Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
ver se funciona
Citation preview
Guide to the Internet and World Wide Web
For
Archivists and Records Managers
Guide to the Internet and World Wide Web For
Archivists and Records Managers Published by: Association of Commonwealth Archivists and Records Managers c/o IRMT Haines House, 6th Floor 21 John Street London WC1N 2BP www.acarm.org
© ACARM 2005
Preface As archivists and records managers we are all finding the need to use the Internet. It may be to find up-to-date information on a particular aspect of our profession – disposal periods for particular records, new appraisal methodologies, latest electronic records management standards – or it may be to communicate with fellow professionals, share information, learn from others’ experiences. Almost every day we use the Internet but for many the technology moves so quickly that it is difficult to keep up and, as a consequence, we may not be able to make best use of its facilities. This Guide provides insights into the facilities available on the Internet and gives pointers to the seemingly endless supply of tools and information resources that help archivists and records managers to do their jobs. It is almost wholly the work of Louisa Venter of the National Archives of South Africa, and the Association is extremely grateful for the undertaking. Kelvin Smith Hon Secretary ACARM June 2005 The Association of Commonwealth Archivists and Records Managers was founded in 1984 to promote professional development in the field of records and archives management throughout the Commonwealth. It provides a link for Commonwealth archivists, archival institutions and records managers which is especially important because of the common heritage of legal and administrative systems, and hence of record keeping practices, which the countries of the Commonwealth share. Production of this Guide has been made possible by financial assistance from the Commonwealth Foundation.
TABLE OF CONTENT
1. Introduction....................................................................................1
1.1 Purpose.......................................................................................3
1.2 Acknowledgements .......................................................................3
2. What is the Internet? .......................................................................5
2.1 Introduction.................................................................................5
2.2 History........................................................................................5
2.3 Internet Services ..........................................................................6
2.3.1 World Wide Web.....................................................................6
2.3.1.1 The public web .................................................................7
2.3.1.2 The deep web/invisible web................................................7
2.3.1.2.1 Why does the invisible web exist? ..................................8
2.3.1.3 How does the World Wide Web work? ..................................8
2.3.1.4 Web browsers ..................................................................9
2.3.1.4.1 Plug-ins.................................................................... 19
2.3.2 E-mail ................................................................................. 20
2.3.2.1 How does e-mail work?.................................................... 21
2.3.2.2 What does an e-mail message look like? ............................ 22
2.3.2.3 Reading e-mails.............................................................. 22
2.3.2.4 Sending e-mails ............................................................. 24
2.3.2.4.1 Address Books........................................................... 28
2.3.2.4.2 E-mail writing style .................................................... 29
2.3.2.4.2.1 Subject lines ......................................................... 30
2.3.2.4.2.2 Attachments.......................................................... 31
2.3.2.4.2.3 Auto signatures ..................................................... 32
2.3.3 Listservs/mailing lists ............................................................ 33
2.3.3.1 Subscribe to mailing lists/listservs..................................... 35
2.3.3.2 Unsubscribe from mailing list/listservs ............................... 39
2.3.4 Usenet Newsgroups and discussion groups ............................... 39
2.3.4.1 Subscribe to a newsgroup ................................................ 41
2.3.4.2 Setting up a group.......................................................... 42
2.3.5 Internet Relay Chat and web chatting ...................................... 42
2.3.5.1 Instant Messaging........................................................... 43
2.3.6 Channels ............................................................................. 44
2.3.7 FTP and downloading ............................................................ 44
2.3.7.1 Anonymous FTP.............................................................. 45
2.3.8 Telnet ................................................................................. 45
2.3.9 Intranet .............................................................................. 45
2.3.9.1 Intranet training ............................................................. 46
2.3.10 Internet phone ................................................................. 46
2.3.11 Video conferencing............................................................ 47
2.3.12 Blogs and Wikis ................................................................. 48
2.4 Protocols ................................................................................... 48
2.4.1 TCP/IP ................................................................................ 49
2.4.2 File retrieval protocols ........................................................... 49
2.4.2.1 FTP............................................................................... 49
2.4.2.2 Telnet ........................................................................... 49
2.4.3 Multimedia Information Protocols ............................................ 50
2.4.3.1 HTTP............................................................................. 50
2.4.3.2 UUCP ............................................................................ 50
2.4.3.3 PPP............................................................................... 50
2.4.3.4 SLIP ............................................................................. 50
2.4.4 E-mail protocols ................................................................... 51
2.4.4.1 IMAP............................................................................. 51
2.4.4.2 POP .............................................................................. 51
2.4.4.3 SMTP ............................................................................ 51
2.4.5 Address Protocols ................................................................. 51
2.4.5.1 LDAP ............................................................................ 51
2.4.6 Security and Privacy Protocols ................................................ 51
2.4.6.1 PCT .............................................................................. 51
2.4.6.2 S/MIME ......................................................................... 52
2.4.6.3 SSL .............................................................................. 52
2.4.7 Usenet Protocols................................................................... 52
2.4.7.1 NNTP ............................................................................ 52
2.5 Domain Name Service, E-mail addresses and Uniform Resource Locators
(URL’s) .............................................................................................. 52
2.5.1 IP Addresses and Domain Names ............................................ 52
2.5.1.1 Were does one obtain an IP address and Domain Name?...... 55
2.5.2 E-mail addresses .................................................................. 56
2.5.3 URL’s .................................................................................. 56
2.6 Search Engines .......................................................................... 59
2.6.1 Types of search engines ........................................................ 60
2.6.1.1 Directories..................................................................... 60
2.6.1.1.1 Subject directories ..................................................... 60
2.6.1.1.2 People directories ...................................................... 62
2.6.1.2 Robot Engines ................................................................ 63
2.6.1.3 Meta search engines ....................................................... 63
2.6.2 How do search engines work?................................................. 64
2.6.2.1 Web crawling ................................................................. 64
2.6.2.2 Accessing information ..................................................... 64
2.6.2.3 Relevancy ranking .......................................................... 64
2.6.3 Searching ............................................................................ 65
2.6.3.1 Keyword search.............................................................. 65
2.6.3.2 Advanced Searching........................................................ 65
2.6.3.3 Finding the invisible web.................................................. 68
2.6.4. Evaluating the information found on the Internet ................... 68
2.6.5 Planning a search ................................................................. 71
3. Netiquette .................................................................................... 73
4. What do you need to connect to the Internet? ................................... 75
4.1 Computer .................................................................................. 75
4.2 Software ................................................................................... 75
4.3 Internet account......................................................................... 76
4.3.1 Internet Service Providers...................................................... 76
4.3.1.1 How would you go about connecting to the service provider? 77
4.3.1.2 Evaluating the services of Internet Service Providers ........... 77
4.3.2 Internet connection............................................................... 79
5. Advantages and Disadvantages of using the Internet .......................... 81
5.1 Security .................................................................................... 82
5.1.1 Viruses, Worms and Trojans................................................... 83
5.1.2 Hacking............................................................................... 83
5.1.3 Phishing .............................................................................. 84
5.1.4 Spam.................................................................................. 84
6. What would you use the Internet for?............................................... 85
6.1 Introduction............................................................................... 85
6.2 Communication .......................................................................... 86
6.3 Marketing/Outreach .................................................................... 87
6.4 Research ................................................................................... 89
6.5 Training .................................................................................... 91
6.6 Preserving what we, our client offices and stakeholders produce for the
Internet and World Wide Web................................................................ 91
7. Designing a website/Intranet site..................................................... 93
7.1 Introduction............................................................................... 93
7.2 Planning your website ................................................................. 94
7.3 Developing website content.......................................................... 95
7.4 Graphic Design........................................................................... 96
7.5 Programming your website........................................................... 97
7.6 Hosting your website................................................................... 98
7.7 Marketing/Promoting your website ................................................ 99
7.8 Maintaining your website ............................................................. 99
8 Understanding HTML ....................................................................... 101
8.1 HTML Documents...................................................................... 101
8.2 HTML Tags............................................................................... 102
8.3 The Basic HTML Document tags .................................................. 103
8.3.1 Starting an HTML document ................................................. 103
8.3.2 Head and title tags ............................................................. 103
8.3.3 Body tags .......................................................................... 104
8.3.3.1 Heading tags................................................................ 106
8.3.3.2 Paragraph tags............................................................. 107
8.3.3.3 Centre paragraphs ........................................................ 108
8.3.3.4 Lists ........................................................................... 109
8.3.3.5 Preformatted text ......................................................... 111
8.3.3.6 Extended Quotations ..................................................... 111
8.3.3.7 Forced Line Breaks........................................................ 112
8.3.3.8 Horizontal line .............................................................. 112
8.3.3.9 Other commonly used tags ............................................ 112
8.3.3.10 Special characters........................................................ 113
8.3.3.11 Document Links........................................................... 113
8.3.3.12 Images....................................................................... 115
8.3.3.13 Sounds and Animations ................................................ 117
8.3.3.14 Tables ........................................................................ 118
8.3.3.15 Forms ........................................................................ 120
8.3.3.16 Frames....................................................................... 120
Annexure A: Glossary of Terms .............................................................. 123
