BBC First Click Beginners Guide

previouscontent pagenext2.1: What the internet isUsing a web browserThe information on theinternet is contained inwebsites and on webpages.To connect to the internet youneed an Internet ServiceProvider or ISP.Your mobile phone company,home phone, cable televisionprovider or even your localsupermarket chain can offeryou an internet connection.A broadband internetconnection allows you toaccess the internet.2. Using the internetThe address bar has the addressof the website you are on.Every website has an address,which is also called a URL.For example, the URL for theBBC website is:www.bbc.co.ukThe www stands for WorldWide Web. Most websiteshave this at the beginning.The BBC is the name ofthe website.The .uk shows the BBC websiteis in the United Kingdom.22

previouscontent pagenext2.1: What the internet isUsing a web browserYou view websites and webpages in aweb browser. A web browser is simplya way of being able to view webpages.All web browsers have similar features.You can normally open your web browserfrom a shortcut on your desktop.Two of the most popular browsers areInternet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.Internet Explorerhttp://bbc.co.uk/newsMozilla Firefox2. Using the internet23

previouscontent pagenext2.1: What the internet isUsing a web browserAt the top of the browser you willfind an address bar.To go to a website you need to putits address into the address bar.To do this click with yourcursor and type the addresswww.bbc.co.uk directly intothe address bar.If there is already an addressin the address bar, click on itto highlight it and start totype.The new address willstart to appear.Press the Enter keyto go to the website.2. Using the internet24

previouscontent pagenext2.1: What the internet isUsing a web browserA web browser alsohas a toolbar. You usethe toolbar buttons tomove around websitesand update webpages.Click the Home button to go tothe first page you see when youopen your web browser. Thehome button looks like a house.Click the Back button to goback to a page you have alreadyvisited.Click the Forward button to goto the page you were on beforeyou pressed the back button.Click the Refresh button toreload or update a page youare on.Click the History button to seewhat websites and webpagesyou have already visited.2. Using the internet25

previouscontent pagenext2.1: What the internet isBrowsing the internet and using linksTo explore inside awebsite you need toclick on links.This is called ‘browsing’or surfing the web.A website is like a bookwhich has a front coveror home page, and lotsof other pages, whichare called webpages.A link can take you to awebpage in the website.A link can also take you to adifferent website.A link can be text, a buttonor an image.Links are highlighted so you canspot them.Your cursor will change to ahand when it moves over a link.You have now covered‘What the internet is’.2. Using the internet26

previouscontent pagenext2.2: Searching the internetWhy use a search engine?This section covers: Why use a search engine Opening and using a search engine Making your search betterWhat you need to have covered already: Switching on your computer Using a mouse Desktop and icons Using a keyboard What the internet is2. Using the internet27

previouscontent pagenext2.2: Searching the internetWhy use a search engine?The internet has millions of websitesand webpages. You can search foralmost anything – from recipesand local news, to history andgardening tips.To search the internet effectively you need asearch engine.   A search engine will scan through thousands ofwebsites and webpages on the internet andcollect and organise the information it thinks ismost relevant to you.   Some of the most popular search engines are:Google www.google.comYahoo www.yahoo.comBing www.bing.com2. Using the internet28

previouscontent pagenext2.2: Searching the internetOpening and using a search engine   To use a search engine, for example InternetExplorer or Mozilla Firefox, you need to openyour web browser   Type in the address of the search engine youwant to use in the address bar   Click the arrow key on the address bar or pressthe enter key on the keyboard. This will take youto the search engine   The search engine has a search box or search field2. Using the internet29

previouscontent pagenext2.2: Searching the internetOpening and using a search engine   To search you type key words into the searchbox and press the search button   Key words are words that describe what youare looking for in the most simple and directway, for example “growing tomatoes”   The result from your search will appear as a listof websites and links. The most popular orrelevant will be at the top of the list To visit a site, click on a link2. Using the internet30

