Writer's Choice Grade 6

Unit 27: Electronic Resources

Overview

The Internet has changed the way we live, think, and communicate. To access the Internet you need a computer, a modem, an Internet Service Provider (ISP), and a browser. A modem is a device that allows a computer to communicate and share information with other computers over telephone or cable lines. An ISP provides a service, for a fee, that allows your computer to dial into the Internet. A browser is a software program that displays Web pages on your computer.

While online you can send e-mail, read and post to message boards, and visit Web sites. E-mail lets you send messages to anyone in the world with a click of a button. Message boards are places where you can read or write messages about subjects that interest you. A Web site is a page, or a collection of pages, created by a person, a company, or an organization. A Webmaster is the person who is in charge of building and maintaining a Web site.

Today, what most people refer to as the Internet is actually only a part of the Internet called the World Wide Web. Through the World Wide Web you can access millions of different Web sites. So, how do you know whether the information on a Web site has been accurately posted by someone trustworthy? Perhaps the site was recommended by a reliable person or reference book. If not, you should always check the source of the information and the site's sponsor. One way to check the trustworthiness of a site's author is to look at its domain name, which is the second part of its URL, or Internet address.

Search engines help you locate information on the Internet by searching for keywords. A subject directory lists general topics that are broken into subtopics. Each subtopic may lead to even more specific topics or to Web sites. Once at a Web site's home page, or opening page, you may use hyperlinks to take you to a new page or a related Web site. If you want to keep track of your favorite reliable sites, bookmark them.

E-mail is fast and messages can sometimes come across much more harshly than intended. Users should follow the principles of good Internet etiquette, or Netiquette. For example, using all capital letters is considered SHOUTING, and should be avoided. Use "smileys," or emoticons, to show emotion in your e-mail messages. Sometimes you will receive spam, or junk e-mail. If you receive e-mail from someone whose e-mail address you do not recognize, show it to an adult.

If you want to save e-mails or files you have created on your computer, you back them up using a digital storage device. CD-ROMs and DVDs are examples of digital storage devices that make it easy to store and share large amounts of information.

CD-ROM stands for Compact Disc-Read-Only Memory, or text or audio-visual data that has been prerecorded. DVDs, or Digital Video Discs, can store up to six times as much data as a CD-ROM.!

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