Annexure B: Condensed list of listservs ................................................... 131
Annexure C: List of ISO 3166 Country Codes............................................ 135
Annexure D: Internet Service Providers in some Commonwealth Countries ... 139
Annexure E: Useful Websites.................................................................. 149
Annexure F: Bibliography....................................................................... 157
Table of Figures Figure 1: Microsoft Internet Explorer ....................................................................10
Figure 2: Firefox................................................................................................10
Figure 3: Microsoft Internet Explorer home page ....................................................11
Figure 4: Type the URL in the location (address) bar and.........................................11
Figure 5: Type the search term in the location (Address) bar ...................................12
Figure 6: Browser showing favorite sites ...............................................................12
Figure 7: History of sites visited...........................................................................13
Figure 8: Find text on a page with the find function ................................................13
Figure 9: Indication of how found text is displayed on the page ................................14
Figure 10: Type the URL of the search engine in the ...............................................14
Figure 11: Select the text to copy and ..................................................................15
Figure 12: Paste the text into a word document .....................................................15
Figure 13: Select source from the view menu ........................................................16
Figure 14: HTML source code of the......................................................................16
Figure 15: Use the internet options command from the Tools Menu...........................17
Figure 16: Accessing the online help functionality ...................................................17
Figure 17: Browser home button..........................................................................18
Figure 18: Browser stop button............................................................................18
Figure 19: Browser back button ...........................................................................19
Figure 20: Browser forward button.......................................................................19
Figure 21: The URL on the task bar at the bottom indicates .....................................20
Figure 22 Selecting an e-mail to read ...................................................................23
Figure 23: Read an e-mail...................................................................................23
Figure 24: To reply to an e-mail, click on the Reply button.......................................24
Figure 25: To forward an e-mail, click on the Forward button ...................................24
Figure 26: Launch a new e-mail message..............................................................25
Figure 27: New Message dialogue box ..................................................................25
Figure 28: Type the e-mail address in the To box ...................................................26
Figure 29: To Cc the e-mail to another user,..........................................................26
Figure 30: Add a subject in the subject box ...........................................................27
Figure 31: E-mail message with subject field and ...................................................27
Figure 32: Click on the send button to send the e-mail............................................28
Figure 33: Accessing the address book .................................................................29
Figure 34: New message dialogue box with Address Book open ................................29
Figure 35: Inserting an attachment ......................................................................31
Figure 36: Choosing a document to insert in the e-mail ...........................................31
Figure 37: E-mail with document attached.............................................................32
Figure 38: Example of an auto signature ...............................................................33
Figure 39: Listserv website .................................................................................36
Figure 40: Joining the listserv from the website......................................................36
Figure 41: Instructions on how to complete the subscription ....................................37
Figure 42: Subscription completed .......................................................................37
Figure 43: A listserv welcome message.................................................................38
Figure 44: Directory structure using the document type ..........................................57
Figure 45: Directory structure with the subject ......................................................58
Figure 46: Accessing Yahoo's directory search .......................................................61
Figure 47: Doing a search for information .............................................................61
Figure 48: Finding directory information about Records Management. .......................62
Figure 49: Doing a web search for Records Management. ........................................63
Figure 50: HTML version of the ACARM Guide to the Internet ................................. 101
Figure 51: The HTML source Code of the ACARM Guide to the ................................ 102
Figure 52: Example of a document heading in HTML format ................................... 103
Figure 53: Source code of the example in figure 52 .............................................. 104
Figure 54: Example of body text in an HTML document ......................................... 105
Figure 55: HTML source code of example in figure 54........................................... 105
Figure 56: HTML source code of document in figure 54.......................................... 106
Figure 57: HTML source code of document in figure 54.......................................... 108
1
1. Introduction
The face of archives and records management is changing. For many, the perception of
archivists is one of working in dark basements and sifting through old documents. But,
in reality, they are just as likely to be involved in putting a website on-line, organising
an exhibition or dealing with the public.
For a long time records have been unique and stored in a single place and control was
possible on site. But with the Internet these same records can now be made available
all over the world and information has to be secured against loss for technical reasons.
Whole files on magnetic tape can be lost if the tape is damaged and adequate recovery
disciplines are not in place.
Electronic records are different from traditional records. It is a known fact that
information stored on erasable media (for example, floppy disks, tapes etc.,) can be
easily modified and changes may go undetected. This leads to a host of legal concerns
about the issue of electronic records. As Elliot1 says, solutions depend on adopting
standards and developing “migration” methods to keep electronic information compatible
with the current technology storage and retrieval methodologies.
World-wide many studies and attempts are currently underway to ensure the longevity
and legal admissibility of electronic records. The use of the Internet and World Wide Web
however, poses a number of new challenges to archivists and records managers. It is
becoming the communication medium of choice of many government institutions, public
entities and private companies without proper records management controls being put in
place.
A number of Internet and World Wide Web preservation issues were discussed during an
International Conference on Archiving Web Resources hosted by the National Library of
Australia in November 2003. From the papers delivered at the conference it is clear that
the challenge to manage web resources includes all the traditional issues surrounding
“normal” electronic records compacted into an even more pressing problem, since the
life-span of information posted to the Internet and World Wide Web is even more
fleeting than that of other electronic records. Information about the conference
proceedings is available on http://www.pandora.nl.gov.au. Archivists and Records
1 Elliot, E.D.I., E-mail and the Internet, Proceedings ARMA 41 Annual Conference, p.217
2
Managers are forced to build strategic alliances with libraries, museums and client offices
to manage the challenge.
Preservation issues are however not the main topic of discussion in this guide. The
Internet is of considerable value to records managers and archivists. An increasing
number of records managers are discovering the Internet and are forming an on-line
community for information-sharing and communication. Records managers may use the
Internet to participate in sharing experiences and insight with other records
management professionals; they can conduct research using online libraries and/or
search programmes, announce job openings, download records management software
for testing and review, create a home page devoted to records management and search
sites for current information impacting records management. As Steemson clearly
defines: The Internet is a vast source of information for records and information
managers as well as industry generally. The many listserves, electronic discussion and
debating groups set up by professional and skill communities to share knowledge, air
grievances and seek guidance, fill the ‘Net with more expertise than anyone could
assimilate in a lifetime’s study.2
Information on professional issues is available through e-mail subscription, or “Listservs”
for example the records management listserv. Listservs are simply electronic mail
“reflectors” on computers that broadcast text messages across networks to the
individual computer mailboxes of persons who have subscribed for announcements, user
postings, group discussions or other bulletins. Such listservs are presently being used by
records managers and archivists to conduct extensive discussions by electronic mail
about professional issues. Information on professional issues is also available on
websites accessible through the Internet like those operated by ARMA International3,
AIIM4, PRISM5 etc. as well as by ARARM6
Information on technology developments and vendor products are among the most
advantageous features of using the Internet because almost all computing technology
vendors have well developed and informative websites that can be browsed.
2 Steemson M, The record keeping future, Records Management Bulletin, Issue No. 83, 1997 p.21. 3 http://www.arma.org 4 http://www.aiim.org 5 http://www.prismintl.org 6 http://www.acarm.org
3
1.1 Purpose
It is worthwhile discussing the resources available to the records manger and archivist
who wish to utilise the Internet for communication and information gathering (these are
treated at greater length later in this document).
This document is written with the archivist and records manager in mind. It provides
insights into the facilities available on the Internet and pointers to a wealth of tools and
relevant information repositories on the Internet. It assumes little or no familiarisation
with computers but may also be a useful source of ready reference information for the
computer-literate user. It is meant to provide guidance on the use of the Internet in
general and to provide listings of good websites related to specific records and
information management issues.
A glossary of terms is contained in Annexure A. Normally terms are explained in the
text. If not, please read up on them in the glossary.
Persons with access to the Internet will find this document - and its future adaptations -
retrievable from the Internet websites for the Association of Commonwealth Archivists
and Records Managers (ACARM) and the International Records Management Trust
(IRMT). Any comments the reader might have as to the document’s suitability and
possible improvements are more than welcome. An appropriate form is attached to the
appendices and this may be mailed or faxed as indicated.
1.2 Acknowledgements
We acknowledge that the publication of this guide would not have been possible without
the useful information posted on the World Wide Web. Acknowledgement to all the
websites where information was found is given in the text and/or in the Bibliography in
Annexure F.
5
2. What is the Internet?
2.1 Introduction
The Internet is a worldwide network of computer networks, each with a unique address,
that uses phone system technology and satellite links to communicate information to
each other 24 hours a day using a common software standard. Standalone computers
and private local area networks in universities, businesses and other organisations
communicate with each other over high-speed transmission backbones owned and
operated by Internet Service Providers. Communication takes place via a dial-up modem
or a permanent network connection. The Internet basically consists of a network of
smaller networks and standalone computers. Most of the service providers connect to
one or more other service providers, thereby extending the reach of their networks.
With government organisations, commercial organisations and individuals around the
globe connecting to the Internet, and service providers continually increasing the
number of networks to which they have direct connections, the Internet is growing
exponentially.
There is no central authority that controls the Internet. There are however organizations
like the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF7) which develop and set standards for
creating and using web applications and organisations like the International Internet
Preservation Consortium (IIPC8) that set standards for the preservation of web
resources. The Internet backbone is owned by private companies working together.
2.2 History
In 1960 the US Department of Defence funded the Advanced Research Projects Agency
(ARPA) to connect a number of computer facilities around the country. ARPA sponsored
research on how to link geographically remote computers to share data and resources.
Because the US Department of Defence was very concerned about a nuclear attack, the
ARPA Network was designed to keep working even if part of the network was bombed. It
was designed so that as soon as one part of the network stops functioning, the network
7 http://www.ietf.org 8 http://www.netpreserve.org
6
automatically reroutes the functionality and flow of information of that part to the rest of
the network.