previouscontent pagenext2.2: Searching the internetMaking your search betterYou can make your searching moreeffective by following a few handy tips:   Use key words not full sentences or questions. Forexample, instead of typing “I need tips for growingtomatoes” simply type “growing tomatoes”   If you can’t find what you want, try to usedifferent words or a different way of expressing it Practise putting key words into the search boxand pressing the search button A list of search results will appear, with the mostpopular websites near the top of the list To view a website, simply click on the linkPractise searching the internetYou can practise your searching skills with the BBCWebWise Searching the internet challenge game.www.bbc.co.uk/firstclickYour course leader can help you find it andget started with the game.2. Using the internet31

previouscontent pagenext2.3: Staying safe onlineThis section is all about how to staysafe when using the internet.This section covers: Software that keeps your information safe on your computer How to recognise and prevent suspicious emails How to create strong passwords for use on websites How to shop safely on the internet Where else to go for more informationWhat you need to have covered already: Switching on your computer Using a mouseThe internet is a wonderful tool that haslots of benefits and can make your lifebetter. Unfortunately, the features thatmake it easy for honest people to use canalso be exploited by criminals and peopleintending to cause disruption.But you should not let fear stop you using theinternet. There are a few simple precautionsthat can keep you and your passwordinformation safe. Desktop and icons Using a keyboard What the internet is2. Using the internet32

previouscontent pagenext2.3: Staying safe onlineMaking sure your computer is secureIt’s important that your computer at home is protected.You do this with special programmes: Firewall software Anti-virus software Anti-spyware softwareYou can also find other tips for keeping your computer safe atwww.bbc.co.uk/webwise or www.getsafeonline.org2. Using the internet33

previouscontent pagenext2.3: Staying safe onlineKeeping an eye on emailsPeople may send you emails to try andaccess your private information such asbank account or credit card details.You may also get SPAM emails which aresent to thousands of people and usuallyadvertise products or services.To protect yourself against these typesof emails follow these tips: D on’t open an email from someone you have never heard of.Delete it immediately If you do open it by accident, don’t click on any links.Never reply to a SPAM email ou can put a block on unwanted SPAM email on your email Yaccount – this will also block most fraudulent emails too Use an up-to-date web browser as these can warn you againstsites that may try to gain your information fraudulently Don’t give away your password or any personal information.No legitimate company will ever ask you for your passwordPLEASE In Section 3 you will learn allNOTEabout sending and receiving emails.2. Using the internet34

previouscontent pagenext2.3: Staying safe onlineUsernames and passwordsSometimes you need usernamesand passwords to register oncertain websites. It is safer to have different passwords for different websites.A username can be anything you want it to be. You might notwant to use your real name as this will help keep your identityunknown and safe. Remember – never give your password to anyoneChoose a password that is memorable and not easy for someoneelse to guess.The best type of passwords mix letters and numbers. This isknown as a strong password as it is a lot more difficult to workout what it would be. You use your username and password to log in to a website After you have used a website you should always log offPractise creating a strong password using the BBC WebWise game,Password High Striker. You can find it at www.bbc.co.uk/firstclickYour course leader can help you find it and get startedwith the game.Examples of a bad password: passwordmichaelsmithExamples of a good password: he770MumMik35thPassword High Striker2. Using the internet35

previouscontent pagenext2.3: Staying safe onlineShopping on the internetOne of the benefits of the internet is theability to shop from a wide range of storesand buy items on auction sites.To protect yourself when shopping onlinefollow these tips: Use retailers that have a good reputation as ‘high street’ shops,or established brands Follow the security advice carefully on websites that you trustas its there to help you Never download illegal software, music or videos Make sure that you are on a secure site when you need togive credit or debit card details There will often be a padlock symbol either next to the addressor at the bottom right corner of the page You can find out more information about staying safeon the internet by clicking on ‘Safety and privacy’ sectionon www.bbc.co.uk/webwiseA secure site will start withPLEASE https:// The ‘s’ is what indicatesNOTEit’s a secure site.2. Using the internet 36

