THEORY

Communication
E-mail
Uses:

 Email is a technique of sending and receiving messages and files via the

Internet.

 It is employed in personal communication, business communications, and

marketing.

 Acceptable language needs to be used based on the recipient of the email, for

example, professional when composing a work-related email.

 Employers frequently establish requirements for professional language,

substance, and email frequency.

 Email security is critical to preventing sensitive data from being accessed or

manipulated.

 Netiquette is the right conduct and politeness when using email.

o Don’t be abusive

o Don’t send spam

o Be clear and succinct with your message

o Remember that posts are public in most cases and can be read by

anyone.

o Always check your spelling and grammar

 o Respect people's privacy and do not discuss or publish information that

might embarrass somebody.

o Forgive people’s mistakes

o Do not use CAPITAL LETTERS to highlight comments

o Do not plagiarize

o Do not use too many emoticons as they might annoy your readers.

 Email groups enable mass communication to a specific group of subscribers.

Guidelines set by employers:

 It is up to companies to decide if personal emails should be permitted on their

systems

 Companies may specify which company devices are allowed to be used

 There needs to be a company standard style when sending emails

 Must be made clear what email content is not permitted

 Employees should be told to only use their accounts when sending emails

 Must be clear rules regarding the confidentiality of information

 Staff need to be aware of the method and duration of storing emails

 Incoming emails should only be read by the recipient

 Company policy on how to deal with and prevent viruses must be laid out

 Monitoring of emails may be carried out and staff must be aware that the

company has the right to read all emails

 Suitable ongoing training will take place to ensure staff follow company policy at

all times

Carbon copies (Cc) and Blind carbon copies (Bcc)

  Carbon copies are used to send the email to multiple recipients.

 Blind carbon copies are made to send the email to multiple recipients without

them acknowledging that it has been sent to other recipients.

 Forward enables users to send an already existing email to a new recipient.

 To attach files to be sent with an email, we make use of Attachments.

Spam

It is defined as any unwanted email delivered via the Internet. These can range from

simply annoying to genuinely harmful as they may contain viruses.

The main disadvantages are:

 wasting time

 annoying people

 using up valuable bandwidth on the internet, thus slowing it down

 may have viruses, or be a part of a phishing scam

 can take up significant space in user inboxes

To minimize the spam you receive:

 use spam filters

 avoid disclosing your email address publicly

 don’t click on links in spam emails or reply to them

The Internet
Characteristics of the Internet:

 allows individuals from all around the world to instantaneously connect and chat

with one another

  Runs on a distributed network design, which means it is not controlled by a single

central authority.

 mostly used for transmitting data in a variety of formats such as text, photos,

audio, and video

Uses of the Internet:

 a vital communication tool that allows people to communicate via emails, instant

messaging, and other means.

 acts as a massive database of information on almost any subject

 internet has transformed business by offering a platform for online purchasing,

electronic payments, and digital transactions, allowing enterprises to reach global

consumers.

Advantages of the Internet:

 users have access to an incredible amount of information, empowering them to

learn

 enables individuals and businesses to connect and communicate with people

from different parts of the world in real-time

 the Internet has made many things easier to complete, thus providing simplicity

and effectiveness

Disadvantages of the Internet:

 raises hazards to data security and personal privacy through the possibility of

identity theft, data breaches, and online monitoring.

 the spread of propaganda, fake news, and misinformation due to the simplicity

with which content can be created and distributed online.

  the digital divide that results from unequal Internet access threatens to widen

already existing disparities.

The differences between the internet, intranet, and extranet:

 Definition:

o The Internet is a vast network of linked computer networks and gadgets

that communicate with one another using the Internet Protocol Suite

(TCP/IP).

o The intranet is a secure network that operates within an organization using

internet technologies and protocols, such as TCP/IP.

o Extranets are managed private networks that can give access to third-

party users and give users, such as partners, suppliers, or clients, safe

access to a portion of the intranet.

 Accessibility:

o Internet is open and accessible to the public, allowing users to access a

wide range of information, services, and resources from all around the

world.

o Intranets are restricted to internal users and typically secured by firewalls

and other security measures to maintain the security of critical corporate

data.

o Extranet provides authorized external users only limited access, in

contrast to the internet, which is public, or the intranet, which is entirely

restricted. To access the extranet, these users need a secure login.

 Purpose:
 o Internet acts as a hub for intercultural dialogue, the sharing of knowledge,

and access to a range of Internet resources including websites, email,

social media, online shopping, and more.

o An intranet's main goal is to make it easier for employees to communicate,

work together, and share information.

o Extranets are made to make it easier for a company's external

stakeholders to collaborate and communicate with it. It enables the

organization and its reliable clients or partners to securely share

information, documents, and resources.

Many people use the terms “Internet” and “World wide web” interchangeably, however,

they can’t be used under the same context:

- The internet refers to the global network of computers and other devices connected

through routers and servers, however, the world wide web is a collection of websites

and webpages that are accessed via the internet.