The early 1970’s were spent developing standards for data transfer. These standards are
known as protocols. Their purpose was to support the sharing of data between
computers running on the same network to ensure the interconnection of different
computers on the networks. TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol and Internet
Protocol) which has been the core protocol of the Internet since 1983 was developed
between 1973 and 1978.
This computer network expanded during the 1970’s and 1980’s. At first only military
institutions, government bodies and universities were connected to communicate and
share information and resources. During the late 1980’s and early 1990’s more
companies and individuals joined the network to communicate with each other when the
US government began pulling out of network management. This allowed commercial
entities to sell Internet access to the general public.
Since then the Internet has grown into a communication backbone that provides
different services to its users like the World Wide Web, E-mail, Newsgroups, Chat rooms,
Listservs, Video conferencing, Discussion groups and Intranets.
2.3 Internet Services
The Internet consists of a variety of services namely:
2.3.1 World Wide Web
The World Wide Web (WWW) is a branch of the Internet that provides access to
hyperlinked information. Hyperlinked information constitutes information resources that
are linked to other information resources. Hyperlinks allow one to jump to the other
information resources from the current one and back. This way of exploring information
creates a world wide web of information. This document for example is a Hypertext
document. It contains links to allow you to jump from one place in the document to
another. It also contains links to other documents and websites on the Internet.
7
The World Wide Web consists of the public web i.e. the part that is available for search
engines to crawl and index, and the invisible web or deep web, in other words that part
of the web that is password protected or is protected against web crawlers and that are
not indexed by search engines.
2.3.1.1 The public web
The public web consists of electronic pages containing documents, art, music, graphics,
videos, etc. These can be political, cultural, educational, informational, religious,
governmental, etc. in nature. These pages normally have a graphical interface and are
viewed with a web browser.
Each page is linked to other pages. A collection of related pages is called a website. The
first page of a website is called a home page. This page serves as the index or content
page for the rest of the website. The home page normally consists of links to the other
pages on the website.
2.3.1.2 The deep web/invisible web
Most of the invisible web is made up of searchable databases that can be searched via
the web. Results are delivered in web pages generated in response to the queries that
are launched. These pages are not stored anywhere - they are dynamically generated
because it is cheaper to store information in databases than in pre-defined pages with all
possible answers to all possible queries. Many search engines offer separate options for
locating these databases. The Invisible-web.net9 is a website that specializes in
collecting information about such databases. By doing a search on web databases you
may be able to find other websites with links to databases.
More information about the invisible web can be found in the publication: The Invisible
Web: Finding Hidden Internet Resources Search Engines Can’t See.10
9 http://www.invisible-web.net 10 Sherman C and Price G: The Invisible Web: Finding Hidden Internet Resources Search Engines Can’t See, Cyberage books, ISBN: 091096551X.
8
2.3.1.2.1 Why does the invisible web exist?
Computer programmes called spiders are used to crawl websites to index them so that
search engines can find them when you do a search. Searches are normally done from
static pages with URL’s. Spiders can find them and crawl their links to index them.
Website owners can choose to prevent spiders from crawling their sites by placing a
programme on the site that prevents spiders from crawling them.
Spiders cannot think - they can only follow links. If a website that is crawled does not
have a link to a database, the spider cannot follow it to index the database. Spiders
cannot do searches or queries to create dynamically generated pages to index. Since
dynamically generated pages are only generated when a query is launched they are not
kept anywhere and the spiders cannot index them.
Sites that are protected by passwords can also not be crawled because the spiders
cannot think and type passwords.
The deep web or invisible web can also consist of multimedia and image files that cannot
be crawled. Search engines normally offer separate means of searching for these types
of files.
2.3.1.3 How does the World Wide Web work?
All the computers on the Internet fall into two categories. They are either clients or
servers. Clients are computers that make requests. They are loaded with the correct
software to talk to the correct servers. In other words the e-mail software would talk to
the e-mail server; the news software would talk to the news server, etc. The e-mail
software on the client server is called an e-mail client, the news software a news client
etc.
Servers are computers that store information for use by clients. In other words they are
computers that service the requests from clients. A server may provide various Internet
services. It can be a web server, e-mail server and a news server etc. depending on the
software that is loaded on the computer. What happens in practice is that the web
browser on the client machine is programmed to talk to the web software for web
requests, the news software for news requests etc.
9
2.3.1.4 Web browsers
A browser is a programme used to locate, display, browse and view information on a
website. When you request a web page by entering the URL in the location field of the
browser, the browser contacts the web server and asks for a copy of the page. The
browser displays the page when it arrives. A browser can be text based in which case
you would only be able to view web pages in text mode or could have a graphical user
interface in which case you would be able to view the web page in graphical mode. In
general browsers allow customisation of the display by changing fonts, appearance of
hyperlinks, colour of texts and background colours, and in graphical view, allow you to
see graphics, pictures and animation.
Dozens of browsers exist and a lot of them were developed in the early days of the web.
The following are amongst those that were developed early on: Samba (1992), Mosaic
(1992-1997), Arena (1993), Cello (1993), Mozilla (1994) renamed to Firefox in 2004,
Internet Explorer (1995) and Netscape Navigator.
Evaluation copies of browsers can be downloaded from the web for a trial period after
which the user is obliged to pay a licence fee for further use. To date Microsoft Internet
Explorer11 has been offered for free of charge. It is usually distributed with the Microsoft
Windows Operating System. Firefox is an open source browser that can be downloaded
for free from http://www.mozilla.org.
Figure 1 below is a screen captured from the Microsoft Internet Explorer Browser. The
top row is a drop-down menu intended for file handling, finding and copying text from
the page displayed, customising the display using the View command as well as Help
Topics regarding use of the browser. The second row of buttons is meant for navigating
backwards and forwards, refreshing the page, stopping a search, e-mailing pages,
accessing web-mail and storing favourite site addresses to save searching time, etc. The
third row is meant for navigating the Internet by typing the URL in the location or
address field and using the Go button.
11 http://ww.internetexplorer.com
10
Figure 1: Microsoft Internet Explorer
Figure 2 below is a screen captured from the Firefox Browser, to enable you to compare
the look and feel of two different browsers. The top row is a drop-down menu intended
for file handling, finding and copying text from the page displayed and customising of
display using the View command and storing/bookmarking favourite site addresses to
save searching time. The second row of buttons is meant for navigating backwards and
forwards, refreshing the page, navigating the Internet by typing the URL in the location
or address field and using the Go button, and stopping a search. The third row is meant
for Help Topics and support regarding use of the browser.
Figure 2: Firefox
11
Browsers are set up to open on a particular web page as soon as you click on them to
connect to the web. The page that is displayed is the browser’s home page.
Figure 3: Microsoft Internet Explorer home page
The browser’s home page is normally also the home page that the service provider set
up for you. If you are part of a company or government department, your IT section will
set your browser up to open on your company or department’s home page. You don’t
have to do anything on the home page. If you want to go directly to another website you
can do so by typing the URL in the location bar (Figure 4) or by doing a search directly
from the browser if it is powered by a search engine (Figure 5). However, sometimes the
browser’s home page does contain useful links so do not ignore them totally.
Figure 4: Type the URL in the location (address) bar and
click the Go button
12
Figure 5: Type the search term in the location (Address) bar
and click the Go button
Browsers have additional functions which make the use of the World Wide Web easier.
Frequently-visited sites can have their addresses saved in a list to provide for quick
access to a page by opening the list and selecting the relevant URL (Figure 6 below).
Adding and deleting URL’s can be done at users will. A history of visited sites is also
maintained by the browser (Figure 7 below).
Figure 6: Browser showing favourite sites
13
Figure 7: History of sites visited
Searching for text on the current page is normally available as a “find” facility under the
“Edit” command on the browser (Figure 8 & 9 below).
Figure 8: Find text on a page with the Find function
14
Figure 9: Indication of how found text is displayed on the page
Another searching facility is used to access search engines on the web by typing the URL
of the search engine into the location (Address) bar and clicking on the Go button.
Figure 10: Type the URL of the search engine in the
location (address) bar and click the Go button
Current pages may be printed or saved as text files by highlighting text and copying it
by using the copy command in the Edit menu.
15
Figure 11: Select the text to copy and
select Copy from the Edit menu
The copied text can be pasted into a Word document. The text can then be edited.
Remember that text on websites is copyright protected. Remember to acknowledge your
sources when copying text.
Figure 12: Paste the text into a Word document
16
The source code of the current file displayed can be viewed on screen or downloaded.
Figure 14 below contains the HTML source code of the ACARM website’s home page.
Figure 13: Select source from the view menu
to view the source code
Figure 14: HTML source code of the
ACARM website home page
Browsers also have a facility to allow the user to modify the general properties, security,
communications and type of connection.
17
Figure 15: Use the internet options command from the Tools Menu
to change the browser settings
Specific browser facilities are usually explained in detail in the online help facility
included in the browser.
Figure 16: Accessing the online help functionality
Browsers allow you to follow links on websites and in documents, by simply pointing to
them and clicking the mouse button. Most browsers also have navigation buttons. These
are the home, stop, back and forward buttons (Figures 17, 18, 19 & 20 below). They
help you to move easily from page to page and from website to website.
