Contents
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What is the Internet? ................................................................................................. 2
Types of Information you can access...................................................................... 2
Moving through a Web page .................................................................................... 3
Hyperlinks .................................................................................................................. 3
Internet Browsers ...................................................................................................... 4
Internet addresses (URLs) ........................................................................................ 7
Communicating Using the Internet .......................................................................... 8
Searching the Web .................................................................................................. 10
A Basic Search ........................................................................................................ 10
Searching with Google ........................................................................................... 10
Evaluating Websites ............................................................................................... 11
What you can find on the library website! ............................................................ 13
Commonly used Internet terms ............................................................................. 14
City of Kingston Information and Library Service, 96 Parkers Road, Parkdale, Victoria,
Australia 3195 Telephone 1300 135 668
Printed 13 February 2016
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What is the Internet?
The Internet stands for INTERnational NETwork . It is simply millions of computers linked
across the world by telecommunications - telephone lines, cables, satellites, optic fibres,
etc. This means that countries with well established communication systems are better
able to take advantage of the Internet.
The Internet was originally set up in the 1960s for use by the US Department of Defense
to decentralize its network of computers. In the 1980s, universities began using the
system for transmitting data and educational resources.
Since the development of the World Wide Web in 1991, the use of the Internet has
expanded rapidly. This has enabled the transfer of photos, videos and sound, as well as
text and made it much easier to send information around the world.
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Types of Information you can access
The Internet provides access to a wide variety of information contributed by people
throughout the world. On the Internet, a user can access:

Documents, such as business plans, fact sheets, supplier catalogues, legislation
and statistics.

Electronic books, journals and newspapers for news and current awareness.

Databases, such as Telephone directories, Census data and commercial
databases.
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Software and multimedia resources such as films and music.

Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube.
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Moving through a Web page
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Use the scrollbar on the right side of the web page to move down or up through
the web page.
Use the horizontal scrollbar on the bottom on the page, to move from side-toside.
Or you can use the vertical arrow keys, located on the computer keyboard, to
move down or up through the web page.
Menus
Status
Indicator
Toolbar
Address Field
Scroll Bar
Content Area
Status Message
Field
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Hyperlinks
On an Internet page, images, words or anything else can be set as a link. Web links are
also commonly known as hyperlinks. Hyperlinks are underlined or bordered words and
graphics that have web addresses embedded in them.
Hyperlinks are the basis of the Web’s versatility. By clicking a hyperlink, you jump to a
particular page in a web site, or to a different Web site altogether. By clicking on a
hyperlink you are “surfing the web”.
How do I know if I have found a hyperlink?
Kingston Library Service
Kingston Library Service
non-hyperlink
hyperlink
Any time you see the mouse arrow pointer change to a pointing finger it signals a link
(hyperlink) you can follow by clicking on it. When you click, the colour of the link changes.
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Internet Browsers
An Internet browser is a software program that you use to access the Internet and view
web pages on your computer. It converts HTML (computer language) into text and
graphics for you to view on the screen. Some common internet browsers include: Internet
Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.
Internet Explorer
Mozilla Firefox
Google Chrome
FireFireFirefox
FireFireFirefox
Browsers allow you to move back and forwards between web pages, store a list of your
favorite sites, and refresh information on the screen.
INTERNET EXPLORER BUTTONS
BACK & FORWARD
These two buttons let you move between Web screens. The Back button returns you to
the previously displayed page, usually the most recent page. Once you have moved back,
the Forward button takes you one page ahead. If you are looking at the most recently
displayed page, the Forward button will be inactive. An inactive button is grey.
STOP
The STOP button stops the browser from loading the current page. A great saver if you
click when you didn’t mean to!
REFRESH
All popular browsers have a button of this type. Some call it Reload, some Refresh, but
they all mean the same thing. Pressing the Refresh or Reload button asks the Internet to
send you the most up to date version of the screen at which you are currently looking.
It is also useful for looking at sites where information is frequently updated, like the latest
share prices or sporting results. Some sites may indicate that they refresh automatically.
HOME
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After you surf around on the web, you may want to go back to the site where you started.
Click on Home. It will take you to the browser’s preset home page. If you are using a
computer in the library, “Library Internet Policy Page” will be displayed when you click
Home.
FAVOURITES
Favorite is the name used by Internet Explorer for a place where the Internet address of
useful sites can be saved for later use.
To add a page to your collection of favourite pages:
1.
Go to the Web page you want to add to your collection of favorite pages.
2.
On the Favorites menu, click Add to Favourites.
3.
Type a new name for the page if you want to.
4.
To open one of your favorite pages, click the favorites menu on the toolbar, and
then click the page you want to open.
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5.
The same thing can be done by using the Favorites button which is designated
by a yellow star.
TEXT SIZE
This allows you to change the size of the text on the screen. The text size can be made
larger or smaller by selecting View, then Text Size and selecting the desired size from the
six options.
PRINT
Lets you make a paper copy of the current web page loaded in your browser.
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PRINT PREVIEW
When you click on Print Preview, you will be shown how a web page will look when you
print a paper copy. It is a good idea to use this before printing a web page.
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Internet addresses (URLs)
An Internet address (sometimes called an URL or Uniform Resource Locator or web
address)
 Every resource available via the World Wide Web has a unique address.
 When you are viewing a web page, the page's address appears in the Address
field in the browser.
.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au
Country code
World Wide Web
Domain name
Domain type
An Internet address typically starts with the “www” or “http” followed by the name of the
organization, a domain name: a suffix which identifies the kind of organization it is, and a
country code (US sites do not have country codes). Australia’s country code is au.
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Some of the major domain types that you will encounter:
Address Suffix
Organization type
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.com / .co
.edu / .ac
.net
.org
.gov
.mil
commercial
colleges and universities
network providers
non-government organizations
government
military
3 STEPS TO ENTERING A WEBSITE ADDRESS (URL).
1. Click in the address bar.
2. Type the website address in. Addresses are not case sensitive. Parts of the
address are separated by full stop or slashes, with no spaces. You do not have to
type the text http:// - this appears automatically. An address can be typed over by
highlighting the text in the address bar.
3. Press the Enter button.
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Communicating Using the Internet
The Internet offers a great alternative to conventional methods of communication. It allows
us to communicate quickly and easily with friends and family from anywhere in the world.
The most common and widely used method of communication using the Internet is Email.
E-mail allows you to electronically send a letter directly to other people and organizations.
To use e-mail you will need the following:
1. a web address for your service provider (e.g. www.hotmail.com)
2. your unique ID and password (you get this when you set up an accountyour email address to give to other people who wish to communicate with you. Your email address will look similar to: superstar@hotmail.com
Free web-based email services:
Name
Hotmail
Google Mail
Yahoo Mail
Website address
www.hotmail.com
www.gmail.com
www.mail.yahoo.com
Social networking sites – are websites that allow people to interact with other users.
These websites are a virtual community for people interested in sharing information or just
to "hang out" together. Two popular sites are www.facebook.com and
www.myspace.com.
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This year Kingston Library Service has launched its own social network site
Kingstonlibraries.net. Sign up to share your favorite books, DVDs or music and to keep
up to date about what's on at your library.
Blogs – are websites that allow people to set up their own personal pages or “blogs” on
the site, which act like personal diaries. Blogs may include descriptions of events and
things along with materials such as photos or video. A poplar blogging site is
www.blogger.com
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Searching the Web
There are several ways of getting to a web page:
1. Typing in the exact address
2. Searching for the web site or information, usually on a Search Engine
3. “Surfing” - clicking on hyperlinks and finding sites by chance.
Search Engines and Search Directories
Search Engines are computer programs (called robots or spiders) that constantly review
information put on the Internet. There are many search engines, but probably the best
known is Google: www.google.com.
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Search Directories are selected lists of websites organised into broad categories.
Yahoo Directory http://au.dir.yahoo.com/
Google Directory http://www.google.com/dirhp/.
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A Basic Search
All Search Engines provide an area on the screen where you can type in the word or
words you wish to search for:
1. You send your request by typing in a word or group of words and pressing Enter.
2. After a few seconds, the Search Engine will return from its search and present you with
a new screen known as the Results Screen.
3. The exact layout and format of the Results Screen will vary according to the Search
Engine you used, but generally you will receive:

The number of documents that 'matched' your query terms.

A list of the first ten results (note: at the bottom of the screen you will find a button
to take you to the next ten).

A Name or Title, a brief description that helps you identify whether the reference
found might contain the information you required.

The web address of the file (URL).

