Introductory Class on the World Wide Web

1. Learn what you need to connect to the Internet.
2. Explain some general Internet features.
3. Look at the Netscape screen.
4. Investigate methods of Internet-based communication.
5. Visit several Web sites.
6. Use Indexes and Search Engines to find Web sites.
7. Evaluate what we find!
8. Organize Bookmarks!
9. Recommend further reading.

1. The Basics
   Advice from Netscape
   
   
2. UMMC Standard Hardware and Software Recommendations
   Look for the IS Recommendations category.
   Select Equipment Standards.
   
   
3. Finding An Internet Service Provider
   An Internet Service provider (ISP) is the company that will provide your connection to the Internet. There are many companies eager to be your ISP and several issues to consider when you are making your selection. Hopper Business Solutions offers a convenient list to make your task easier.

1. What is the Internet?
   The Internet is the vast collection of inter-connected computer networks also referred to as the Information Superhighway. The Internet includes e-mail, telnet, FTP, gopher, and the World Wide Web.
   
   
   • E-mail (short for electronic mail) allows you to send and receive mail over the Internet. It was the first function the Internet served, and probably one of the more popular uses still today.
     
     
   • Telnet or remote login permits your computer to log onto another computer and use it as if you were there. The library catalog is a telnet connection.
     
     
   • FTP (File Transfer Protocol) allows your computer to retrieve files from a remote computer and view or save them on your computer.
     
     
   • Gopher is an early, text only method for accessing Internet documents. Take a look at this gopher site. You can see why the World Wide Web has for the most part taken the place of gopher.
     
     
2. What is the World Wide Web?
   The World Wide Web incorporates all of the above Internet functions, and then some. Once on the WWW, you can access information that has text, graphics, animation, and even sound! It functions using hypertext. Hypertext allows you to link a picture or highlighted text to other documents on the web.
   
   
3. What is the Client Server relationship?
   The Client Server relationship is how information is delivered and accessed on the Internet.
   
   
   • Client is a software program that is used to contact and obtain data from a Server software program on another computer, often across a great distance. The Netscape browser is an example of a specific kind of client.
     
     
   • Server is a computer or software package that provides a specific kind of service to client software running on other computers.
     
     
4. What is Netscape?
   Netscape is a software package for browsing the World Wide Web. If you can use a Mac or Windows, you will find Netscape easy! Here is some useful information on Netscape versions 3.0 and 4.0:
   
   
   • Netscape 3.0
     
     
   • Netscape 4.0
     If you are using Netscape 4.0, help is available by clicking the Help menu. Then click Help Contents for a list of printable help topics.
     
     
5. What is a Home page (also called a Web page)?
   A home page is any information that an individual, an educational institution, an nonprofit organization, a government agency, or a company puts on the World Wide Web.
   
   
6. What are Browser Plug-Ins?
   Plug-ins are software programs that extend the capabilities of an Internet browser in a specific way - giving you, for example,the ability to play audio samples or view video movies from within that browser.
   
   Netscape Navigator offers a whole page of information on plug-ins.
   
   
7. More Definitions
   If you need a definition for any Internet terminology, try the excellent glossary produced by Internet Literacy Consultants.

1. Menu Bar
   
   
   • File
     The File menu offers the kind of choices you find under File on Macs and Windows.
     
     
   • Edit
     The Edit menu offers the kind of choices you find under Edit on Macs and Windows.
     
     
   • View
     By clicking the View Menu and then Document Source, you can see the HTML code that produced the page you are viewing.
     
     
   • Go
     You will find a list of the web sites you have visited under the Go menu.
     
     
   • Bookmarks
     If you find a site that you want to remember, try this:
     Click the Bookmark menu and then Add Bookmarks.
     That site will be added to your bookmark list.
     
     
   • Options
     Use the Options menu to control the look of your screen.
     
     
   • Window
     The Window menu offers you choices such as News, Mail, and Bookmarks.
     
     
   • Help
     Click the Help menu and then Handook for printable tips and instructions.
   
   
2. Toolbar Buttons
   
   
   • Back
     The Back button brings you back one page.
     
     
   • Forward
     The Forward button brings you forward one page.
     
     
   • Home
     The Home button brings you back to the opening web page.
     