18
Figure 17: Browser home button
Figure 18: Browser stop button
19
Figure 19: Browser back button
Figure 20: Browser forward button
2.3.1.4.1 Plug-ins
The functionality of browsers can be extended by adding software known as plug-ins for
handling special types of data like videos and sound files. File formats requiring plug-ins
are known as MIME (Multi Media Internet Mail Extension) files.
A common plug-in used by web browsers is Adobe Acrobat Reader that allows you to
read portable document format (PDF or .pdf) files.
20
Figure 21: The URL on the task bar at the bottom indicates
that the report is a .pdf document
Web browsers normally contain a standard set of plug-ins especially for playing music
files. Additional plug-ins can also be down-loaded from the browser’s website. The
browser would normally alert you if you need to download additional plug-ins.
2.3.2 E-mail
E-mail is the most popular communication method on the Internet. E-mail is an
electronic message containing information sent from one computer to another over
networks. E-mails can contain attachments such as pictures, sound files, documents,
etc. E-mail is a cheaper and faster method of communication than normal post, fax or
telephone calls. E-mail functions independently of location and time zones. It allows you
to send messages to and receive messages from anyone who is connected to the
Internet.
According to Jeff Tyson12 using e-mail is most effective when:
• you don’t need an immediate answer;
• you are communicating with a specific group of people or a single person;
• you know with whom you wish to communicate;
• you need to attach a file or provide extensive information.
12 How Newsgroups Work. http://www.howstuffworks.com/newsgroups.html
21
2.3.2.1 How does e-mail work?
E-mail passes from one computer to another via a mail server. The mail server stores
the messages in an inbox (almost like the in-tray in the paper-based environment) until
the user retrieves them. If you have a dedicated open network line that is never
disconnected, you will see incoming messages in your inbox in the e-mail software
application and you would be able to read them immediately. If you use a dial-up
connection, you will be required to download the e-mail to your computer’s hard drive.
To send and receive e-mail you must have a user account on an e-mail server. To have
an e-mail account you need an Internet connection and access to a mail server. An e-
mail server contains a database of e-mail accounts for people who can receive e-mail on
the server. When someone sends a message to a recipient on the server database the e-
mail client of that person would contact the e-mail server and pass the name of the
recipient and the message on to the server. If the recipient wants to look at his e-mail,
his e-mail client would contact the server and list the e-mails for him to read.
The server actually contains two pieces of software (also known as protocols) that act as
two different servers on one server machine. The SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)
server handles outgoing mail. The other one is either a POP (Post Office Protocol) server
or an IMAP (Internet Mail Access Protocol) server. The SMTP and POP servers allows you
to access and read your e-mail. The POP server acts like a post office for e-mail clients
who use dial-up connections to the Internet. They would normally download the e-mail
to their computer’s hard drives. The IMAP server is used by e-mail clients with an open
Internet connection that stores and accesses their e-mail on the server without
downloading the messages to their computer’s hard drives.
To read e-mail you need have e-mail client software to translate the digital signals to
human readable text. Your e-mail client software is normally part of your computer’s
operating system like Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express or they can be stand-alone
e-mail clients like Eudora13, Lycos Mail14 or Pegasus15.
You could also subscribe to free e-mail services like Hotmail or Yahoo. These types of
services are known as web mail. Web mail is a facility to send e-mail from a web page. 13 http://www.eudora.com 14 http://mail.lycos.com 15 http://www.pmail.com
22
Web mail is free of charge. However, web mail does not offer all the functionality that e-
mail clients have. Web mail programmes for example do not handle attachments well.
They are convenient to use when you travel.
For proper e-mail usage you need an e-mail client to
• display message headers of all the e-mails in your inbox. The header contains the
following information
- the sender
- the subject
- time and date of the message
- size of the message
• select and read e-mails
• send messages
• reply to messages or forward them to other people
• add attachments to messages.
2.3.2.2 What does an e-mail message look like?
E-mail messages consist of two main parts namely
• the header which contains the address information of the recipient and anyone
the message is copied to and the subject of the message. Similar to normal
paper-based mail the e-mail message should contain the correct address to be
delivered to a recipient. If the address is wrong, the e-mail is returned to the
sender. When you receive an e-mail the header tells you where it came from and
when it was sent.
• the body which contains the message of the e-mail as well as any attachments.
Figure 23 below contains an e-mail message that was opened to be read. Can you see
the header information and the body of the message?
2.3.2.3 Reading e-mails
Reading e-mails is simple. Open your e-mail client and select the Inbox. In the Inbox
select the e-mail that you want to read and double click on the e-mail header (Figure
22). The e-mail will open and you would be able to read it (Figure 23).
23
Figure 22 Selecting an e-mail to read
Figure 23: Read an e-mail
You could reply to the e-mail that you have been reading, by clicking on the Reply
button. This will open a new e-mail message dialogue box. Then follow the steps in
paragraph 2.3.2.4 below.
24
Figure 24: To reply to an e-mail, click on the Reply button
You could also forward the e-mail to other people. This will open a new e-mail message
dialogue box. Then follow the steps in par 2.3.2.4 below.
Figure 25: To forward an e-mail, click on the Forward button
2.3.2.4 Sending e-mails
Sending e-mails is a bit more complicated. Follow the steps below:
25
Open the e-mail client. Launch a new message window by clicking on the “new” icon.
Figure 26: Launch a new e-mail message
A new message dialog box will appear.
Figure 27: New Message dialogue box
In the To box type the address of the recipient or recipients.
26
Figure 28: Type the e-mail address in the To box
If you want to copy the message to anybody else for information, type their addresses in
the Carbon copy (Cc) box. Addresses should be separated by semicolons.
Figure 29: To Cc the e-mail to another user,
type the e-mail address in the Cc box
Add the subject to the subject box.
27
Figure 30: Add a subject in the subject box
Write your message in the message box.
Figure 31: E-mail message with subject field and
message box completed
Click on the send icon or select send from the file menu. The e-mail will be sent to the
recipient.
28
Figure 32: Click on the send button to send the e-mail
If you choose too, you can set your e-mail client up to do a spell-check before you send
a message.
2.3.2.4.1 Address Books
An Address Book provides an easy way to store e-mail addresses and other contact
information for easy retrieval by programs such as Microsoft Internet Mail and News.
Typical features of an address book may include contact information: e-mail, phone,
home, business, and home page addresses.
Other facilities include:
• Search, print, view, add, edit, or delete address book entries;
• Sorting messages by sender, date, or subject;
• Contacts can belong to more than one group;
• Sending a copy of the posted message by e-mail;
• Displaying the properties for the sender or other recipients;
• Deleting a member from the group;
• Deleting a member from the address book;
• Delete a group from the address book;
• Create more than one group;
• Forwarding messages;
• Sending and saving file attachments.
29
Figure 33: Accessing the address book
Figure 34: New message dialogue box with Address Book open
2.3.2.4.2 E-mail writing style
Electronic communication, because of its speed and broadcasting ability, is
fundamentally different from paper-based communication. Because exchange of
messages can be so fast, email is more conversational than traditional paper
30
communications. E-mail thus tends, like conversational speech, to be informal and more
ambiguous.
This saves a lot of time and energy when writing casual messages to familiar recipients,
where spelling, classical words and grammar are not issues. However, because of the
lack of vocal inflection, gestures, and shared environment, e-mail is not as rich a
communication method as a face-to-face or a telephone conversation. Recipients may
have difficulty understanding whether the senders are serious, joking, frustrated or
euphoric. Sarcasm, when used in e-mail can produce undesirable outcomes. Thus e-
mail compositions should be carefully considered.
When writing an e-mail message, the following is important to remember:
2.3.2.4.2.1 Subject lines
Subject lines are very important. Subject lines should be brief, but clearly indicate what
the message is all about. If subject lines are useless the recipients may not realize the
importance of the message and choose to read it later or not at all. E.g. which of the
following would draw your attention?
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
or
URGENT- IMMEDIATE COMPUTER DOWNTIME
If you reply to an e-mail or forward an e-mail message, the e-mail software keeps the
subject line of the original message and adds either a RE: or a FW: to the subject line.
E.g. if you reply to or forward the messages with the subject lines used above, the lines
will read:
RE: FOR YOUR INFORMATION FW: FOR YOUR INFORMATION
or
RE: URGENT - IMMEDIATE
COMPUTER DOWN TIME
FW: URGENT - IMMEDIATE COMPUTER
DOWN TIME
If you received an e-mail message with a senseless subject line and you need to reply to
or forward it you can change the subject line to something more sensible before sending
it off.
31
2.3.2.4.2.2 Attachments
The body of an e-mail message normally consists of brief textual messages while very
long textual documents, multimedia files, graphic files, spreadsheets, etc are normally
attached to the e-mails as attachments (Figure 35, 36 & 37). However, attachments
have some drawbacks, namely:
• if the recipients do not have the necessary software on their machines, they would
not be able to read the e-mails
• if the recipients do not have a lot of space on their servers, they will not appreciate
receiving large attachments. Some e-mail servers will automatically remove large
attachments to prevent their e-mail servers from being overloaded
• viruses can hide in attachments and infect other people’s computers when they open
the messages.
Figure 35: Inserting an attachment
Figure 36: Choosing a document to insert in the e-mail
32
Figure 37: E-mail with document attached
2.3.2.4.2.3 Auto signatures
Sometimes you receive e-mails from people that you don’t know and that do not identify
them or their place of business properly, because the e-mail addresses are too general
e.g. [email protected] versus [email protected]. At least for the
latter you would be able to deduce from the domain name that Peter Baker is at the
Department of Communications of the Cayman Islands. For the former you would not
know where he is from, except if there is some other identifying information in the e-
mail message.
