How to Browse and Access Information Online

Introduction

Since we find ourselves in the Information Age, accessing information and using the internet to communicate has become inherent for almost everyone in one way or the other. This therefore implies that basic knowledge or understanding of how the internet and communication technologies work is not only useful but vital to ensuring online safety and smooth communications.

Having people do all your basic online activities for you does not only leave you vulnerable to cyber-attacks but also deprives you of your fundamental right to privacy. Hence this chapter is dedicated to teaching about some relevant knowledge in online communication.

What is the internet?

Internet refers to the global network that links computers and devices together to enable them to communicate and share resources. The internet is essentially a global network that links several smaller networks together. There are various protocols that defines how computers can communicate in a network.

What is the difference between the Internet and the Web?

While the internet is a global network that links computing devices together, the World Wide Web on the other hand is the global collection of multimedia documents and other resources for users to access and use. In simple terms, we can say that the internet is a means of connection while the web is a source of information.

How to Access and use information from the internet

A website is a collection of related web pages. Home page is the first page of a website. To access information from the web on the internet, you need the following:

1. A computing device that can access the internet
2. Source of internet connection
3. A web browser

Steps in Accessing Information from the Internet Using a URL

1. Connect a computing device to the internet
2. Launch a web browser
3. Type the URL or the destination web address into the address bar of the browser
4. Press Enter on the keyboard or click on the load button to load the content of the website
5. Navigate through the website using hyperlinks and navigational buttons on the web pages.

Steps in Accessing Information from the Internet Using a Search Engine

1. Connect a computing device to the internet
2. Launch a web browser
3. Type the keyword or phrase into the search bar or address bar of the browser
4. Press Enter on the keyboard or click on the search button to load the search results (hit)
5. Scroll through the search result and click on the best result you consider more appropriate.
6. Navigate through the website using hyperlinks and navigational buttons on the web pages

Click here to read more about how to find reliable information on the internet.

A web address consists of the following

• Colon (:)
• Slash (/)
• Question mark (?)
• Letters
• Numbers
• Dwindle (~ )
  

An example of a typical web address is https://www.velttech.org/services/

What is a Hyperlink?

A hyperlink is an icon, image or text in a document or a web page that is linked to a file, a page or an object. A hyperlink on a web page can be defined as an image, icon, text or a web page linked to another web page or a file.

HOW TO IDENTIFY A HYPERLINK

• Text that hyperlinked are usually underlined.
• Text that contains hyperlinks usually have different color.
• A hyperlinked text or image changes the mouse pointer to hand pointer arrow when selected or hovered over.