Types

Internet

Characteristics
A global system of interconnected computer networks that use the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to link several billion
devices worldwide.
It is a network of networks[1] that consists of millions of private, public, academic, business, and government networks
of local to global scope, linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless, and optical networking technologies. The Internet
carries an extensive range of information resources and services, such as the inter-linked hypertext documents and
applications of the World Wide Web (WWW), electronic mail, telephony, and peer-to-peer networks for file sharing.
Services:
The Internet carries many network services, most prominently the World Wide Web, electronic mail, Internet telephony,
and File sharing services.

World wide web

An information space where documents and other web resources are identified by URIs, interlinked by hypertext links,
and can be accessed via the Internet. It has become known simply as the Web
The World Wide Web is the primary tool billions use to interact on the internet, and it has changed people's lives
immeasurably.
Web pages are primarily text documents formatted and annotated with Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). In addition
to formatted text, web pages may contain images, video, and software components that are rendered in the user's web
browser as coherent pages of multimedia content.

Website

A set of related web pages typically served from a single web domain. A website is hosted on at least one web server,
accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet address known as a
uniform resource locator (URL).

Web Browser

A software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web.
Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Opera, and Safari.

Web Search
Engine

Email

A software system that is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web.
Magellan, Excite, Infoseek, Inktomi, Northern Light, and AltaVista.
Yahoo!, Bing, Google , Baidu , AOL, Ask, Lycos , Excite
Search engine

Market share in December 2014

Google

66.44%

Baidu

11.15%

Bing

10.29%

Yahoo!

9.31%

AOL

0.53%

Ask

0.21%

Lycos

0.01%

Electronic mail.A method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Email operates
across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required the author and the recipient to both
be online at the same time, in common with instant messaging. Today's email systems are based on a store-and-forward
model. Email servers accept, forward, deliver, and store messages. Neither the users nor their computers are required to
be online simultaneously; they need connect only briefly, typically to a mail server, for as long as it takes to send or
receive messages.
Types:
Web-based email
Main article: Webmail

Many email providers have a web-based email client (e.g. AOL Mail, Gmail, Outlook.com and Yahoo! Mail). This allows
users to log into the email account by using any compatible web browser to send and receive their email. Mail is
typically not downloaded to the client, so can't be read without a current Internet connection.
POP3 email services
The Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) is a mail access protocol used by a client application to read messages from the mail
server. Received messages are often deleted from the server. POP supports simple download-and-delete requirements
for access to remote mailboxes (termed maildrop in the POP RFC's).[84]
IMAP email servers
The Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) provides features to manage a mailbox from multiple devices. Small
portable devices like smartphones are increasingly used to check email while travelling, and to make brief replies, larger
devices with better keyboard access being used to reply at greater length. IMAP shows the headers of messages, the
sender and the subject and the device needs to request to download specific messages. Usually mail is left in folders in
the mail server.
MAPI email servers
Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) is a messaging architecture and an API based on the Component
Object Model (COM) for Microsoft Windows.
Pros
The problem of logistics: Much of the business world relies on communications between people who are not physically in
the same building, area, or even country; setting up and attending an in-person meeting, telephone call, or conference
call can be inconvenient, time-consuming, and costly. Email provides a method of exchanging information between two
or more people with no set-up costs and that is generally far less expensive than a physical meeting or phone call.
The problem of synchronisation: With real time communication by meetings or phone calls, participants must work on
the same schedule, and each participant must spend the same amount of time in the meeting or call. Email allows
asynchrony: each participant may control their schedule independently.
Cons
Most business workers today spend from one to two hours of their working day using email: reading, ordering, sorting,
're-contextualizing' fragmented information, and writing email.[86] The use of email is increasing worldwide:
Information overload: Email is a push technology the sender controls who receives the information. Convenient
availability of mailing lists and use of "copy all" can lead to people receiving unwanted or irrelevant information of no
use to them.
Inconsistency: Email can duplicate information. This can be a problem when a large team is working on documents and
information while not in constant contact with the other members of their team.
Despite these disadvantages, email has become the most widely used medium of communication within the business

