This chapter covers communication using email and the effective use of the internet. It includes email rules and security, netiquette, spam, the internet and WWW, intranets and extranets, online communication tools, ISPs, search engines, internet protocols and internet risks.
Use these links to move directly to each part of Chapter 10.
Email is one of the most common ways of communicating electronically. However, users need to follow rules relating to security, acceptable behaviour and legislation.
Many countries have laws controlling how organisations send emails.
Email, text messages and online forums should not contain inappropriate material.
Users should think carefully about what they write because electronic messages can easily be copied or forwarded.
Organisations may create rules telling employees how company email systems should be used.
Emails and their attachments may be protected by copyright.
an email or attachment, particularly if it is marked confidential or copyrighted.
Passive attacks – information is disclosed without permission.
Active attacks – messages are changed, systems are overloaded or malicious software/phishing attacks are used.
Netiquette means internet etiquette – behaving politely and responsibly when communicating electronically.
An email group stores several email addresses under one group name.
Instead of entering every email address separately, the sender can use the group name.
People in the Cc field receive a copy of the email.
All recipients can normally see the addresses placed in the Cc field.
People in the Bcc field also receive the message, but their email addresses are hidden from the other recipients.
Bcc is therefore particularly useful when sending an email to a large group because it protects people's email addresses.
| Cc | Bcc |
|---|---|
| Recipient receives a copy | Recipient receives a copy |
| Address is visible to other recipients | Address is hidden from other recipients |
| Useful for interested parties | Useful for privacy/security |
Forwarding sends a received email to another address.
An attachment is a file sent with an email.
Large files can also exceed an ISP's permitted attachment size.
Spam is unsolicited email sent over the internet, often to many recipients.
Spam can also occur on mobile phones through unwanted text messages.
The internet provides access to huge amounts of information and communication services. This section covers the internet, WWW, intranets, extranets, blogs, wikis, social networking, forums, ISPs, browsers, search engines, protocols and risks.
The internet is a worldwide collection of interconnected networks.
The World Wide Web (WWW) is only one part of the internet. It consists of web pages and websites that are accessed using web browsers.
| Internet | World Wide Web |
|---|---|
| Worldwide collection of connected networks | Collection of web pages/websites |
| Supports email, chat and many other services | Used mainly to access web information |
| Uses protocols such as TCP/IP | Uses HTTP/HTTPS |
| Provides the network infrastructure | Uses the internet to access web servers |
An intranet is a private network based on internet technology but designed for use within an organisation.
Access is usually restricted to authorised users.
An extranet extends part of an organisation's intranet to authorised people outside the organisation.
may be given controlled access to certain information.
Sensitive information can remain protected using passwords and other security measures.
Intranet vs extranet
Intranet: mainly for people inside the organisation.
Extranet: allows selected external users to access part of the intranet.
| Internet | Intranet |
|---|---|
| Public/global network | Private organisational network |
| Anyone with internet access can use it | Access is restricted |
| Information covers almost any subject | Information relates mainly to the organisation |
| Greater exposure to external threats | Usually protected by a firewall |
| Access through an ISP | Often requires user ID/password |
A blog (web log) is an online journal where an author posts information or opinions.
A microblog is similar to a blog but uses short, frequent posts.
It is commonly used on social networking platforms.
A b-blog is a business blog used by companies to promote themselves online.
A wiki is a website that allows users to create and edit content collaboratively.
| Blog | Wiki |
|---|---|
| Usually one main author | Many authors |
| Readers normally cannot edit posts | Users can edit content |
| Posts usually arranged by date | Pages can be organised in many ways |
| Online journal | Collaborative information source |
Social networking sites allow users with similar interests to communicate and form online communities.
A forum is an online discussion area.
Posts are checked by an administrator before being published.
This can make a moderated forum safer than an unmoderated one.
An Internet Service Provider (ISP) is a company that provides users with access to the internet.
Users normally pay for the service and receive account/login details.
The ISP provides the equipment and communication links required for internet access.
A web browser is software that allows users to access and display web pages.
A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address used to locate a resource or web page.
If the address is incorrect, an error such as HTTP 404 may appear.
A search engine helps users locate information when they do not know the exact URL.
The user enters keywords/search criteria, and the search engine looks for matching web pages.
A more specific search usually produces fewer and more relevant hits.
may produce millions of results.
Adding more specific words makes the search narrower:
Advanced search options can reduce the results even further.
However, users should always acknowledge their sources to avoid plagiarism and copyright infringement.
Information found online should not automatically be trusted.
Can you identify the author or organisation? Is the source reliable?
Can the information be confirmed using another source?
Is the information objective, or is it trying to persuade the reader?
When was the information published or last updated?
Are claims supported by reliable references?
Does the site look genuine and do its links work?
A useful revision idea is:
A protocol is a set of rules used when devices communicate and transfer data.
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is used when transferring web-page data over the internet.
HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP.
The S means secured. It is used when data is protected using security such as encryption/SSL.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is used to transfer files from one computer to another over a network or the internet.
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) allows information to be transmitted securely over the internet.
There is debate about whether the internet should be more strictly controlled.
| Cc | Bcc |
|---|---|
| Addresses visible | Addresses hidden |
| Used to copy interested recipients | Useful for privacy when emailing groups |
| Internet | WWW |
|---|---|
| Global network of networks | Collection of web pages |
| Supports many services | One service using the internet |
| Includes email, chat, WWW, etc. | Accessed mainly through browsers |
| Internet | Intranet | Extranet |
|---|---|---|
| Public/global | Private/internal | Private with selected outside access |
| Anyone can access | Organisation's users | Authorised external users |
| Wide variety of information | Organisation-specific information | Selected organisational information |
| Blog | Wiki |
|---|---|
| Usually one author | Many contributors |
| Readers normally cannot edit | Users can edit |
| Reverse chronological posts | Collaborative pages |
| Protocol | Main use |
|---|---|
| HTTP | Transfer web-page data |
| HTTPS | Secure transfer of web-page data |
| FTP | Transfer files |
Students should be especially confident with: