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Welcome! 
The World Wide Web is about people-it is not about computers!

Part 1 Orientation 
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Part 1 Orientation The Main Menu

It is important to define personal interests and goals. What do YOU want to do on
the web? What will be the topic and purpose of your web page? How  will you reach
the web? What computer tools and materials will you require?
Defining Personal Interests Reaching the Internet Essential Tools
The Peasant's WWW Assignments Record keeping
Once you have completed this section go on to Lesson 2

Please  do not let your questions go unanswered!

Click here for communication tools.

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Defining Personal Interests

The technology of the web is designed to process and store information. It is important to know what you are looking for. Additionally you need to know 
how your topic relates to other topic. You should know the hierarchy in which it 
belongs.

For example if you are interested in a car- for example- a 1966 Pontiac Catalina.
-You should know that it is a mode of transportation
-You should know that you are interested in a car.
-You should know that it is made in America
-You should know that it was made in Michigan
-You should know that it was made by the Pontiac Company
-You should know that it was made in 1966
-You should know that its model is Catalina
-You should know that yours is a 2 door coupe
-You should know that it has a 400 engine

The web will relate to your favorite car upon as many such dimensions as you can think up. 

As you think up these dimensions you will develop a list of key words. Write these down. Leave plenty of space for adding new ones.

You will now be able to find the relevant communities on the web who relate to
your interests and can help you reach your goals.

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Reaching the Internet

Since the World Wide Web is on the Internet you will have to know something about getting there.  Actually the web is only one dimension of the Internet, however, in order
to use the web efficiently you will also have to use the other dimensions.

How will you plug in to the internet?

Before we begin it is important to know how you will use the internet.
Will you be at home? At the Office or at a Public Terminal - at a Public Library
for example?

Each computer  location will have its own programs,  settings and procedures. Take
a moment to contact your Office System Administrator, The Librarian, or the Program
Manuals for the Internet and Communications Programs on your own Computer. This
can save you much time and aggravation.

Be sure to write down step by step procedures. A flip file of 3x5 cards held together
at the top with rings can be of great assistance. Write each step in a process on a card.
Use one side of the card stack for going in or opening up and the other side for going
out or shutting down. In this way you can guide yourself from turning the computer on
to one activity after another simply flipping over the card stack when you wish to go home.
It is helpful to tab or use an initial colored card for each process.

While I can provide some guidance concerning some popular internet software there
are simply too many programs around for me to go into depth on each one. As soon as
you get a chance look into the internet  programs on the computer you will be using.
Read the manuals and if necessary call  the manufacturer. Internet providers do a very
good job helping you to set up. The sailor help desk located at the main Pratt library
in Baltimore is very helpful with set up and dial in instructions. Call them at:  410-396-4636.
Whatever you do however, do not fail to take detailed and exact notes and write them in a permanent book.
Once you have studied the options below you will be ready to equip yourself with tools which will make you independent of your home or office computer.There are many ways to connect to the internet some can view pictures and are called Graphical and others do not view pictures and are called non-graphical.  You should learn how to use both.

Computer Users Basic Preparations click here
Using the free dial-in/ Non-Graphical Terminal- Sailor click here
Selecting a Browser for Graphical access click here

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Home Computer Users-Basic preparations:

Programs you should know how to operate and information you should have written down for quick reference  if you are using a home computer are

-Information:
                    The type of processor (Pentium....486...),
                    How much Ram (16,32,64...),
                    Speed of your Modem (14.4,28.8....),
                    What program will you use to dial the  modem and
                         connect to the host computer (Hyper-Term, Terminal, Dial-Up-Networking),
                    The Phone number of the Host Computer
                     Procedures for your Provider/Host Computer- login,password, and other settings.
                     The help desk phone number for your Internet Access Provider
                     The help number for your operating system (windows etc...) or for your computer.
                     What Browser will you be using if any?
                     How do you find and turn on the programs?