Blog

Online Chat

world. A 2010 study on workplace communication by Paytronics found 83% of U.S. knowledge workers felt email was
critical to their success and productivity at work.
A discussion or informational site published on the World Wide Web and consisting of discrete entries ("posts") typically
displayed in reverse chronological order (the most recent post appears first).
More recently "multi-author blogs" (MABs) have developed, with posts written by large numbers of authors and
professionally edited. MABs from newspapers, other media outlets, universities, think tanks, advocacy groups and
similar institutions account for an increasing quantity of blog traffic.
There are many different types of blogs, differing not only in the type of content, but also in the way that content is
delivered or written.
Personal blogs
The personal blog is an ongoing diary or commentary written by an individual.
Collaborative blogs or group blogs
a type of weblog in which posts are written and published by more than one author. The majority of high-profile
collaborative blogs are based around a single uniting theme, such as politics or technology. In recent years, the
blogosphere has seen the emergence and growing popularity of more collaborative efforts, often set up by already
established bloggers wishing to pool time and resources to both reduce the pressure of maintaining a popular website
and to attract a larger readership.
Corporate and organizational blogs
A blog can be private, as in most cases, or it can be for business purposes. Blogs used internally to enhance the
communication and culture in a corporation or externally for marketing, branding or public relations purposes are called
corporate blogs. Similar blogs for clubs and societies are called club blogs, group blogs, or by similar names; typical use
is to inform members and other interested parties of club and member activities.
Online chat may refer to any kind of communication over the Internet that offers a real-time transmission of text
messages from sender to receiver. Chat messages are generally short in order to enable other participants to respond
quickly. Thereby, a feeling similar to a spoken conversation is created, which distinguishes chatting from other textbased online communication forms such as Internet forums and email. Online chat may address point-to-point
communications as well as multicast communications from one sender to many receivers and voice and video chat, or
may be a feature of a web conferencing service.
The following are common chat programs and protocols:

Apple Messages

AOL Instant Messenger (AIM)

Camfrog

Campfire

RetroShare (encrypted,
decentralized)

QQ

SILC

Gadu-Gadu

Skype

Google Talk

Talk

I2P-Messenger (anonymous, end-to-end encrypted im

for the I2P network)

ICQ (OSCAR)

Internet Relay Chat (IRC)

WebChat
System (WBS)

Talker
TeamSpeak (TS)
Broadcasting

MUD

WhatsApp

Paltalk

Windows Live Messenger

XMPP

Yahoo! Messenger No longer

available

Chat programs supporting multiple protocols:

Adium

Miranda IM

Google+ Hangouts

Pidgin

Kopete

Quiet Internet Pager

IBM Sametime

Trillian

Windows Live Messenger

Web sites with browser-based chat services (also see web chat):

Cryptocat

Mibbit

Convore No longer available

Omegle

Video
Conferencing

eBuddy

Talkomatic

eXo Platform (Open Source)

Tokbox No longer available

Facebook

Tinychat

FilmOn

Trillian

Gmail

Userplane

Google+

Woo Media No longer available

Hall.com

Wireclub

MeBeam

Zumbl No longer available

Meebo No longer available

The conduct of a videoconference (also known as a video conference or videoteleconference) by a set of

telecommunication technologies which allow two or more locations to communicate by simultaneous two-way video and
audio transmissions. It has also been called 'visual collaboration' and is a type of groupware. Videoconferencing differs
from videophone calls in that it's designed to serve a conference or multiple locations rather than individuals.
Videoconferencing uses audio and video telecommunications to bring people at different sites together.
The other components required for a videoconferencing system include:

Video input: video camera or webcam

Video output: computer monitor, television orprojector

Audio input: microphones, CD/DVD player, cassette player, or any other source of PreAmp audio outlet.

