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The Internet and the World Wide Web   Tags: internet, web  

Links to information about electronic communication and commonly-used tools
Last Updated: Oct 17, 2012 URL: http://libguides.utoledo.edu/internet Print Guide RSS UpdatesShareThis
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Introduction to the Internet

This is a great place to begin if you are new to the Internet or if you need a refresher. What is the Internet? How does it work? How can I use a browser to access information on the World Wide Web?

 

Overview of Electronic Communication

The Internet has been compared to a flea market: a lot of junk, a few cool things, and some real treasures. The problem is finding the worthwhile information while minimizing the amount of time spent sifting through the junk. The key tools in this process are Web directories, search engines, and metasearch tools.

Overview

Electronic Mail 

Mailing Lists

Discussion Groups

Instant Messaging

Online Chat

Blogging (Web logging)

Jargon, Emoticons, Acronyms, and Abbreviations

Netiquette

Web 2.0

 

Web Evaluation

Now that you found the information you wanted, how do you know if it is any good?

 

Searching the Net

The Internet has been compared to a flea market: a lot of junk, a few cool things, and some real treasures. The problem is finding the worthwhile information while minimizing the amount of time spent sifting through the junk. The key tools in this process are Web directories, search engines, and metasearch tools.

Overview

Directories - General

The key features of web directories are that (1) sites are organized into categories, so they are easy to browse, and (2) human beings look at the sites to determine if they are good and to decide the categories to place them. The sites listed below are general directories: they include sites on all kinds of topics.

These directories include sites that are strictly for health, medicine, biomedical research and education, health care, and wellness. Don't look for sports scores with these tools, but they are incredibly useful when looking for health information.

  • Hardin MD - directory of medical directories; from the University of Iowa
  • MEDLINEplus - for consumers and patients; from the National Library of Medicine

Search Engines

Search engines are maintained by computer programs, with minimal human intervention. Search engines search a wider range of web sites than directories, but there are fewer quality-control mechanisms.

MetaSearch Tools

Metasearch tools search the other search tools...one-stop-searching the web.

More Information about Search Tools and How They Work

  • Search Engine Show-Down - information on search engine features, technical analyses, search strategies, reviews, and more
  • Search Engine Watch - information for web searchers and web designers about how search engines work
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