Programs

You should know how to turn on, change the settings of and operate the following programs-

-Your Operating System (Windows...or other)
-Your Communication Program (the program that dials the modem and connects-Hyper Term etc...)
-Your Web Browser (netscape,internet explorer,opera...etc..)
-Compression/Archiver  Programs (WinZip, Stuffit, Unstuffit etc...)
-Web Editing Software (Hot Dog, Composer...)
-Image/Graphics program (L-view, paintbrush, Corell)

Procedures:
You should know how to save files on your hard drive. I like to keep a directory on my
hard drive called either:  A, AAA, AAAA etc.... so that it  is right up top when you view your
directory contents. You should have one place where you download all files so that you
know where to find them later.

Take a moment to look over things so that you will know what to do when the time comes.
For most programs set-up is a one time event however, sometimes settings are lost and
have to be changed. It is very important that you not only know how to do it
once but that you write down how to do it again in a secure place!

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Using the free Non-graphical Terminal Sailor
Anyone with a computer and modem can go on line from their home
computer without paying a cent and without dialing a long distance number!

Even if you plan to pay for an internet account it is most useful to
know how to use the FREE Sailor Lynx. It is faster than using a
graphical browser and will work when your internet provider is down
and it is free. It also contains a wealth of information  and links concerning
Maryland. 

1  Locate the communications program click here
2. Put in the settings for sailor click here
3. How to use Sailor click here
3. Get the most out of Sailor Lynx by studying the Lynx commands click here

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The Communications Program
Step 1 Locate and open up Your Communication Program
If you are using Windows 3. you will find that your communication program is
called terminal.  It will be found in the windows directory or you can search
for it.
If you are using Windows 95/98 you will find the program Hyper Term
loaded onto your hard drive in the windows directory. This program may not have been
loaded when you loaded Windows 95/98. If you do not find it by doing a search or
in the windows directory use add or remove program  to load it from your set up
disk.
If you have other programs consult their manufacturer or manuals.
If you can not locate your communications program perhaps the sailor help desk can help:
For help with configuration or other Sailor Questions call the Sailor Help Desk at:
     410-396-4636.
Once you have found your communications program it is now time to set it up to dial in and connect
to sailor. 
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Settings For Sailor

In your settings for your particular communication program you will find
slots to fill in somewhere with the following references. Set them as indicated below:
I have given the settings as grouped in windows 95  other programs will differ.
 

Open Hyper Term and Click on Hyperterm Icon to create a new connection. Note that
you will have to save all of this when you are done. At first try assume that all the settings
are correct and simply select and name an icon and enter the phone number. If it doesn't
work then consult settings.

Under Phone Number
-country code united states of america
-phone number   410-222-7100    (or 494-1199 or 296-2771) There is a toll free number
                                                      for wherever you are in Maryland!-remember to include the 410 before the
number in the settings box.
-your modem should be correctly listed in the slot at the bottom- if not make adjustments.

Click on Phone Number/Configure
data bits 8
stop bit: 1
paridy=none
check:
wait for dial tone
cancel if not connected in 60 secs.

Clicking on Advanced
check
-error control
-compression data
-use flow control
-hardware
-modulation=standard

Under Settings
-Function= terminal keys
-Emulation VT100
-Backscroll Buffer= 500

Under Accii Settings
fill in only
 line delay= 0
character delay=0
check the box = wrap lines that extend  beyond terminal width

 For help with configuration or other Sailor Questions call the Sailor Help Desk at:
     410-396-4636.