Audio output: usually loudspeakersassociated with the display device or telephone

Data transfer: analog or digital telephone network, LAN or Internet

Computer: a data processing unit that ties together the other components, does the compressing and decompressing, and initiates and

maintains the data linkage via the network.

There are basically two kinds of videoconferencing systems:
1. Dedicated systems have all required components packaged into a single piece of equipment, usually a console with a high
quality remote controlled video camera. These cameras can be controlled at a distance to pan left and right, tilt up and down, and zoom.
They became known as PTZ cameras. The console contains all electrical interfaces, the control computer, and the software or
hardware-based codec. Omnidirectional microphones are connected to the console, as well as a TV monitor with loudspeakers and/or
a video projector. There are several types of dedicated videoconferencing devices:
1. Large group videoconferencing are non-portable, large, more expensive devices used for large rooms and auditoriums.
2. Small group videoconferencing are non-portable or portable, smaller, less expensive devices used for small meeting rooms.
3. Individual videoconferencing are usually portable devices, meant for single users, have fixed cameras, microphones and
loudspeakers integrated into the console.
2. Desktop systems are add-ons (hardware boards or software codec) to normal PCs and laptops, transforming them into
videoconferencing devices. A range of different cameras and microphones can be used with the codec, which contains the necessary
codec and transmission interfaces. Most of the desktops systems work with the H.323 standard. Videoconferences carried out via
dispersed PCs are also known as e-meetings. These can also be nonstandard, Microsoft Lync, Skype for Business, Google Hangouts,
or Yahoo Messenger or standards based, Cisco Jabber.
3. WebRTC Platforms are video conferencing solutions that are not resident by using a software application but is available through the
standard web browser. Solutions such as Adobe Connect and Cisco WebEX can be accessed by going to a URL sent by the meeting
organizer and various degrees of security can be attached to the virtual "room". Often the user will be required to download a piece of
software, called an "Add In" to enable the browser to access the local camera, microphone and establish a connection to the meeting.

Distance
Learning

Distance learning is a way of learning remotely without being in regular face-to-face contact with a teacher in the classroom. In the UK
such learning has its roots in students learning through correspondence courses.
An instructional delivery system that connects learners with educational resources.

Provides educational access to learners not enrolled in educational institutions and can augment the learning

opportunities of current students. The implementation of DL is a process that uses available resources and will evolve to
incorporate emerging technologies.
Types of Distance Learning
There are two distance education delivery system categories - synchronous and asynchronous. Synchronous instruction requires the
simultaneous participation of all students and instructors. The advantage of synchronous instruction is that interaction is done in "real
time" and has an immediacy. Examples include interactive telecourses, teleconferencing and web conferencing, and Internet chats.
Asynchronous instruction does not require the simultaneous participation of all students and instructors. Students do not need to be
gathered together in the same location at the same time. Rather, students may choose their own instructional time frame and interact with
the learning materials and instructor according to their schedules. Asynchronous instruction is more flexible than synchronous instruction,
but experience shows that time limits are necessary to maintain focus and participation. The self-paced format accommodates multiple
learning levels and schedules. Examples of asynchronous delivery include e-mail, listservs, audiocassette courses, videotaped courses,
correspondence courses, and WWW-based courses.

E-Learning

eLearning is learning utilizing electronic technologies to access educational curriculum outside of a traditional classroom.
In most cases, it refers to a course, program or degree delivered completely online.
courses that are specifically delivered via the internet to somewhere other than the classroom where the professor is
teaching. It is not a course delivered via a DVD or CD-ROM, video tape or over a television channel. It is interactive in
that you can also communicate with your teachers, professors or other students in your class. Sometimes it is delivered
live, where you can electronically raise your hand and interact in real time and sometimes it is a lecture that has been
prerecorded. There is always a teacher or professor interacting /communicating with you and grading your participation,
your assignments and your tests. eLearning has been proven to be a successful method of training and education is
becoming a way of life for many citizens in North Carolina.