Auto signatures (Figure 38) are a way to provide recipients with alternative ways to
contact you. An auto signature could contain your:
• Name
• Postal address
• Street address (optional)
• Telephone number
• Fax number
• Mobile phone number
• Website address.
33
Figure 38: Example of an auto signature
You may wonder why all this information is necessary – Sometimes other people’s e-mail
is off-line and you need to contact them urgently. A telephone number is handy in such
a case, but what if you compiled a lengthy e-mail message in reply to an e-mail received
and it is returned to you undelivered for some reason? If you cannot contact the person
telephonically because of different time zones, it could be handy to make a printout of
the e-mail and fax it to the recipient.
For more information about e-mail you could consult A Beginner’s Guide to Effective E-
mail16
2.3.3 Listservs/mailing lists
Listservs are as old as the Internet. Many lists exist. Some are open for everyone to
access and others are closed to specific interested parties like the records management
archives and electronic records listservs.
A listserv is a facility that allows participation in ongoing discussions via e-mail. Listservs
provide a discussion forum to share information on specific topics. Joining listservs are
free. Listservs link people with common interests. Subscribers to a listserv receive e-
mail from people who have an interest in a particular subject field. With a Listserv, one
message is sent to a single address and then the message is resent to subscribers
16 http://www.webfoot.com
34
around the world. Listservs may be open to anyone who wants to subscribe or they may
be monitored by an administrator. In that case, members and/or the messages may be
monitored. There are other systems that perform the same function, but with slightly
difference command structures like the Majordomo and Almanac Servers. The person
monitoring, or moderating, can for example stop a message from appearing on the list if
it goes against the interest of the group or send messages to the list to guide in the
development of the subjects being discussed.
Mailing lists are maintained by software (eg LISTSERV(R), LISTPROC, Majordomo, etc.).
The software automatically distributes an e-mail message from one member of a list to
all other members on that list.
Listservs are controlled by a list owner. The owner is usually the person who created the
list or who inherited the management of the list. The work of the list owner is minimal,
because most of the work is done by an automated programme running on the listserve
server. The owner has to monitor the messages and sort out any problems that may
arise. The owner is also responsible to create the WELCOME messages that new
subscribers receives. WELCOME messages contain general information about the list
like:
- purpose
- rules
- special features
- instructions to unsubscribe.
Most listservs are moderated. The moderator is the person who decides which messages
are sent out. This ensures that the discussions stays focused. The moderator and the
owner can be the same person. Depending on the volume of traffic on a listserv, the
moderator can be very busy.
According to Jeff Tyson17 listservs are most effective when:
• you don’t need an immediate answer;
• you want or need regularly updated information about a particular topic;
• you want to receive information from a group of people interested in the same topic.
The following websites contains links to listservs:
Tilenet18
17 How Newsgroups Work. http://www.howstuffworks.com/newsgroups.html
35
The HelpWeb19
Unesco Archives Portal20
PADI – Preserving Access to Digital Information21
List of Mailing Lists on Archives, Records management, Museums and Related Subjects22
The Archive Skills Consultancy23
Lsoft – Catalist, the official catalogue of listservs lists24
Greater Cincinatti Library Consortium25
Government Information Systems Manager’s Forum26
For your convenience a condensed list of listservs is attached as Annexure B.
2.3.3.1 Subscribe to mailing lists/listservs
Each time you send a message, or reply to a message it is send to all subscribers on the
list. To participate in discussions about a specific topic join a list devoted to that specific
topic (e.g. the ACARM listserv on [email protected] or the Electronic
Records listserv on [email protected]).
You can join a listserv directly from the listserv website. The website normally contains
all the instructions necessary to joint the listserv.
18 http://tile.net/lists 19 http://www.imagescape.com/helpweb/mail/lists.html 20 http://www.unesco.org 21 http://www.nla.gov.au/padi/format/list.html 22 http://www.archimac.org/Profession/Lists/index.spml 23 http://www.archive-skills.com/links/listservs.php 24 http://www.lsoft.com/catalist.html 25 http://www.gclc-lib.org/lists/index.html 26 http://www.govis.org.nz/forums-membership
36
Figure 39: Listserv website
Figure 40: Joining the listserv from the website
You would receive an e-mail from the listserv server on how to complete the subscription
(Figure 41). This is used by the listserv server to verify your e-mail address.
37
Figure 41: Instructions on how to complete the subscription
Upon confirmation that you do want to subscribe, you would be notified on the website
that your subscription is complete.
Figure 42: Subscription completed
You would then receive a welcome message via e-mail. If you know the listserv subscription address you could also subscribe by mailing the
word SUBSCRIBE to the list owner. You would then receive an e-mail with the
subscription confirmation instructions and upon confirmation you would receive a
welcome message.
38
The subscriber automatically receives a standard letter of welcome (Figure 43) with
information about the list. When you receive a welcome e-mail, keep it for future
reference. It contains information about how to unsubscribe from the list as well as other
useful information. If you accidentally did not keep the information, send an e-mail to
the [email protected] e.g. [email protected].
Figure 43: A listserv welcome message
It is normal practice that the listserve address (if the list runs on a listserver), the
request address and the address of the list manager are usually included in the welcome
message received by a new subscriber to a list. Every list has two addresses. The first is
the “list manager” address. This is the address to which commands are sent to
subscribe or unsubscribe. These messages are processed automatically by the software.
The other address is the “list” address. This is a single address to which the messages
are sent to be received by all subscribers to the list.
On subscribing to a list, the name and e-mail address of the new subscriber are
automatically added to the list. From that time on, the subscriber will receive all mail
(postings) sent to the list by its members. A response can be made either to the list (in
which case, all members of the list will receive it), or to an individual on the list.
Some listservs have very low traffic. They receive only a few messages per week. Other
listservs, like the records management listserv, receive a lot of messages per day. It can
become very cumbersome to receive a lot of e-mail messages to read. It is advisable
39
that, if you do want to belong to a listserv, but you do not want very high e-mail traffic,
you choose either the digest option or the index option. The digest option will send you
one e-mail containing all the messages of that day. The index option will send you one
e-mail containing an index of all the messages posted that day. You then have a choice
to view only the ones you want to see. This is usually done by deleting the index
inscriptions of the ones you don’t want to read and by replying to the e-mail by sending
the index inscriptions of the messages you want to see back to the list server. You will
then receive an e-mail containing only the messages that you requested.
2.3.3.2 Unsubscribe from mailing list/listservs
A subscriber may sign-off (unsubscribe) from a list at any time. To unsubscribe, you
could either access the listserv website to unsubscribe (Figure 40 above) or you could
mail the word unsubscribe to the list owner.
When unsubscribing, mail should not be sent to the posting address, otherwise the
message will go to all members of the mailing list. Mailing lists as a rule have an
administrative address that is different from the posting address. Nearly all mailing lists
have a request address.
2.3.4 Usenet Newsgroups and discussion groups
Usenet is a world-wide distributed system of online discussion groups in which people
continuously participate. Newsgroups allow people with a common interest to subscribe
to one or more groups for posting, reading and replying to electronic mail. They are
common areas where users can post messages for many users to view/reply to:
- leave messages;
- ask questions;
- share ideas; and
- respond to messages, questions and ideas.
According to Jeff Tyson27 they are most effective when
• you don’t need an immediate answer;
• you want to communicate with more than one person;
• you want to communicate with a group of people interested in the same topic;
27 How Newsgroups Work. http://www.howstuffworks.com/newsgroups.html
40
• you need or want to provide extensive information about that topic.
To use this service you do not need access to an e-mail address, only to the web. To use
the Newsgroup facility one needs a news client and a news server. Most browsers have a
built in news client called newsreader software. The software is normally included in the
browser software that is part of the computer’s operating system.
Newsgroups are publicly accessible and cover an enormous range of subjects, but each
individual newsgroup is dedicated to a specific topic. It is a good way of accessing expert
knowledge about a variety of areas. The content reflects a diversity of opinions.
Some newsgroups are moderated, which means that the messages must be approved
before they are posted. Most newsgroups however remain unmoderated.
Some newsgroups are very popular and have a daily readership. However, messages are
retained on the serving computer for a limited amount of time and are then
automatically deleted.
Newsgroups are normally categorized according to the topic they cover. The name of the
newsgroup contains an indication what the area of interest is. E.g.
comp.lang.java.programmer is a newsgroup for Java programmers. The name is read
from the general to the specific, with the topic on the right hand side. The general part
of the address indicates the broader category in which this newsgroup is located e.g. the
language section in the computer category.
Usenet sites on the Internet divide information into newsgroups or subject categories.
The following are a few examples:
• sci: Topics relating to anything in the sciences.
• rec: Recreation such as games, sports, hobbies, the arts and anything that’s fun.
• soc: Covering social interests and socializing about countries, cultures, history,
religion, the single scene and so on.
• news: Talk about net news itself (great for new users).
• talk: Long-winded arguments about anything.
• comp: Discussions about computers.
• misc: Miscellaneous topics that don’t relate to any of the above (you can post
resumes here).
41
There are more non-standard hierarchies available such as:
• alt: (Alternative) anyone can create a group under alt.
• clari: (ClariNet news) groups of newspaper-type news offering news about events as
fast as they happen.
• highwayl: Information about Highwayl.
• bit: Bitnet mailing lists passed around as Usenet news.