Now that you are set up lets dial in- be sure to save your settings!
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Using Sailor

If you already have graphical web access you can go  to Sailor:
    on the web at:
http://www.sailor.lib.md.us

Dialing In to Sailor!-direct from home- Note you will not start up your commercial account access.
1. Open up the hyperterm program set for sailor.
2. Select dial
3. The modem will dial and connect and eventually a set of instructions will be at the bottom.
4. Don't select the library select the sailor option.Type in its number and hit enter.
5. When you see login type guest and hit enter
6. When you are asked for your terminal type hit enter
7. As screens change hit enter
8. Don't pay attention to the last set of choices hit enter
9.When you see: Sailor's (Maryland's Public Information Network) Home Port (p1 of 3)
    you are in.
10. When using sailor you will use the up and down Arrows just to the right of the shift key on
        a PC keyboard to go up and down. As you go up and down you will notice that words and titles change
        color. To go to read that topic (a page) hit enter when it is highlighted. You can also type the
       number next to your selection and hit enter to go there. To go back
       hit left arrow. To go forward hit right arrow. You can go back to where you have been
      and forward.

11. For  the purposes of today's lesson practice using the menu items.

12. To go to another web page type the letter g you will notice a small screen (or the words enter url)
       at the bottom of the page. Click on the small line screen and type in any web
       page address. When it is right hit enter. You can delete by using backspace.
      Web addresses must be correct and accurate including case (caps).

13. Go to my Irish Studies Web pages-
 http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~bj333/HomePage.home.html

14. When you are done use your left arrow key to go back to Sailor and back to the top of sailor.

15.  To leave sailor type in q and enter then when asked type y for yes and enter.  Then
     when the options screen comes up  select q and enter again.

16.  Hang up your communication program, save its settings if necessary (generally only first
time) If given an option to save session you should say no unless you wish to save something
for future use.

17. For help with configuration or other Sailor Questions call the Sailor Help Desk at:
     410-396-4636.

To go back to the top of this section click here


 

The Lynx Browser Commands

When you connect to sailor via your home dial up/communications program or via telnet you will be using a non graphical browser. The only difference between this browser and Netscape and the other browsers is that it has no images. It does have certain commands which you can use
to have it perform different functions. You will use the arrow keys to navigate. Because the browser does not load images it is much faster than other browsers.

BASIC COMMAND KEYS

      Down Arrow . . . . . Mover cursor to next topic (page)
        Up Arrow . . . . . Move cursor to previous topic (page)
     Right Arrow . . . . . Display selected topic (page)
      Left Arrow . . . . . Return to previous topic (page)

   Return, Enter . . . . . Display selected topic (page)
               u . . . . . Return to previous topic (page)
               r . . . . . Refresh the screen
      SPACE or + . . . . . Scroll down to next screen (Page-Down)
          - or b . . . . . Scroll up to previous screen (Page-Up)

               m . . . . . Return to Sailor Home Page
          h or ? . . . . . Help (Sailor Lynx Help)
               q . . . . . Quit (Capital 'Q' for quick quit)

MORE COMMAND KEYS

               g . . . . . Go to a user specified URL
          Ctrl-U . . . . . Erase input line
               z . . . . . Cancel transfer of file in progress
          Ctrl-G . . . . . Cancel transfer or input
               = . . . . . Show file and link information
               d . . . . . Download current page with HTML code
               p . . . . . Download current page as text (without HTML code)
               / . . . . . Search for string of characters within current page
               n . . . . . Find next occurrence of search string on current page
               o . . . . . Go to user configuration Options page
               i . . . . . Show an index of Sailor Web Site documents
               \ . . . . . Show HTML source code for current page
               l . . . . . Show list of URLs on current page
          CTRL-A . . . . . Go to first page of the current document (Home)
          CTRL-E . . . . . Go to last page of the current document (End)
          CTRL-B . . . . . Scroll up to previous screen (Page-Up)
          CTRL-F . . . . . Scroll down to next screen (Page-Down)
          CTRL-N . . . . . Go forward two lines in the current document
          CTRL-P . . . . . Go back two lines in the current document
               ) . . . . . Go forward half a page in the current document
               ( . . . . . Go back half a page in the current document
          Ctrl-R . . . . . Reload file
          Ctrl-W . . . . . Refresh the screen
         Shift-V . . . . . Go to the Visited Links Page
     [Backspace] . . . . . Go to the History page