Web-based
Learning

Online learning, e-learning, computer-based training, technology-based instruction etc. Generally the meaning and the
basic concept of them are the same. Web-based learning is one way to learn, using web-based technologies or tools in a
learning process. In other words, learner uses mainly computers to interact with the teacher, other students and
learning material. Web-based learning consists of technology that supports traditional classroom training and online
learning environments. "Pure" web-based courses are wholly based on computer and online possibilities. In this case all
the communication and learning activities are done online. On the other hand, web-based courses may have some faceto-face sessions besides the distant learning tasks. In this case they are called blended courses as they blend web-based
activities with face-to-face activities.
Web-based learning can be also formal or informal. Formal web-based learning is purposed and learning activities are
organised by teachers. Informal learning takes place while you are searching material from the Internet. It is self-paced,
depending on your goals and ambition to learn.
Factor

Advantages

Disadvantages

Teachers and learners have to adopt new

New learning theories and approaches enable
learning theories and approaches. Role changes
to learn and teach in a more effective way.
Learning
theories
of teachers and learners may cause frustration
Students can experience a sense of equality.
and approaches
and confusion. Without the common structures
Course work and challenging assignments are
of a traditional class, students may feel lost or
stimulating for knowledge building.
confused about course activities and deadlines.
Students can work at their own pace, when Learners who are not self-motivated, selfthey want. Web-based learning enables to directed and independent are not able to plan
study more deeply areas of interest. It their own learning and may have problems.
encourages exploring material on your own and Material and assignment instructions might be
Independent
and
enables to skip over materials already too complicated to understand independently.
learner
centred
mastered.
Web-based
learning
supports Some of the students may lose motivation
learning
personalised learning and is self-directed. It without
certain
deadlines.
Independent
builds self-knowledge and self-confidence and learning requires certain skills: technological,
encourages students to take responsibility for communication skills, self-motivation and
their own learning.
effective study habits.

Flexibility

Interaction

Web-based learning enables to join discussions

at any hour and encourages also those who
Learners with low motivation or bad study
don't like to speak. It facilitates learning
habits may fall behind. They may have
through a variety of activities. Learners have
difficulties in organizing their learning.
access to courses, which enables to reduce
travel time and costs.
Web-based
learning
provides
interaction Prohibits those who are not active learners in a
between students and instructors. Students group. Human contact is missing as interaction
can share their ideas with other students, is relied on electronic communication.

which may help to understand the material

better.

Access to material

Contact
instructors

Help Desk

Problems with technology might prevent the

Students can study anywhere and anytime if
access: low speed connection, difficulties to
they have an access to computer and Internet.
download
information,
problems
with
Web-based learning provides continual and
communication tools. Some courses and
also direct access to materials, resources in
materials might be out of date. There may be
many different formats and of good quality.
lack of quality control.

Working on the web offers an opportunity to Teachers are overloaded with students and
communicate with students using e-mail, their contacts. Students may feel isolated from
with
discussion boards etc. Teachers receive the instructor and classmates. Instructor may
students' work quickly and they provide timely not always be available when students are
feedback to students' questions.
studying or need help.

When you learn to use one browser and certain

Managing computer files and online learning
software, you will probably be able to use other
software can be complex for students with
browsers and software as well. Some of the
beginner-level computer skills. Poor usability
software and web browsers are free of charge
Use of technology
may cause troubles with navigation, computers
on the internet. Web-based learning develops
crash or have viruses, impossible to send
knowledge of the Internet and computer skills
mails. Software and access to the Internet and
that help learners throughout their lives and
e-mail is not free all the time
careers.
A resource intended to provide the customer or end user with information and support related to a company's or
institution's products and services. The purpose of a help desk is usually to troubleshoot problems or provide guidance
about products such as computers, electronic equipment, food, apparel, or software. Corporations usually provide help
desk support to their customers through various channels such as toll-free numbers, websites, instant messaging, or
email. There are also in-house help desks designed to provide assistance to employees.