previouscontent pagenext3: Using email3.1 Sending and receiving emailGeoff“ Learning how to use emailhas helped me to keep incontact with family andfriends who live abroad”3: Using email

previouscontent pagenext3.1: Sending and receiving emailWhat is email?This section covers: What is email Sending and receiving an email Sending attachments Forwarding an email and using contacts Your email foldersWhat you need to have covered already: Switching on your computer Using a mouse Desktop and icons Using a keyboard What the internet is Staying safe online3. Using email37

previouscontent pagenext3.1: Sending and receiving emailWhat is email?Electronic mail or email is a quick wayof sending messages to people usingthe internet.You send an email to a person’s email address.An email address is made up of the following parts:   tom is the person’s name or user name – thename they use   The @ stands for the word ‘at’ and means thatthey are connected to the bbc.co.uk part of theaddress   After the @ is the name of the place where theperson works or the place which provides theemail address   .uk shows that the email address is for someonein the United Kingdom3. Using email38

previouscontent pagenext3.1: Sending and receiving emailSending and receiving an emailAn email appears in your inboxYou can tell it is a new or unopened email as itwill appear in bold. You can see who the emailis from and the subject of the email.An email has the following features:   An address bar where you put the emailaddress   A subject bar where you write what youremail is about   The main body of the email, where youwrite your messageYou can practise sending and receiving emailwith the BBC WebWise game, Email with Dickand Harry.www.bbc.co.uk/firstclickYour course leader can help you find it and getstarted with the game.3. Using email39

previouscontent pagenext3.1: Sending and receiving emailSending and receiving an emailYou open an email by clicking twice on it, forexample in the subject line. Once an email isopen you can reply to it. You reply by clickingon the Reply button. This will open a new email   The address will already be completed as youare replying to the email   The subject line will be completed and willstart with RE:   You type out your message in the main bodyof the page You send by clicking on the Send button   To create a new email you click on the Newbutton   You type the email address in the address barand a subject in the subject bar Type in your message and then press Send3. Using email40

previouscontent pagenext3.1: Sending and receiving emailSending attachmentsAn attachment is a type of file such asa photo or document. You can send anattachment with an email. To add anattachment you need to click on theAttach button.   The Attach button often has a paperclip as itssymbol   When you click on the Attach button it opens upa new window   The window shows you files and folders on yourcomputer   Find and then click on the file you want to attachand press OK   The file will now show as an attachment in youremail   The name of the file will be shown next to apaperclip3. Using email41

previouscontent pagenext3.1: Sending and receiving emailForwarding an email and using contactsYou forward an email when you wantsomebody else to see it, such asanother friend. To forward an email you need to open it first   Next, click on the Forward button. A newemail will openRemember: When youforward an email it’simportant to check thatyou are only sendinginformation that you wantthe other person to see.   It has FW: in the subject line to show it is beingforwarded. You can type the email address inthe address bar or find it in your contacts   To find an address in contacts you click on theTo button   Choose your contact from the list that appearsby ticking the box and clicking OK. The addresswill appear in the address bar.   You can write a message and then send theemail to forward it to your contact3. Using email42

previouscontent pagenext3.1: Sending and receiving emailYour email foldersThere are different folders that you usefor email. These help you manage andorganise your emails.   The Inbox holds emails that people have sent to you   A Sent box holds emails that you have sent topeople   A Junk folder holds emails that your computerthinks are junk or SPAM   A Trash can or folder holds emails that you nolonger need and have deleted. To delete an emailyou select it and then click on the Delete button   A Contacts folder stores your email addressesand contact details of your friends, familyand colleagues3. Using email43