• biz: Business groups (more commercial than traffic in mainstream groups).
• gnu: Develops freely available software.
• k12: A specialist group for primary and high school students and teachers.
The infrastructure behind newsgroups is called news servers. News servers have
software that maintains a folder for each newsgroup serviced by that server. When you
access a news server with your newsreader software, the newsreader downloads the
information posted to the newsgroup. You would then read the messages and reply if
you want to. Alternatively you could start your own tread with news of your own. A tread
is an original posting with all the messages relating to it. Your newsreader sends your
message to the news server. The server saves your message in the dedicated
newsgroup folder. The news server connects to other news servers on the network to
send them the updated news. Other subscribers then read your messages and all the
others posted since they last accessed the newsgroup and reply to them. You are then
able to read the replies and other messages.
You can log into a newsgroup as a guest to find out if you are interested in participating
in a discussion. If you are, you can register to join the discussion. You have to supply a
username and password, and would be requested to complete a form with personal
details that would be available to other users when you post messages. Once you are
registered, you would be able to read and post messages to participate in discussions.
2.3.4.1 Subscribe to a newsgroup
To subscribe you need to connect to a news server. Your Internet Service Provider
normally has access to one or more news servers.
The newsreader client software that is part of your web browser will allow you to
configure or set up the news server. The software will tell you exactly what to do. When
42
the connection to the news server is set up for the first time, the news reader will show
you a list of all the news groups carried by that news server. You can then select the
news group that you are interested in and click on the subscribe button. If it takes too
long to scroll through the entire list you can use the newsreader search functionality to
search for topics that you are interested in. After subscribing to those you are interested
in, the newsreader will display them to you in a list. If you click on the name of the
newsgroup the messages will be displayed. If you have a dial-up connection, you would
have to download them to your hard drive when you want to read them.
2.3.4.2 Setting up a group
Groups covering other areas of interest can be created. This can be a slow process
requiring a formal charter and an on-line vote by both its prospective readers and non-
readers.
To set up a newsgroup you could either set up a group in one of the existing categories
or set up a group in the alternative category. You need to know beforehand what the
topic of the group is, what its name would be and what the purpose of the group and
topic is. You should also know beforehand to which category or categories the group
should belong. With this information at hand, you would then post a Request for
Discussion to news.announce.newgroup. Other subscribers would then read your
request. They have approximately one month to discuss the viability of the new group.
After a month you can request a Call for Votes by posting a message to
news.announce.newgroup. Subscribers then have another month to vote. When the vote
closes, the moderator of the newsgroup(s) the request was posted in counts the votes
and posts the result to news.announce.newgroup. To start the group a majority of
subscribers should be in favour by 100 votes or more and there should be no serious
objections to the new group. If the vote is positive, the existence of the new group is
announced in news.announce.newgroup. At this stage you could start a discussion by
posting a statement, asking a question, etc.
2.3.5 Internet Relay Chat and web chatting
Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is one of the most popular activities on the Internet. It is a
means of having a conversation with many people on a variety of topics in real time; in
other words, all the parties to the conversation are participating simultaneously
regardless of the time zone they are in. IRC is normally a typed conversation that uses
43
streaming technology which implies that the speed with which you type is the speed at
which the message appears on the other participant’s screens.
People talk in groups. There are no restrictions to the number of people that can join a
conversation. Likewise there is no restriction on the number of conversations that you
can participate in. Conversations take place in channels. To participate in a conversation,
you need to join a channel or, if no channel exists for the topic you want to address, you
can start your own channel.
To enable you to make use of this Internet service, you need IRC client software which
would facilitate a connection to an IRC server. The IRC Server that is connected to the
Internet provides instant access to anyone who is connected to the same network.
IRC should not be confused with Web chatting. IRC is directly connected to the Internet
servers, while web chatting uses a browser as a client to enable participation in
conversations conducted in web chat rooms. A web chat room is part of a website or a
website by itself that provides an online venue where users with a common interest can
communicate sometimes in real time. Web chatting is not necessary real time in nature.
You need to use the browser’s refresh button to load the new messages to enable you to
view them.
According to Jeff Tyson28 IRC is more effective when:
• you need an immediate answer;
• you want to communicate with more than one person;
• you can communicate in brief messages;
• you want to meet new people.
2.3.5.1 Instant Messaging
This is very similar to chatting. The difference is that you maintain a list of people you
want to interact with. If that person is online, you can send a message to him/her. It
opens up a small window on the desktop where he can type in. Each of you can see the
desktop dialogue window and can have an interactive chat session.
According to Jeff Tyson29 it is most effective when:
28 How Newsgroups Work. http://www.howstuffworks.com/newsgroups.html 29 How Newsgroups Work. http://www.howstuffworks.com/newsgroups.html
44
• you need an immediate answer;
• you only need to communicate with a single person or a small group;
• you know with whom you wish to communicate;
• you need to communicate in real time.
2.3.6 Channels
Channels on the web are a pre-selected information source that can send information to
your computer automatically according to a predetermined schedule. Channels can be
programmed to send a whole lot of information to your computer to be stored on the
hard drive so that you can look at them at leisure.
Channels have the same type of information that you would normally see when
accessing the web with a browser. Channels are normally free.
2.3.7 FTP and downloading
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) allows you to copy files from one computer connected to the
Internet to another computer connected to the Internet. It allows you to download
information, upload web pages and transfer information between computers.
A lot of free software and information are available on the Internet on FTP servers. FTP
servers have special areas with programmes and data that were set aside for any user
on the Internet to download information from. This allows the free distribution of data
and software. FTP needs a client programme to function. Most browsers act as the FTP
client also. Users are often using FTP to download information from the Internet without
knowing it. When downloading, the browser automatically takes care of all the detail.
The user only needs to tell the browser where on the hard drive to save the information.
However, should you need an FTP programme to help you move files around between
computers outside of the functionality that the browser is providing, you could download
Filezilla30 from the internet. It is free of charge.
30 http://www.computeractive.co.za/downloads4
45
2.3.7.1 Anonymous FTP
This is a facility that allows you to download information from computers where you do
not have a user account.
To copy a file (i.e. a collection of data stored under a particular name) from another
computer you need permission to connect to the other computer. If the browser did not
automatically take care of this, you would be prompted to enter a username and
password to connect to the other computer. You can use the username “anonymous”
with any password of your choosing to download files from the public area.
Downloading refers to the actual transferring of a document or file from one computer to
the other. Before you start a download you should ensure that your own computer has
adequate virus protection. Viruses are deadly for the programmes and the data on your
computer.
2.3.8 Telnet
The Telnet protocol is an application that allows a remote connection to another
computer. It gives the facility to work on a remote computer while FTP protocol allows
transfer of files from one computer to another. Both computers must be connected in a
network, either a local area network or the Internet. Also both computers must support
the Telnet protocol. Access is normally allowed only to account holders. The accounts
are set up by the network administrator prior to login.
2.3.9 Intranet
There is a growing reliance on communicating information internally to the staff by using
intranets. Intranets are private networks that help an organization to share information
between departments, units and regions across a network. Publishing information to an
intranet to which all staff members have access is a quick cost-saving mechanism, since
the information is available immediately and you do not have to produce multiple copies
of the same document.
There are a number of advantages to using an intranet namely:
46
• it does not allow outsiders to view the information, because it is a private network;
• it can allow employees to interact via e-mail and discussion groups;
• if properly maintained, the employees always have access to up-to-date information;
• it is a cheap communication medium.
Intranets can, however, become a liability if not managed properly. The following are
possible problems:
• Outdated information;
• Irrelevant information;
• Poorly organized information that is not easily accessible;
• No search facility;
• Purpose is unknown to employees;
• No interaction with employees regarding the content;
• Employees do not have access to computers or are not computer literate.
2.3.9.1 Intranet training
Intranets are not only useful to communicate information to all staff members in the
briefest possible time. They can also be used to provide web-based training to
employees. This is especially useful if you have employees in remote areas that need
training. Web-based intranet training allows course presenters to interact with trainees
in real time by using video conferencing facilities. One could even allow trainees to
complete tasks and submit them online or to write exams online.
You would need the following equipment to do intranet training:
• All the hardware and software to connect to the Internet;
• Firewall – to provide security;
• Database – to store information;
• Content development software;
• Video conferencing equipment;
• Electronic white board.
2.3.10 Internet phone
Another service connected to IRC is the Internet phone. An Internet phone allows one to
put a number of calls on the same line without sacrificing sound quality. The rates are
much lower than normal telephone lines. It allows quick real time communication that
47
allows one to speak with other users on the network. To use this facility one needs a
computer with a sound card, phone software, speakers, microphone and an Internet
connection. A video capture device is optional.
The phone software digitizes your speech as you talk and sends the digital data over the
Internet. If you have a good Internet connection you will have good quality sound.
However it is also dependent on the quality of the networks on both ends.
The Internet phone can work in full duplex mode or in half duplex mode. Full duplex
mode allows you to either speak or hear at the same time, while half duplex mode
allows you to either speak or hear. You cannot talk while another user is talking, then
you won’t hear him/her. The capacity of the sound card installed in the computer would
dictate what mode you would use.
Some service providers allow one to dial over the Internet directly to another person’s
normal phone.
According to Jeff Tyson31 this is most effective when:
• you need an immediate answer;
• you have the appropriate equipment;
• the information you want to convey or are requesting is easier to convey through
talking than through text messaging.
2.3.11 Video conferencing
Video conferencing is another service connected to IRC. It allows you to chat with one or
more people in real time and/or to see live images as you speak or type. You can use it
with or without the Internet phone. Besides the normal equipment appropriate
equipment to use this service would be a microphone, speakers and a video camera. It
also allows you to share an electronic white board. You could also use a document
camera with this facility. A video conference can therefore be a true video conference or
only audio and text based.
Remember that
• time zones are a problem when you want to chat with people world-wide in real
time. 31 How Newsgroups Work. http://www.howstuffworks.com/newsgroups.html
48
• video conferencing with all the bells and whistles attached needs a fast Internet
connection.
According to Jeff Tyson32 video conferencing most effective when
• you need an immediate answer;
• you want to communicate with more than one person;
• you can communicate the information you need to know or wish to provide in brief
messages;
• you want to attach a file or use the whiteboard or document camera to explain
something;
• you want to visually demonstrate or display information.
2.3.12 Blogs and Wikis
Blogs or web logs are personal web pages that contain personal thoughts and links to
other sites that are of particular interest to a blog owner. Blogs are used as a publishing
mechanism and sometimes contain personal opinions and commentaries on the events
of the day. For more information on blogs, to search the web log directory to find out
which blogs exist and to register your own blog, you could access Blogigo33.
Wikis are collaborative websites where the community participate in writing a
publication, like an encyclopaedia or a general purpose website. Wiki publications are
normally of high quality because the participants edit the errors out. An example of an
encyclopaedia written in this fashion is the Wikipedia34.
2.4 Protocols
The Internet works by connecting various computers, software and files together. To
enable this to work the Internet needs standardised rules. Those rules are called
protocols.
Developed in the 1970’s protocols are a standard set of specifications or parameters that
allows computers to send and receive data. The Internet is a packet switched network.
This means that the computers and servers on the Internet do not need a dedicated
32 How Newsgroups Work. http://www.howstuffworks.com/newsgroups.html 33 http://www.blogigo.co.uk 34 http://www.wikipedia.org
49
unbroken connection to send or receive data. It breaks the data down into small packets
and then transfers the packets over any phone or network line that is available. It can
travel over various phone and data lines at once. Each packet of data is labelled with the
addresses for the sending and receiving computer. It also carries instructions on how the
computer should put the packets together so that the data does not contain errors.
The protocols each have their own purpose for different types of Internet connections.
Web browsers use most of these protocols without the users being aware of the fact.
Protocols are highly technical in nature and you don’t need to know precisely how they
work. It is however handy to know a little about those that are most commonly used and
referred to in literature.
2.4.1 TCP/IP
The main protocol used by the Internet is TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol
Internet Protocol that manages the flow of information on the Internet and that ensures
that data arrives without errors. This protocol keeps the millions of computers on the
Internet that are passing information back and forth running smoothly.
Other important protocols in the Internet suite of protocols are:
2.4.2 File retrieval protocols
2.4.2.1 FTP
File Transfer Protocol was one of the first protocols developed. It allows users to move
files from one computer to another, to browse, upload and download files.
2.4.2.2 Telnet
Telnet allows users to connect to remote computers and to use the applications on that
computer as if it is on their own.
Telnet was once the only means to connect to remote sites. However, the development
of other protocols made it nearly obsolete. Telnet is still used to access some library
50
catalogues and mainframe systems. It is supported by web browsers, but requires Telnet
client software to operate.
2.4.3 Multimedia Information Protocols
2.4.3.1 HTTP
Hypertext Transfer Protocol is used to define the appearance of websites and web pages.
The Hypertext Transfer Protocol is used to transfer data between web servers and web
clients or web browsers. It also allows jumping between hypertext documents.
2.4.3.2 UUCP
Unix to Unix Copy Programme allows computers using versions of the UNIX operating
system to communicate with each other and with remote computers. It allows the
copying of files between computers. It also allows the distribution of e-mail and net news
amongst UNIX computers.
2.4.3.3 PPP
Point to Point Protocol is the protocol that dial-up Internet connections use to transmit
information.
2.4.3.4 SLIP
Serial Line Internet Protocol was the first protocol designed for transmission of
information over dial-up connections. It has largely been supplanted by PPP.
51
2.4.4 E-mail protocols
2.4.4.1 IMAP
Internet Message Access Protocol that allows the mail client to access messages residing
on a mail server from any computer. It allows the mail client to manipulate the
messages on the server without having to download them.
2.4.4.2 POP
Post Office Protocol that allows a mail client to download e-mail messages to the
computer’s hard drive from the mail server.
2.4.4.3 SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol that allows an e-mail client to send messages to a mail
server. The messages are then stored on the mail server until they are picked up.
2.4.5 Address Protocols
2.4.5.1 LDAP
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol that is used by e-mail clients to query the address
directories on the Internet to find and display e-mail addresses.
2.4.6 Security and Privacy Protocols
2.4.6.1 PCT
Private Communications Technology is used to provide secure communications over the
Internet.
52
2.4.6.2 S/MIME
Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail is a protocol that is used to encrypt data for
transmission over the Internet and allows for the decryption of the information by the
intended recipient.
2.4.6.3 SSL
Secure Socket Layer provides a secure facility for programmes to pass data back and
forth between computers. When data is communicated via the web in secure mode, the
URL will start with https.
2.4.7 Usenet Protocols
2.4.7.1 NNTP
Network News Transfer Protocol is used to distribute news articles between news
servers. The servers are sometimes called NNTP servers. There are two variations of this
protocol namely one that allows communication between adjacent computers and one
for communication between clients and servers.
2.5 Domain Name Service, E-mail addresses and Uniform Resource Locators
(URL’s)
Every computer, person and resource on the Internet has their own unique address. The
computers have IP (Internet Protocol) addresses, the people have e-mail addresses and
the resources have URL’s (Universal Resource Locators).
2.5.1 IP Addresses and Domain Names
IP addresses are number strings separated by full stops e.g. 491.572.72.196. Humans
don’t understand IP addresses; therefore it is necessary to give each computer a name
that is understandable to humans. These names are called domain names. For example
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk is the domain name of the National Archives of the UK.
53
In this example
- www is the host name (in other words the unique name given to an Internet
computer in this case a computer on the World Wide Web);
- nationalarchives is the domain name of the organization the computer belongs to;
- gov indicates the organizational domain of the computer; and
- UK indicates the geographical region of the computer.
In short this is a computer in the UK on the government network belonging to the
National Archives that is connected to the World Wide Web.
Because computers on the other hand do not understand the human readable form of
the address but only the IP addresses each network on the World Wide Web has a
number of Domain Name Servers whose job it is to translate domain names into IP
addresses. Domain Name Servers are connected to a world wide distributed database
that keeps track of which domain name belongs with which corresponding IP address.
All domain names must include a top level domain. The top level domain is the last
string of letters at the extreme right of the name following the point or dot.
It is helpful to know that the most commonly used top level domains or the last two
components of a domain name indicates the type of organization and the geographic
origin of the computer.
The most common organizational domains are:
.com - Commercial
.edu - Educational
.gov - Government
.org - Non-profit organization
.mil - Military
.info - Information services
.web - Entities related to the web
.net - All sites that do not fit under one of the others.
The geographical origins are indicated by a two letter code derived from an International
Standard ISO 3166 Country Codes.
A few examples are:
54
.au - Australia
.in - India
.br - Brazil
.it- - Italy
.ca - Canada
.mx - Mexico
.fr - France
.tw - Taiwan
.il - Israel
.uk - United Kingdom
A full list of country codes is available on the ISO 3166 Country Codes website. For your
convenience a list is also attached as Annexure D.
The space to the immediate left of the top level domain is called the second level
domain. This is the space that the owner of the domain name uses to identify itself (e.g.
nationalarchives in the case of the UK, naa in the case of the National Archives of
Australia, etc.)
It is important to maintain a central list of domain names and IP addresses. The Domain
Name Service (DNS) is distributed throughout the Internet. Domain names are
maintained on a distributed database connected to Domain Name Servers (DNS) that
are distributed across the Internet. Your Internet service provider has access to the
geographically closest domain name server. DNS servers exist on their own network. If
one server does not know how to translate a domain name into an IP address it
automatically connects to other servers to do the translation. Most companies, Internet
service providers, universities and government departments have their own domain
name servers to map domain names to IP addresses.
55
2.5.1.1 Were does one obtain an IP address and Domain Name?
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)35 is a non-profit
private sector body responsible for managing and coordinating the Domain Name
System. Domain Name Registrars are licensed by ICANN to sell domain names. They
oversee the distribution of unique IP addresses and corresponding domain names.
ICANN also maintain the system and processes that ensure that each domain name is
linked to the correct IP address.
The allocation of domain names and corresponding IP addresses is managed by
accredited domain name registers. You can buy a domain name from one of these
registrars.
Domain names ending with .aero, .biz, .com, .coop, .info, .museum, .name, .net, .org or
.pro can be registered by any domain name registrar. The registrar will ask you to
provide contact and technical information that becomes part of the registration. The
registrar keeps the contact information on record and submits the technical information
to a central directory known as a domain registry. The purpose of this registry is to allow
computers to translate the domain names into IP addresses. A registration contract will
be concluded between you and the registrar.
For more information about accredited registrars for the above mentioned domains, see
the accredited registrar directory on InterNIC36 or the ICANN List of Accredited
Registrars37.