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Selecting a Browser for Graphical Access
A browser is an Internet computer  program which makes sense of information contained on  and linked to web pages that you can read them on your computer terminal.
If you have graphical access to the Internet you will need to select a graphical browser.  Perhaps this has already been done for you. Generally the key here is size. Browsers come in all sizes.  If you can put both Internet Explorer  (http://www.microsoft.com)and Netscape Communicator (http://www.netscape.com)on your hard drive you should as both provide unique ways for looking at and using web pages.
If you are short on space consider downloading the Opera browser.(http://www.operasoftware.com/download.html)

Whatever browser you select you should get to know all of its settings and options.

Here are a few places to go for evaluations of browsers.
BrowserWars.com(http://www.zdnet.com/products/browserwars/index.html)
BrowserWatch -(http://browserwatch.internet.com/) information on the various browsers along with user feedback
ThreeToad WWW Browser Comparison Page -(http://www.threetoad.com/main/Browser.html) Come see what the world (wide web) looks like from some one else's point of view(er).

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The Peasant's WWW

Consider for a moment how you will relate to the Internet.
All too often we get hung up and side tracked with the technology. We
go out onto the net as if to a carnival or fair to seek entertainment. Sometimes  we treat the  net as a reference library seeking only dry and 
dusty  information.  But wait a moment! It is much  more than these things. The Internet is in fact a village- a gathering of many people from all over the world.  There is at least one person behind each web page.  There are people gathered in chat rooms, on e.mail lists, news groups and even some gather round on guest books.  Web pages are only the storefronts.  The real knowledge - the dynamic information sources are the people themselves. We must go into the web page and seek them out. 

When we search the Internet we must not restrict ourselves to the search engines which all lag several months behind in their indexing of the web.
We must extend our searches to the communities of authors who gather to discuss new developments and web pages in real time. We must write the author of that good web page and find out if he knows of any others or if he has information he has not yet added to the pages.

I hope you will enjoy the World Wide Web and the Internet as your new village.

A dimension of life....
Just as the Internet and the Web are villages so to your Internet life is not just a book on the shelf. Your Internet life is a living thing. As with bread -it is alive its leaven the speeding electrons.  You need to live that life in tandem with your more material life. You must walk with it together and obtain continual exercise. 

How do you do this?
Actually it is quite easy.

  • Check your e.mail frequently- maximize its speed and get responses off quickly.
  • Check in with the communities regularly - go to them even if you do not seek information.
  • Help others by trying to answer their questions.Information exchange conducted freely is one of the true values of the Internet.
  • Find a web presence which will contribute to the availability of free information along side your more commercial store front.
  • Learn how to use public terminals in all of their flavors and colors to maintain your presence in the village no matter where you are.
  • Maximize the use of free services.
Now off you go to your new village.  Remember:
The Internet is not about computers it is about people. It is not a dusty book or a carnival it is a home and a place to live.
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Essential Tools
In order to access the bells and whistles on the web you will need a few essential programs. These programs read information and transform it into sounds and images. Your web browser will let you know when there is someting on the web page you whish to read that it can not process. It will then let you know that you must get a helper program and will direct you to the appropriate page for download.

You will need some basic programs to process popular informaiton formats. Two such formats are real audio and shockwave.  These two formats are used to write web pages and sound files. You will also need a program for connectivity- Telnet. This program is generally installed with your operating system in the windows directory, but if it is missing you will have to install it. Click here for one. The general rule of thumb for helper applications is to find out which ones crop up often in your travels on the web. Those are the ones you will need to download and install.

The internet peasant who is interested in mobility and independence from his or her home computer will require a few more programs. These should be able  to be loaded as installed on a floppy disk. They should be loaded uninstalled onto another floppy disk . I list these below.

