Let’s start this report with some definitions of frequently used terms so that you’re clear as to what I’ll be talking about later on in the coming chapters. If you’re not familiar with computers and Internet, then read this chapter carefully. I’ll be explaining in simple English so I’ll strip off as much technical jargons as I can so that any ordinary person can understand complex and technical subjects.Let’s begin, shall we?

• What exactly is the internet?

The Internet stands for Integrated Network. The Internet is a GLOBAL network of computers with hundreds of millions of computers all over the world all linked to each other. Your computer can easily access to the Internet one of two ways:

• Through an Internet Service Provider (ISP). An ISP doesn’t provide any type of content; it just provides a connection to the Internet.

• Through an online service (e.g. America Online, Microsoft Network, Prodigy, and so on). An online service not only connects you to the Internet but also provides content such as daily news, stock quotes, football scores, and information resources. Once you have an Internet Access account, to log on to the Internet you need to get your own PC (Personal Computer) with a modem. Most new computers come ready with a built-in (internal) modem.

Then all you need to do to access the Internet is to connect your home phone line to the modem, and dial an Internet Access telephone number provided by your ISP. A program in your computer will enable you to access the Internet once you dial in.

When you are connected to the Internet, you can easily send digital files and information to another computer in the network within minutes. The faster your PC and Internet connection is, the faster you can send your files. With your computer connected to the Internet, youcan easily and efficiently share information with other users FROM AROUND THE WORLD within seconds or minutes. If you can share information easily and efficiently – you can easily market your products or services to others and make money in the process at a very low cost!

You can set up a system on the Internet to send marketing information to your prospects 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, because the Internet doesn’t sleep, and its users are all over the world, each living in a different time zone! This system consists of primarily your Website and E-mail.

• What is a domain name?

Basically, your domain name is the internet address of your website, it looks something like this: www.yourname.com

Once the domain name has been selected and registered, no one else can register the same domain name just as there can never be two houses with the same address. Your domain name can also be your Internet Business name.

• What is a website?

A website can act as a brochure or sales letter but in electronic form, viewable only in your computer. A website can also act as your physical business premises.

Your website displays your products in the form of photos or illustrations and words that describe what it is. People can browse your website for the products you carry from any PC with an Internet Browser without having to go there in person to see them.

• What is a web browser?

An Internet Browser allows your visitors to view your website.

• What is email?

An e-mail is mail in electronic format and hence, Electronic Mail. Instead of sending a letter to your friend by writing it on a piece of paper, putting it into an envelope and sticking a stamp on it before going to the post office to post it, you compose an e-mail in your E-mail program and when you’re ready to send, you click on the button SEND.

• What is web hosting?

The host of your website is the server. Your website sits on the hard disk of a big computer called a server that is connected to the Internet 24 hours a day. The server can also host other websites simultaneously.

• What is an autoresponder?

An Autoresponder is a computer program that acts like your answering machine for e-mail messages from your friends. You can write out your message in advance, like the following:

Once you’ve turned your Autoresponder on at your email address, anyone sending e-mail to your e-mail address will automatically receive your message above – without any need for you to send it manually!

A Sequential Autoresponder is a computer program that will AUTOMATICALLY send out MORE THAN ONE prewritten e-mail address that has been set to followup with different messages in sequence. You can specify the interval between each pre-written messages and as many e-mail messages as you wish.

• What is an FTP program?

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. An FTP Program enables you to deliver digital files to your website’s host directly from your own computer through the Internet so that your website can be ready to be viewed by your visitors. This program is also enables you to edit and delete existing web pages and images.

Here is an “INTERNET DICTIONARY” to help you understand more about the internet: The following commonly used short definitions give you a general idea of the many resources and tools currently available.

BBS – stands for bulletin board system. BBSes work just like the corkboards you see in hallways, kitchens or recreational rooms in almost every business. You can pick up a message of interest or leave your own.

cybernaut – you are one if you use the Internet often.

download – transmission of information from a source on the Internet directly into your computer.

e-mail – the electronic mail is probably the most used feature on the Internet. You can send out friendly letters instantly.

encrypted message – a message that has the scrambled so that no one other than the desired recipient, who can unscramble the message, can read it.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions.

flame – to send someone a nasty note.

file – computer documents that you work with. You can send files over the Internet to just about any where in the world.

java – a computer programming language for the distribution of digital information. Because Java can “talk” to any computer operating system, it is ideal for something so wildly diverse as the Internet.

log on – connecting to the Internet.

lurk – reading and understanding the posted messages in a newsgroup before posting your own.

mailing list – an e-mail list of people who want to get information about a specific subject (e.g. person, place, products, services, etc.).

nettiquette – from net and etiquette, it simply means good manners on the Internet.

newsgroup – a place where individuals post and retrieve messages, except that these messages concern a single topic. You can read or join with your own news, views and comments.

snail mail – term referring to the slowness of the postal system compared to the speed of e-mail.

URL – Uniform Resource Locator. Also known as website address.