C.L.U.E. Computer Literacy Unlocks Everything

WWW Basics

Brought to you by Fresno County Public Librarywritten by Lisa Lindsay, MLIS

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Class Goals

• We will learn:• Common terms • What the WWW is used for.• How to do different types of

searches.

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Common Terms

• World Wide Web or WWW is a series of computers connected together across the world to share information. The Web is also called the Internet.

• A “URL” or “Web Address” is where a page is located.

• A browser (like Internet Explorer) is a software program that allows easy use of the web.

• “Home Page” is a start page or 1st page.

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Who do you trust on the Internet?

• The WWW includes information on hundreds of thousands of computers around the world.

• Examples of what the web is used for: Email, genealogy, commerce etc.

• Searching can be like finding a needle in a haystack. (Some good mixed in with lots of garbage.)

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First Mistake to Avoid

• Making a mistake when typing a web address is like dialing a wrong number so when you get an error screen you must figure out where your mistake is.

• Practice fixing your error in the address box without retyping the whole thing by using both the mouse and arrow keys with the delete button.

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What an Error Message Looks Like

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Second Mistake to Avoid

• Typing the wrong things in the wrong boxes.• Use the address box when you have a

web address• Use the subject search box when you

are trying to find information about a subject or figure out a specific website URL.

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Address Box

• http://en.wikipedia.org• www.fresnolibrary.org• www.google.com• http://lii.org

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The Address Box

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Search Box

• High blood pressure• bulldogs football• Vegetarian Restaurants in Fresno

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What to look for on the screen

• When a picture or set of words links to another site it is called a hyperlink. The mouse arrow will look like a hand. Select any hyperlink to see where it takes you.

•The back button is a way to figure out where you were. Select this to move backwards.

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Choosing a Search Method

• Internet Directories• Well organized indexes that allow you to

browse through lists of sites by topic.• Created by people (not always updated)• Fewer websites in their databases

• Example: Librarians Internet Index (http://lii.org)

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Librarians’ Internet Index

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Choosing a Search Method• Search Engines

• Developed after Internet Directories• Allow you to use keywords to search

millions of pages.• Allow both simple and advanced

(“Boolean”) search techniques• Are indexed electronically by spiders

or web crawlers.• Example: Google (www.google.com)

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Google

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Find it!

• What was the estimated financial cost to the U.S. of the Vietnam War?

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Find it!

• Information on each California Mission with pictures.

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Find it!

• Words to the song “Blue Moon” by Elvis Presley.

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Find it!

• What is the name of the most recent book by Alexander McCall-Smith?

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Find it!

• Find instructions on how to dance the Charleston.

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Important Reminders

• Become familiar with a couple of web directories and search engines.

• Be careful what information you trust -- consider who created a specific website.

• Learn search strategies. (Take the advanced WWW course taught at Sunnyside.)

• Make your searches specific.• DON’T GIVE UP

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Creative Commons License

• Adapted from a workshop created by Kate Holes for the Hibbing Public Library (MN).

• Updated April 2006 by Lisa Lindsay, MLIS of Fresno County Public Library.

• This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike Licensed. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/