A file size, so you can tell how large the document is and how long it will take to
load.
Once you have read the list of references and found one that looks promising, click on
the highlighted title and your Browser will retrieve that file for you from the Internet.
When you have finished viewing the site, click the Back button on your Browser to
return to the results list.
10 Searching with Google
Type web address for Google in the Address bar. www.google.com.au
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Address bar
Type search
Term(s) here.
“I’m feeling lucky” button: automatically takes you to a single website that Google thinks
is the most relevant. Example of a results page after Google has been searched for the
“Melbourne Cricket Ground”.
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Evaluating Websites
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It is important to remember that anybody can publish information on the Internet.
So, for example, if you conduct a search on “whales”, your results may include information
published by a group of school children, university professors or a “save the whales” lobby
group. You need to evaluate information you find on the internet.
Some important aspects to consider in evaluating websites are:
1. Source: who is the author (individual or organization) responsible for the website
or document?
2. Audience: who is the information aimed at?
What you can find on the library website!
http://library.kingston.vic.gov.au
Books & More in Our Catalogue: Takes you to the library catalogue
Online Resources: Free access to Encyclopedias, Full text journal articles and
Australian newspapers, online Computer books and Choice magazine.
Scroll down the list to make your selection from the following topics:
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eAudio Books
E-Books
Encyclopedias
Health
Literature
Computers
For students
Learning English
Learning languages
Music
Newspapers & magazines
Genealogy
Science
Statistics
Building Codes
eAudiobooks
Hundreds of great titles to download and listen to. Includes Adult, Young Adult and Junior
books.
Student Resources
Websites and databases to assist students
Reviews
Read and write reviews for other users to enjoy.
Book Lovers
Websites to find out more about your favourite books and authors
Adult and Kids Activities
Select to see latest activities happening at your library
New books, DVDs, Music CDs, Audio Books
Select to view latest purchases on our catalogue
Your borrowing
Quick links under this heading to renew and check loans, borrowing information and ways
of keeping track of your loans
Library Thing
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Get recommendations and share your reading experiences with other people.
Your library service
Find out how to join the library, our opening hours, our collections, policies and guidelines
and information on the Home Library Service.
Helping you
Find links to Internet Access and booking, information about Computer classes,
Homework Club and suggested websites.
Ask a Librarian
From school projects to more involved queries, qualified librarians can help you find
authoritative, reliable information. Feel free to contact a librarian either in person at one of
our branches, by calling 1300 135 668, or online using our Ask a Librarian Form to submit
an enquiry (you'll be answered by email).
Telling us
You can fill in a form to add a Book Review to our webpage or you can place a suggestion
of an item for the Library to purchase.
Commonly used Internet terms
Bookmarks: A feature of the Web browser that allows an individual to store favourite
URLs.
Browser: The software required to access the hypertext links of Web pages. Microsoft
Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox are the most widely-used browsers.
Discussion List: Mailing Lists or Electronic Conferences operate through E-mail. You
subscribe or sign up to specific subject discussion lists and regularly receive emails any
time someone sends a “post” or email to the discussion list.
Facebook www.facebook.com
A popular social networking website where you can add photos and information about
yourself, send friends messages, and see what your friends are doing.
Flickr www.flickr.com
An online photo management and sharing application. Allows you to store, sort, search
and share photos and videos online.
Home page: The first page or the main page of a website. Typically provides introductory
information and serves as an table of contents to other information stored at the site.
HTML or HyperText Markup Language. The language used to create web pages and
which allows users to follow links between sites.
HTTP or HyperText Transfer Protocol. A set of instructions defining how web pages are
transferred between machines.
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ISP (Internet Service Provider) An organization providing access to the Internet on a fee
for service basis. Customers are generally billed a fixed rate per month, but other charges
may apply.
Microblog A short blog about one's daily adventures, which evolved into the extremely
successful Twitter.
Netiquette: A collection of good manners guidelines for network applications such as
email, telnet and newsgroups. Netiquette information can be found in most guides to the
Internet as well as in the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) of most Newsgroups.
Newsgroups: Similar to discussion lists except you are not required to subscribe to join in
and they are often more fun than academic.
Search Engines: An Internet tool, which searches web pages and other Internet
resources for criteria, which you provide.
Skype
Software that allows users to make voice calls over the Internet. Calls made within Skype
setting are free of charge. Although skype also supports calls that connect to conventional
telephones, there are charges for those calls.
Social Networking- A Web site that provides a virtual community for people interested in
a particular subject or just to "hang out" together. Members create their own online
"profile" with biographical data, pictures, likes, dislikes and any other information they
choose to post. They communicate with each other by voice, chat, instant message,
videoconference and blogs.
Spam (junk mail)
Unsolicited email sent indiscriminately to multiple individuals or mailing lists. The mails are
often of a commercial nature.
URL: Uniform Resource Locator. The addressing system used by the Internet so
websites can be identified. It is like a house address.
Virus: a harmful computer program that is downloaded from the internet which can infect
a computer.
Web browser: See Browser Software
Web Site: A “page” containing information written in HTML, which may incorporate text,
graphics and multimedia.
Wiki: A wiki is a “collaborative” website that allows anybody to add to, or edit, the
information on the site.
YouTube www.youtube.com
Watch video clips that others have added to the website. You add your own clips for
others to view
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Keyboard Tutorials
These can be accessed from the Computer Help page under the heading “Online tutorials”
http://www.typeonline.co.uk
http://www.learn2type.com/
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