INTERNET AND

WEB
APPLICATIONS
The types of Internet and Web applications available
are vast and ever expanding. The most common and
popular uses for the Internet and Web can be
categorized as publishing information, assisting
users in finding information, supporting
communication and collaboration, building online
community, providing a platform for expressing
ideas and opinions, delivering media of all types,
providing a platform for commerce, and supporting
travel navigation.
 ONLINE INFORMATION SOURCES

The Web has become the most popular medium for

distributing and accessing information. Consumers
increasingly rely on online resources to ease and inform
major life events such as weddings, buying a home, changing
jobs, and having a baby. The Web has become the popular
source for daily news, surpassing newspapers and television.
Academic researchers use the Web to share their findings
with others field; most academic publications has moved
from paper to Web. Businesses rely on Web for storing and
delivering corporate information internally to employees and
externally to business partners, customers, and the press.
The Web has become the first place people look when faced
with a challenge or question.
 NEWS AND OPINION

The Web is a powerful tool for keeping informed about local,

state, national, and global news. It allows the public to actively
research issues and become more knowledgeable about current
events.
Online news is available in text, audio, and video formats,
providing the ability to drill down into stories.
News Web sites from Google, Yahoo!, Digg, and Newsvine
provide the most popular or interesting news stories from a
variety of news sources.
 EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Web is ideally suited for education and training. The Internet

supports education from pre -K to lifelong learning. Most
college-level courses rely on the Web to enhance learning.

Conducting classes over the Web with no physical class meeting

is called “distance education”.
 BUSINESS INFORMATION

Businesses often use Internet and Web -based systems for

knowledge management within the enterprise. Information
systems within the organization may be accessed through Web
portals and dashboards the provide a single source for all
business related news and information.

Providing news and information about a business and it’s

products through the company’s Web site and online social
media can assist in increasing a company’s exposure to the
general public and improving it’s reputation.
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL
ADVICE AND SUPPORT
People can find Web resources that can educate and prepare
them to succeed. Web sites such as WebMD help to diagnose
health problems and advice on treatments.
Several Internet sites specialize in helping people get job
information and even apply for jobs online.
 SEARCH ENGINES AND WEB
RESEARCH
A valuable tool that enables you to find information
on the Web by specifying words that are key to a
topic of interest, known as keywords.
 WEB PORTALS
A Web page that combines useful information and
links and acts as an entry point to the Web. They
typically include a search engine, a subject directory,
daily headlines, and other items of interest. Many
people choose a Web portals as their browser’s home
page (the first page you open when you begin browsing
the Web).
 COMMUNICATION AND
COLLABORATION
The Internet and Web provide many applications for
communication and collaboration. From text-based
application such as e-mail, to telepresence systems
that use high-definition video and audio that allow
individuals from around the world to meet around a
table, Internet communications supports many levels
of communication.
 E-MAIL
E-mail is a useful form of internet communication that
supports text communication, HTML content, and
sharing documents as E-mail attachments. E-mail can
also be distributed through enterprise systems to
desktop computers, notebook computers, and
smartphones.
 INSTANT MESSAGING
A method that allows two or more people to
communicate online in real time using the Internet.
 MICROBLOGGING, STATUS UPDATES,
AND NEWS FEEDS

Twitter is a Web application that allows members to report on

what they are doing through-out the day. Referred to as a
microblogging service.

The popularity of Twitter has caused social networks such as

Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace to include Twitter like news
feed. Previously referred to as Status Updates, Facebook users
share their thoughts and activities with their friends by posting
messages to Facebook’s News Feed.
 CONFERENCING
Some Internet technologies support real-time online
conferencing. Teleconferences have been a popular form of
remote conferencing for many years. Participants dial into a
common phone number to share a multi-party phone
conversation. The Internet has made it possible for those
involved in teleconferences to share computer desktops.
WEB 2.0 AND THE SOCIAL WEB

The Web as a computing platform that supports

software applications and the sharing of
information among users.
RICH INTERNET APPLICATIONS(RIA)

Software that has the functionality and

complexity of traditional application software,
but does not require local installation and runs
in a Web browser.
 BLOGGING AND PODCASTING

A Web site that people can create and use to

write about their observations, experiences,
and opinions on a wide range of topics.

A “blogger” is a person who creates a blog,

while “blogging” refers to the process of placing
entries on a blog site.
ONLINE MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT

Music, movies, television program episodes, user-

generated videos, e-book, audio books are all
available online to download.

Content streaming is a method for transferring large

media files over the Internet so that the data stream
of voice and pictures plays more or less continuously
as the file is being downloaded.
 MUSIC
The Internet and the Web have made music more
accessible that ever, with artists distributing their
songs through online radio, subscription services, and
download services.

Digital distribution has allowed artists to distribute

music directly to fans without the need for record
companies.
 MOVIES, VIDEO, AND TELEVISION

With increasing amounts of Internet bandwidth going

to more homes, streaming video and television are
becoming commonplace. Some are connecting their
computers to high-definition television sets to access
television and even motion picture quality
programming. The Web an TV are rapidly merging into
a single integrated system available from home
entertainment systems, PCs, and cell phones.
 E-BOOK AND AUDIO BOOKS

An e-book is a book stored digitally, rather

than on paper, and read on a display using
e-book reader software.
ONLINE GAMES