 Blog:

o it is a website or section of a website that continually shares new

information, frequently written informally or conversationally similar to a

journal.

o usually presented in a reverse chronological manner

o usually managed by individuals or small groups

o allow for reader comments, facilitating some level of discussion

o often focus on specific topics, such as food, travel, fashion, technology, or

personal experiences
 o also, serve as a platform for sharing opinions or insights

 Forum:

o an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form

of posted messages

o often organized around specific topics or interests, and divided into

categories known as threads

o primarily focused on peer-to-peer interaction

o may require users to create an account before posting

o can be moderated or unmoderated

 moderated forum refers to an online discussion forum in which all

the posts are checked by an administrator before they are allowed

to be posted.

 The internet is essentially a huge unmoderated forum. No one

‘owns’ the internet, and it is essentially not policed.

 Wiki:

o a type of website that allows users to add, remove, or edit content

o designed to facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing from many

people

o holds information on many topics which can be searched

o posts are not in chronological order

o structure is determined by the content or its users

o most famous wiki is Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia

 o changes can be tracked and reverted if necessary, and the content is

usually written in a neutral style

 Social networking:

o platforms where users can connect with others and share content

o include platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn

o require users to create a profile and allow them to share text, images,

videos, and links

o facilitate interaction, collaboration, and information sharing on a large

scale

o privacy settings allow users to control who can see their content

The functionality of the Internet

Internet service providers (ISP): A company that provides internet access. Typically, a

monthly fee is charged for this service. A user's account is created when they register

with an ISP, and they acquired login information such as user ID and password.

Uniform Resource Locator (URL): It is the address of a web page on the WWW. It is

a text-based address that uniquely identifies the location of any resource available on

the internet. The three main components are:

 Protocol:

o it is the communication protocol used to transfer data between the client

and the server

o E.g. HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and others

 Domain:

o it is the name of the server where the resource is located

 o it can be a name or an IP address

 Webpage/file name:

o it is the location of the file or resource on the server

o it can contain the name of the file or directory where the resource is

located

 A URL looks like this:

o protocol://domain/path/filename

o E.g. https://www.hoddereducation.co.uk/IGCSE/ICT is a URL that consists

of the HTTPS protocol, the domain name "www.hoddereducation.co.uk",

the path is “IGCSE” and the filename is “ICT”

 A hyperlink is a word/phrase/image which references data that the reader can

follow by clicking or tapping, usually taking you to another web page

 A web browser is a software application used to locate, retrieve, and display

content on the WWW, including web pages, images, video, and other files

Use of search engines:

There are two fundamental methods for obtaining information via the Internet. The first

method is to enter the URL if you're familiar with the address of the website. If you don't

know where to look, the second option is to employ a search engine to locate the

information you seek.

 Advantages of using the Internet to find information

o information tends to be up to date because it is quicker and easier to

amend

o internet has vast amounts of information

 o searching for information using a search engine is fast and easy

o people can look for information in the comfort of their own home

o information on the internet is essentially free of charge

o webpages may have multimedia elements, making learning more

interesting

 Disadvantages of using the Internet to find information

o it isn’t regulated, anything can be posted

o always the risk of accessing inappropriate websites

o too easy to be distracted by the many distractions available on the internet

o Some research skills are lost when using the internet as search engines

do all the work for you.

Speed of searching:

 To locate matches to your search query, search engines may scan billions of

online pages in a fraction of a second.

 Your internet connection and the effectiveness of the search engine's algorithms

both influence the speed.

Amount of information:

 Because search engines can deliver a deluge of information, it is critical to utilize

particular and relevant search phrases.

 Adding quotation marks for specific phrases, "+" signs for required terms, and "-

" signs for omitting terms can all help to narrow down the search.

Finding relevant and reliable information:

  The algorithm of the search engine determines the relevancy of information by

taking into account parameters such as keyword frequency & page quality.

 Reliable information is often obtained from recognized sources such as

educational, government, or well-known industry websites.

Evaluating information found on the internet:

 Although the internet provides a plethora of information, not all of it is genuine or

dependable.

 Consider the reputation and trustworthiness of the source when determining the

dependability of the information.

 Check the accuracy of information by comparing it to other reliable sources.

 Assess whether the information is skewed, keeping an eye out for views that may

be pushing a particular point of view.

 Check to see if the material is up to date, as obsolete information might be

deceptive.

Internet protocols:

Protocols are sets of rules that the 'sender' and 'recipient' agree on when data is

exchanged between devices.

1. Hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP): when a web page is being accessed, entering

http:// at the front of an address tells the web browser that ‘http rules’ for communication

are to be obeyed.

2. Hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS): A secure version of HTTP that

encrypts data for security.

3. File transfer protocol (FTP): network protocol used when transferring files from one

computer to another computer over the internet. It is similar to HTTP, but the protocol is

specifically for the transfer of files.

4. Secure sockets layer (SSL): a protocol that allows data to be sent and received

securely over the internet.

Risks of using the Internet:

 Inappropriate and unlawful content: The internet may attract people to potentially

dangerous or illegal materials.

 Data restriction: Parental, educational, and ISP restrictions can all be used to

restrict access to specific information or websites.