     
   • Reload
     The Reload button is like the redial button on your telephone. If you are unable to get a connection to a web page, click the Reload button to try again.
     
     
   • Open
     When you click the Open button, a box will appear where you can type a Web page address. Then click the Open button in the box and you are on your way to that web page.
     
     
   • Print
     Click the Print button to print what you are viewing.
     
     
   • Find
     Click the Find button to make Netscape Navigator look for and highlight the word you type.
     
     
   • Stop
     Clicking the Stop button is like hanging up the telephone. When you click Stop, Netscape Navigator will stop trying to connect to the address that you requested.
     
     
3. Address Line
   The Address Line shows the Internet location for a web site.
   e.g. http://library.umassmed.edu
   
   What does each part of the address mean?
   
   
   • http://
     http:// stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. This is what allows sound and graphics as well as text to be displayed on the World Wide Web.
     
     
   • library.umassmed.
     This is the name of the computer that makes the page available.
     
     
   • .edu
     This 3-letter suffix indicates that an educational institution is making this page available.
     
     Here are other address suffixes you will see:
     
     
     • .com - stands for company
       
     • .gov - stands for government agency
       
     • .mil - stands for military agency
       
     • .net - stands for network
       
     • .org - stands for nonprofit organization
       
       
4. Cursor and Links
   The Cursor can vary in shape - either an I-beam, an arrow pointer, or a hand.
   
   
   • The cursor is shaped like a Hand when it is pointing to a Link.
     
     
   • A Link is a connection to another Web site. Just click, and you will connect to that site!
   
   
5. Status Bar
   The Status Bar is located at the bottom of the screen. It does two things for you:
   
   
   • It displays the address of any link that you point to.
     
     
   • It displays messages that tell you what is happening after you have click the cursor on a link. Try it!

1. Lists and Newsgroups
   
   
   • About Lists
     A list is a discussion group on e-mail. You send a message to the host computer and ask to subscribe. For example: subscribe (name of list) (your name)
     
     From then on, you will receive a copy of any message sent to the list by any other subscriber. You are able to send messages to the list as well. Here are some of directories of lists that are available to you. You will find several on a wide variety of medical topics.
     
     
     • FindMail
     • List of Lists
     • Liszt: the mailing list directory
     • PAML (Publicly Accessible Mailing Lists)
     
     Words of Warning
     You will need to be judicious in the number of lists you choose to join. Otherwise you will find your mailbox is overflowing.
     
     One problem with list is the tendency of multiple writers replying to the list to answer the same question.
     
     
   • About Newsgroups
     Newsgroups are discussion groups that reside on the Internet. They do not come to you via your e-mail account. You must choose to connect.
     
     Newsgroups address an enormous variety of subject matter, and their names are comprised of several segments descriptive of the subject and separated by periods. Groups are categorized by their prefixes. Here are the most common ones you'll see:
     
     
     • alt - alternative groups, often unusual topics
     • bionet - research biology, not usually what most would consider light reading
     • bit - newsgroups originating as mailing lists
     • comp - computer related groups
     • misc - miscellaneous groups that don't seem to belong anywhere else
     • rec - recreational groups, including music, sports, hobbies and games
     • sci - scientific groups other than biology
     • soc - social groups, often ethnically related
     
     There are several groups that have a medical focus. Check these collections for something of interest to you:
     
     • dejanews
     • RemarQ
     • Talkway
   
   
2. The Many Flavors of E-mail

   • Microsoft Outlook
     Microsoft Outlook (MSO) combines the function of an e-mail client with a personal information manager. Using Outlook, you can manage your schedule, send and receive e-mail, organize your contacts, and track your tasks and daily activities. Here is some basic information about how to use Outlook.
     
     
   • Yahoo! Mail
     Yahoo! Mail offers a convenient, accessible and free e-mail account with many of the same features as fee-based services. They have a privacy policy posted, and they advertise Free e-mail for life. Check it out and evaluate the additional incentives they offer to encourage you to join them.
   
   
3. Finding E-mail Addresses
   If you want to find colleagues' e-mail addresses, try connecting to the web page of the organization or educational institution where they work. See if you are in the UMass directory.
   
   If you don't know where your colleague is currently employed, you can try some of the following directories.
   
