While the World Wide Web comprises much of the content available over the Internet, you can use the Internet for much more than browsing and accessing Web sites.

• Are the Internet and the Web the same thing?
• What’s on the Internet besides the Web?
• What’s a FAQ?
• What are newsgroups?
• What are Usenet, FTP, and Gopher?

Are the Internet and the Web the same thing?

The Internet and the World Wide Web are closely related but not the same.

• The Internet is a decentralized global network of computers.
• The Web is a collection of documents, or Web sites, that you can access using the Internet and your Web browser software. The Web comprises the vast majority (but not quite all) of the content available over the Internet.

How does it work?

Web sites reside on computers called Internet servers. When you're connected to the Internet, your Web browser software can communicate with Internet servers, asking them to send to your computer a copy of the Web page you'd like to see. The uniform resource locator (URL) you type or the hyperlink you click tells your computer which server to try to contact and which page to ask for.

What is TCP/IP?

The interconnected computers of the Internet are of different types, and they use different operating systems. To communicate with each other over the Internet, they use a common set of rules called Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) or just Internet protocol (IP). TCP/IP software allows your computer to connect to the Internet, too.

What's on the Internet besides the Web?

Many types of information are accessible over the Internet. Here are some things, in addition to visiting Web sites, that you can do using the Internet:

• Send and receive electronic-mail messages. (See the Internet Guide chapter All About E-Mail for more information.)
• Join in a Usenet newsgroup.
• Transfer documents and programs between your computer and FTP, or file transfer protocol, sites.
• Use a Gopher to locate information on other sites.

Sites to visit

• World Wide Web Consortium - learn more about the Web from this industry group

What's a FAQ?

FAQ stands for "frequently asked questions." Many sites on the World Wide Web include a FAQ, which answers common questions about the site, such as what it covers, how to find information on it, and who created it. Typically, a FAQ will be in the form of a text document you can download, rather than a full-fledged Web site. When you visit a newsgroup for the first time, look for its FAQ. It will probably answer all of your questions about the newsgroup and can help you get the most out it.

What are newsgroups?

Usenet newsgroups are Internet discussion groups on just about any topic you can imagine. There are more than 50,000 newsgroups, and more are added all the time. Each newsgroup covers a particular topic, often alluded to in its name.

A newsgroup creates a discussion string, or series of related messages. Each message responds to an earlier message or addresses the overall newsgroup topic in some way. You can post your own message in response to the messages that interest you most.

Thousands of topics

Do you suffer from migraines? Check out the newsgroup alt.support.headaches.migraine for support. Are you the owner of hunting dogs? Visit rec.hunting.dogs. Here are some more examples of newsgroups to give you an idea of the variety that's out there:

• sci.physics.fusion
• soc.genealogy.hispanic
• rec.arts.animation
• alt.autos.antique

And, of course, there are plenty of newsgroups about computing.

You can find newsgroups that interest you by searching for them on the Deja.com Web site. Deja.com is a good place to learn more about newsgroups in general.

How to do it

If your e-mail client is also a newsreader, you can use it to subscribe to, read messages from, and post messages to newsgroups. Microsoft® Internet Explorer version 5.5 makes newsgroup access easy, too. On the Go menu, simply select News. Internet Explorer 5.5 automatically launches Microsoft Outlook® Express and opens your newsgroups folder so you can get down to business.

Start here

Before you join a newsgroup discussion:

• Read a newsgroup's FAQ first to learn more about the group.
• Check whether the newsgroup has a file containing its charter and rules. If it does, read this before you post messages.
• Read a good portion of a discussion string before joining in. Others in the discussion will appreciate that you took the time to get familiar with the conversation first.

Sites to visit

• Download Internet Explorer 5.5
• Deja.com - search for newsgroups that interest you
• ZDNet's "Usenet 101" - an article that covers newsgroup basics

What are Usenet, FTP, and Gopher?

Usenet, FTP, and Gopher represent ways of accessing information other than Web sites over the Internet.

• Usenet—a collection of several thousand newsgroups on just about any topic. Using a newsreader, you can subscribe to a newsgroup, read the messages other subscribers have posted, and post your own messages in response. Newsgroups provide a way for users to share information about topics that interest them. The Deja.com Web site provides an introduction to newsgroups and a way to search them.
• FTP—stands for "file transfer protocol," a system of rules and a software program that allow you to log on to another computer and transfer information between it and your computer. Most browsers have some FTP capability built in. You can find many FTP sites using a regular Internet search engine, or use the Archie search engine, which indexes FTP sites.
• Gopher—a simple menu system that you can use to connect to files on the Internet. This easy-to-use system introduced many users to the Internet before the World Wide Web became popular. Using the University of Minnesota’s Gopher, which was the first Gopher, you can connect to Gophers worldwide. You can search Gophers using a program called Veronica.

Sites to visit

• Deja.com Web site - find out more about searching newsgroups
• University of Minnesota Gopher - to search Gophers using Veronica
• Galaxy - to search Gophers