previouscontent pagenext3.1: Sending and receiving emailSetting up an email accountIf you’re thinking of setting up anemail account, there are a numberof popular providers to consider: Gmail (run by Google)   Hotmail (run by Microsoft) Yahoo! Mail (run by Yahoo)3. Using email44

previouscontent pagenext4: Further help4.1 Jargon Buster – a glossary of useful terms4.2 Know the basics?Want to learn more?4.3 More places to get helpTahira“ I’ve been learning fora little while now butI still get stumped byall the computer andinternet jargon!”4: Further help

previouscontent pagenext4.1: Jargon BusterAddress BookAttachmentBroadbandCrashPart of your email softwarewhere you store details of your‘friends and contacts’ emailaddresses so you don’t have toremember them!A file which is ‘attached’ andsent with a standard text emailmessage. Often photographsor Word documents areattached to emails.A permanent high-speedinternet connection. It receivesdigital information at about100 times faster than a dial-upmodem and is “always-on”.When your computertemporarily stops working.It may pause or ‘freeze’ up,or tell you to restart or quit.Anti-virusBackupBrowserAnti-virus software helpsprotect your computer fromviruses.A technical term for copyingfiles onto disk or CD-ROM forsafe keeping so that they arekept in more than one place.A program you use to viewweb pages and ‘browse’websites. Internet Explorerand Mozilla Firefox are twoof the most popular browsers.The flashing vertical line on thescreen that shows you whereyou are and where the nextcharacter you type will appear.ApplicationAnother word for computerprogram. For example,Word, which is used forcreating documents is a wordprocessing application.ArchiveThe place on a website whereyou find old articles, stories etc.4. Further helpBccMeans Blind carbon copy.The Bcc box allows you tosend an email to more thanone person but their emailaddresses are hidden fromother recipients.BugsErrors in a piece of softwareor web page that can make itbreak or work strangely.CursorCut and pasteSelecting text, images or filesand deleting them from oneplace while putting them inanother.CcTyping an email address orstring of email addresses in the‘Cc’ box will send your mail tothose additional addresses aswell as the main recipient. 45

previouscontent pagenext4.1: Jargon BusterDigital CamerasDrag and dropFAQFlashA camera that takes photographsand stores them on disks orsmart cards rather than onfilm. The photos can then bedownloaded onto a computerwhere the images can beprinted, put on a web pageor emailed.Clicking on an icon orselection, holding the mousebutton down and moving themouse to ‘drag’ the selectionto a new location. When themouse button is released theitem is ‘dropped’.Frequently Asked Questions.A list of standard answers toquestions which newcomersto a topic or website may have.A plug-in application youdownload which allows yourbrowser to show animations.FileUnauthorised access toa computer, its files andprograms by a ‘hacker’, acomputer expert who canbreak through its security.DriverSoftware which runs hardwareattached to your computer likea modem, printer or scanner.New hardware normallycomes with a CD containingthe necessary drivers to installon your computer.DownloadGetting a file onto yourcomputer from anothercomputer on the internet.4. Further helpElectronic mail. Messages(sometimes with attachments)sent over the internet fromone email address to another.Data stored on a disk. Thereare two types: ‘program files’(with instructions that makeup software applications, e.g.Word) and ‘data files’ (filescreated by you and me, e.g.a letter or photo).Error messageFirewallA ‘complaint’ by the computerthat something has gonewrong, maybe including an‘error code’.A program which sits betweenyour computer and theinternet and watches forhacking, viruses or unapproveddata transfer.EmailHackingHard drive/Hard diskThe place inside yourcomputer where yousave documents, pictures,applications, etc.HomepageThe ‘front page’ of a website,where you’re told what’s

A beginner's guide to using computers and the internet Beginner's guide. click each section below Contents introduction Welcome 1 1. Using a computer 1.1 Switching on your computer 3 1.2 Using a mouse 5 1.3 Desktop and icons 10 1.4 Using a keyboard 16 2. Using the internet 2.1 What the internet is 21