   
   • Bigfoot only requires a last name, but for more refined searches try the advanced mode.
   • Lyco's Who Where
   • Switchboard requires knowing just the last name of the person you are trying to find.
   • Yahoo's People Search allows you to look up e-mail, telephone numbers, and addresses.
   
   One Final Note
   The services listed above are not as complete as The Telephone Book. If you are looking for a telephone number, Big Yellow is really nice.
   
   
4. E-mail Etiquette
   Although e-mail is convenient and usually an effective means of communication, misunderstandings can occur when thoughts are written rather than spoken between persons. To help you avoid these pitfalls, we have shared the e-mail guidelines we use in the library.

1. Clinical Sciences
   This is an alphabetical listing of sites compiled by the staff of the Lamar Soutter Library.
   
   
2. Family Medicine
   This page includes many sites of special interest to Family Practice Physicians.
   
   
3. Consumer Health
   Compiled by the staff of the Lamar Soutter Library, this site includes a collection of consumer-oriented World Wide Web links on a variety of health topics including AIDS, cancer, children's health, and mental health.
   
   
4. Databases
   This site includes a wide variety of databases. Some require login and password to access. Most are available for all to use.
   
   
5. Evidence-Based Medicine
   This site contains links to a variety of EBM web pages.
   
   
6. Government Sites
   This site provides access to a vast array of federal and state governmental information resources.
   
   
7. Grants
   Use this site to locate both private and governmental sources of research funding.
   
   
8. Links to Medical Libraries
   
   
   • Lamar Soutter Library
     The Lamar Soutter Library seeks to provide you with convenient access to the most valuable medical information resources available anywhere.
     
     
   • National Library of Medicine
     This premier medical library, a resource for every medical library, is accessible to all.
     You can search the NLM's collection of books and multimedia materials using its Catalog.
     
     
   • National Network of Libraries of Medicine
     This site includes access to all eight regional libraries of the NLM, including the New England Regional Library.
     
     
   • Links to Other Medical Libraries
   
   
9. Medical Societies and Associations
   
   
   • American Medical Association
   • Massachusetts Medical Society
   • Districts of the Massachusetts Medical Society
     
     
10. Online Journals
    This list includes selected online journals that are available in various formats: some provide full text of articles, while others only supply abstracts, with subscription information provided for access to full text.
    
    
11. Writing/Grammar Tools
    Included in this list are abbreviations and acronyms resources, biographical resources, dictionaries, and writing/grammar tools.

1. One way to find resources is to look at a home page Index that shows you a list of categories. You click on the category of your choice, and then you can browse an enormous collection of subject-related web sites.
   
   
   • Take a look at Yahoo
     
     
2. Another way to find resources is to use a Search Engine. Search engine software allows you to search an enormous database of web pages. Each search engine has compiles a different database and has different rules for searching.
   
   
   • Tip: Become familiar with and learn to use one search engine well! It's a good idea to print out the search engine help information for reference. Then you'll be a long ways toward finding the information you want!
     
     
   • Try AltaVista. Print out the AltaVista Help file.
     
     
   • Here are a few other search engines you might consider:
     HotBot
     Lycos
     Mining Company
     Northern Light
     Webcrawler
     
     

1. Authority
   
   
   • Who put this information on the Web?
     
   • Did they include an e-mail address or mailing address?
     
   • Is this an authoritative site?
     
     
2. Currency
   
   
   • Is this information up-to-date?
     
   • When was the last time this page was updated?
     
     
3. Purpose
   
   
   • Is there a statement defining the purpose of this page?
   • What is the stated purpose of this page?
     
     
4. Organization
   
   
   • Is the organization of the page plain to see?
     
   • In what order is the material arranged? Alphabetical, by subject category, or by date?
     
   • Is the organization consistent between levels?
     
   • Consider the organization of this page.
   
   
5. Presentation and Treatment
   
   
   • Is the information accurate and the presentation balanced.
   • Check out this page for balance and accuracy.
     
     
6. Format
   
   
   • Does the web site look good?
     
   • Does a graphic take forever to load?
     
   • Evaluate the look of this web page.
     
     
7. Special Features
   
   
   • Are there any unique features that make this page especially useful?
     
   • What is unique about this site?
     
     
   Here is a convenient chart to help you evaluate sites.
   
   

   ---