Word Processor/Text Editor- Many public terminals do not have word processors installed. You need a word processor to write and edit web page files.When using netscape tell netscape to use the programm to view source.  Go to options then to general preferences then to apps and then select the slot for view source broows the drives to the a. drive or wherever the .exe program for the editor is and save settings- using ok.. 
click here to go to download ultra edit (shareware) http://www.ultraedit.com/downloads/index.html

FTP Program- You will need a ftp program to transfer files between computers. Web page files will have to be sent to the
appropriate servers for storage.You will have to tell netscape or your browser where to find the program. See instructions for telnet below. WSFTP program http://www.ipswitch.com click  here to download it. You can

Telnet- You will need a telnet program to contact and operate other computers. (check first to see if this program is in the windows directory. You will have to tell netscape or your browser where the program is.Put thetelnet disk into the a drive after you have completed your editing with the word processor. Go to the main tool bar of netscape select options, then general preferences and then apps. Record the information- address in the telnet app slot slot (you will have to replace this when you are done)  and browse the a drive next to the telnet app slot. Your telnet program will load each time you enter telnet: into the netscape window and hit enter.
You can download a Telnet Client: Trumptel  for free from: http://www.ganggang.com.au/categories/archie.htm

Web Page Editor- A web page editor streamlines the process of creating and editing web pages. As soon as I locate one which will fit installed on a floppy disk I will link it here.
 

What to do with these programs...

1. They should be available as installed on floppy disk and uninstalled on floppy disk.

2.You will need to tell your browser where they are in the preferences.(see above)

3.You may have to install the programs on the host computer. In which case you will have the browser open the file. Simply open file menu and select view in browser. The program will then install and run.

4. If possible remove your progreams and settings from the host computer. Record all changes so you can change them back. Often simply shutting down netscape and re starting it will erase and re install settings.

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Record keeping

As a resident of the Internet vilage you will have the task of a census official.
You will have to record the names, addresses and web page locations of all who
you meet.

The best way to do this is to create  categories related to topics of interest.
You will have  to know why you need to know who these people are and
where they can be located. In a sturdy bound book assign a few blank pages
to each sub category of your interests. Title them and record in them the addresses.
Carefully note the significance of each and relationship to your interest.

What addresses are important...
First of all there are web page addresses. You can temporarily record these in
the favorites or bookmakrs section of your browser but you will need to record
them on paper as well. Browsers have a habit of dissapearing sometimes without
notice...

Remember....people are more important. Behind each web page there is at least one
person. Their e.mail address is generally located at the end of each page. You are never
finished extracting information from a web page until you have contacted the author
and asked about  additional materials. The person may be able to give you some
important leeds connecting you with additional web pages or communities.  Web pages
also have a habit of dissapearing. You can contacnt the author to obtain the information
or a forwarding address for the missing pages.

Unsenet news groups have addresses. Search for the relevant news groups and record
the addresses on paper.

The addresses of e.mail lists are very important. They are essential if you want to remove
yourself from the list or send messages to the list.  Record these addresses most carefully and
if possible make a paper copy of the welcome message.

Recording addresses assists you in being able to keep talking. You should tour your collection
of web pages regularly to see any changes. You should also regularly communicate with your
e.mail contacts. Be a conversational and friendly and helpful member of the villiage.

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Assignments
1. Take time to wander around the Internet. It gets easier and easier the more you use it.
2. Download the tools programs onto floppys-get ready to travel!
3. Define your interests and set up a bound book in which to record addresses.
4. Practice reaching the internet from all the local terminals and from home by using
    the free dial up mode of going to sailor. Once you can use all available resources
    you will be free from the miseries caused by computer and server failure.

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Send me e.mail click here    Return to the main course page Click Here
Do not let your questions go un answered. If you can not find something you need contact
me right away. Remember- you need not have a computer to do the exercises and to fully
benefit from this course- check in with your local public library!