Internet
• www.sidsnet.org - Directory on Islands
  Development Issues
• www.fijivillage.com - Directory on Fiji issues
• Search Engines some common search engines
• www.Google .com
• www. Lycos.com
• www.altavista.com, www.hotbot.com

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Quick Search Hints

• Try one or two search Engines
• Use Combinations of keywords and put them in
  inverted commas - this refines the search
  criteria
• From the search results select sites which are
  more likely to have good information sources.
• Use links from the better websites on your
  subject instead of going back to search engine -
  Good sites within area of interest will have
  better links to resources in that field.

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Time Line

• 1969 ARPANET
• Military Funding and setup by researchers
• Packet Switching replaces circuit Switching
• The ability for computers to talk to each other
  over distance and multiple connections
  irrespective of local interface / model
• Cooperation amongst core group of developers in
  several organizations

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Time Line.

• 1971 First Email
• Email drove initial use
• Early assumptions - 256 networks sufficient for
  foreseeable future.
• 1992 WWW - CERN and MOSAIC browsers with images.
• 1994 Netscape - commercialization of Internet
  applications.

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Today

• 3-400 million users
• Web sites
• June 93 130
• June 94 2738
• Dec 94 10,022
• June 95 23,500
• June 96 252000
• June 00 15m

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Internet Governance

• Department of Defense coordinated early Internet.
  
• John Postel and later other organizations
  controlled assignment of names.
• Single registry.
• 1992 Contract given to Network Solutions
• Internet Assigned Names Authority (IANA)
  allocated IP address.

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Wild West Who makes the rules ?

• No one was prepared for Internet explosion 1994
  onwards.
• First come first serve basis with distribution of
  domain names.
• Network solutions becomes huge monopoly.
• 1998 ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned
  Names and Numbers
• ICANN allows multiple registrars for domain names

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ICANN

• Setup by US Government
• To establish competition in domain name
  registration
• To develop and maintain Internet standards
  applied equally around the world, across economic
  social boundaries.
• 19 Board members - 9 elected from membership.