Chapter One
FTP, MB, RSS, oh My!
The Internet can be a confusing place in today’s technology driven world, especially as the Internet expands and evolves. As many can confirm, however, mastering, let alone understanding, the Internet is easy once a user learns the different acronyms ruling the cyber world. A few examples of these acronyms are:
- FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
- MB, KB, GB, etc. (megabyte, kilobyte, gigabyte)
- RSS (Really Simple Syndication)
- WWW(World Wide Web)
- Hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)
To first understand the Internet, you have to understand how it works and that there is a difference between the WWW and the Internet itself. The Internet refers to the network of connected computers that share information, be it between your home computer to your next door neighbors’ or to the computer halfway across the world. This information includes things like e-mail, instant messaging and FTP. The WWW, however, refers to a way of accessing information through these connected computers and the Internet using HTTP and Web browsers such as Firefox, Safari and Explorer. These web browsers do three important things:
- Search and find information
- Retrieve information and brings it back to you
- Renders the information for display on your computer
One of the most important things to understand about the Internet today is the processing of digital information, such as documents, pictures and video. Most people send at least one file a day to another computer, be it through e-mail or through a third-party site. The main thing to remember when sending digital information is that larger file sizes take longer to download over the Internet. Digital information is measured in bytes, and to make these bytes more easily discussable, prefixes like mega, kilo and giga are used.
Name Abbr. Size
Kilo K 1,024
Mega M 1,048,576
Giga G 1,073,741,824
Tera T 1,099,511,627,776
Peta P 1,125,899,906,842,624
Exa E 1,152,921,504,606,846,976
Zetta Z 1,180,591,620,717,411,303,424
Source: Marshall Brain, “How Bits and Bytes Work,” April 1, 2000.
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/bytes3.htm (January 27, 2007).
People use the Internet for many things besides just downloading or uploading digital information. The Internet is a mass encyclopedia built by the sharing of things we know and have. One of the easiest ways to keep in touch with topics that interest you is through the use of RSS, or really simple syndication. RSS allows you to subscribe to an information feed at gets delivered directly to your RSS reader or Web browser. Many people have more than one RSS subscription, allowing them to receive daily information on a variety of topics that interest them. RSS feeds just may be the best, and fastest, way of retrieving specific information in today’s Internet world.
These topics may seem confusing, but “a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” The more and more you practice using the Internet, the more it will become a skill for you in your everyday personal and business life. So, jump on the bandwagon because you already have a foot in just by accessing this page.