Should you wish to use the country domain as part of your domain name you need to
contact a country domain name registrar. To register a country code Top Level Domain
(ccTLD) you should contact an ICANN accredited ccTLD registrar. There are normally
restrictions on the use of ccTLD’s that should be clarified before registration, for e.g. that
they are reserved for use by the citizens of a specific country, etc. More information
regarding ccTLD registrars can be obtained from the database of ccTLD registrars on the
website of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA38).
35 www.icann.org 36 http://www.internic.com 37 http://www.icann.org/registrars/accredited-list.html 38 http://www.iana.org/cctld/cctld.htm
56
They will host your domain name on their networks and give you space to accommodate
a few web pages until you can find a web hosting service. A web hosting service is an
organization with a web server that is connected to the Internet and the technical know
how to manage the equipment and software. They rent out space on their servers to
enable website owners to make websites available on the Internet. Internet Service
Providers normally also provide web hosting services and would be able to assist you in
registering a domain name.
2.5.2 E-mail addresses
E-mail addresses are needed to enable users to send e-mails to each other. In most
cases the e-mail addresses are assigned by Internet Service Providers.
All e-mail addresses are unique and consist of a username, the at sign @ and the
domain name of the server where the user has an e-mail address.
E.g. in the example [email protected]
- Kelvin Smith is the username
- @ indicates it is a user at a specific host computer
- nationalarchives.gov.uk indicates the server of the domain where the user has his
e-mail address.
2.5.3 URL’s
Uniform Resource Locators or URL’s are addresses that point to specific resources or files
on the World Wide Web. Like domain names and e-mail addresses URL’s are unique for
each resource. URL’s are necessary to enable web browsers to know where to find a
website, web page and/or specific file.
A URL contains the protocol of the resource, a domain name for the resource, and if
pointing to a specific file the hierarchical name of the file.
E.g. the website address of the UK National Archives is http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk.
An URL that points to a specific file or document published on this website would look
like this: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/recordsmanagement/pdf/news_oct03.pdf.
57
The first part remains as explained above. The last part after the forward slash
(/recordsmanagement/pdf) points to the specific directory where the file is located on
the specific computer and the last part (/news_oct03.pdf ) is the file name and extension
of the file. The extension indicates the format of the file.
A file is a collection of data stored under a specific name. A file on a computer is what
we would normally call a document. Files on a computer are normally stored in
directories and sub-directories. Because of the amount of files on a computer you need a
way to organize them to enable you to find them again. Almost like a classification
system for paper-based records, you classify information, programmes and data on a
computer into a hierarchical structure known as a root directory. Every individual
directory folder in the root directory (i.e. the top directory assigned by the operating
system) can hold files as well as sub-directories, creating a hierarchical system of
organizing files on the computer. E.g. in the root directory on the computer you may
create a folder called my documents. You can file individual documents each with a
unique file name into that directory. When the number of documents in that directory
grows, it becomes more difficult to retrieve specific documents. To make retrieval easier
you can create sub-directories to group documents by subject or by type.
There are different ways of doing this: You can for example design a directory structure
with the document type as the point of departure which is then broken down into specific
cases:
Figure 44: Directory structure using the document type
as the point of departure
58
or with a subject as the point of departure which is then broken down into types and or
specific cases:
Figure 45: Directory structure with the subject
as the point of departure
The URL could then be explained as follows:
http:// indicates to the browser that the resource contains
hypertext and that it would be found on the World Wide
Web
www points to a specific computer on the World Wide Web
.nationalarchives is the domain name
.gov is the top level organizational domain
.uk is the top level geographical domain
/records management indicates the directory in which the files resides
/pdf indicates a subdirectory – most probably one in which all
.pdf documents are kept
/news_oct03.pdf is the file name and file extension
The most common file extensions that you would encounter are the following:
Extension Definition
.html Web page written in hypertext mark-up language
59
.htm Web page written in hypertext mark-up language. The
computer does not allow more than three letters in the file
name extension.
.asp Web page generated by a system called active server pages.
Active server pages are used to create interactive websites.
.gif Picture stored in the .gif format. The GIF format is widely
used on the World Wide Web for still images and animation.
.jpg Picture stored in the JPEG format. JPEG can compress
images to very small sizes. It transfers faster because of the
small size.
.wav A sound or music file
.txt Plain text file
.rtf Rich text file
.zip Compressed collection of files
.exe An executable programme file
.doc A MS Word document
.pdf A portable document format file
If you want to read more about URL’s you could access A Beginners Guide to URL’s39.
2.6 Search Engines
There is such a lot of information on the Internet that it is difficult to find the specific
information you need because there is no central authority to organize the information
into a useful directory structure or a classification system like we know it. It is easy to
find information using a web browser if you already have the URL available, but what if
you don’t?
Search engines are programmes that can search the Internet for specific information. A
number of search engines are available on the Internet that you could use for free.
The websites in which search engines reside are called search sites. To name a few
search sites:
AltaVista40
39 http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/demoweb/url-primer.html 40 http://www.altavista.com
60
Ask Jeeves41
Hotbot42
Inktomi43
Dogpile44
Google45
Yahoo46
Excite47
Lycos48
Every search engine works in a different way. It is advisable that you access all these
sites to find out what these search engines can do and how they work.
2.6.1 Types of search engines
2.6.1.1 Directories
Directories are websites that contain a large number of links. The links are classified into
subject categories or types. Directories are set up by people who view the different
websites to decide if they would be included in the directories. Website owners submit
the URL and a short description of their websites to the search engine owners. The
owner then assigns the website to a specific category within the search website.
Directories often produce focused search results. They look for matches only in the
descriptions of sites that were presented.
There are different types of directories namely:
2.6.1.1.1 Subject directories
Directories in the print environment are alphabetical or subject classified lists of
resources containing names, locations and other identifying information. Directories in
41 http://www.askjeeves.com 42 http://www.hotbot.com 43 http://www.inktomi.com 44 http://www.dogpile.com 45 http://www.google.com 46 http://www.yahoo.com 47 http://www.excite.com 48 http://www.lycos.com
61
the electronic environment are similar to the print environment, but they also go a step
further. Directories can also be web pages that are hand selected, annotated and
classified by subject. The selection and classification are done by human editors. Subject
directories are a good place to start when you want to do a general search and you
would like to get a general overview of what is available regarding your subject.
Examples of search engines that cater for directory searchers are:
Yahoo49, Altavista50 and AOL51
Figure 46: Accessing Yahoo's directory search
Figure 47: Doing a search for information about Records Management
49 http://www.yahoo.com 50 http://www.altavista.com 51 http://www.aol.com
62
Figure 48: Finding directory information about Records Management.
Note the amount of hits in the directory search
2.6.1.1.2 People directories
Yohoo People Search52
Finds people by first name, last name, address, phone number and e-mail address
Peoplefind53
Will assist in finding people, check criminal records and do background checks amongst
others.
WHOIS54 Lookup
Whois finds peoples according to their e-mail addresses. Queries are in the form first
name last name @ organisation (e.g. dean john @ ACARM).
PH servers55
PH servers is a common directory service system that is in use world-wide. This server
lets you select a site and search for people listed at that location.
52 http://people.yahoo.com/ 53 http://www.peoplefind.com/ 54 http://whois.com 55 http://www.emailman.com/ph/
63
411 Directory Services56
The Four 11 White Page Directory is an online service where Internet users can register
their Internet addresses (e-mail and web) and look for other Internet users.
2.6.1.2 Robot Engines
Robot engines are search engines that use spiders to crawl websites and to index them.
They use hidden Meta tags and text in the web page to index actual pages for their
listings. Meta tags are built-in descriptors that allow a website owner to have more
influence regarding the keywords that are used to index web pages and documents.
Several major search engines index the title and description Meta tags. So it is important
to use relevant keywords in titles and descriptors when a website is built.
Figure 49: Doing a web search for Records Management.
Note difference in the number of hits.
2.6.1.3 Meta search engines
They are not really search engines in the true sense of the word. They pull together
information that is listed by other search engines. They merge the results into one list of
results.
56 http://www.411locate.com/
64
2.6.2 How do search engines work?
2.6.2.1 Web crawling
Search engines use automated software programmes to go to a web page, index the
content and store the information in huge databases. They also follow all the hyperlinks
on all the web pages, look at those pages, index them and store them in the database.
This is called web crawling. This they do twenty-four hours a day seven days a week.
The search crawler is called a spider. Spiders crawl websites regularly to ensure that
they index all the updates as well as follow new links that were added to web pages.
2.6.2.2 Accessing information
The search engines allow you to access the information in their databases by using
either keyword searches or by doing advanced searching. The results of a search are
displayed in a results list. Normally the results are ranked according to relevancy. You
can select a document in the results list. When you click on it, the document is opened
and you can browse through it. Should you wish to access and study the results at a
later stage, you could save the search results list in the list of your favourite’s sites. A
results list can also be printed for later use.
2.6.2.3 Relevancy ranking
Most search engines have a relevancy ranking facility. This is a facility that the search
engine uses to indicate the document or resource in which your search term or phrase
appears most frequently. Another method that is sometimes used is if the document or
resource is frequently linked too. The reasoning being that if so many other people
consider it relevant, it may just be!
Some other search engines would use both the frequency of the search term or phrase
as well as the position of the term or phrase in the document or resource to determine
relevancy. The reasoning being that if the term or phrase appears in the header, title
and/or first few paragraphs of the document/resource and then frequently in the rest of
the text it would be more relevant than an appearance once at the bottom of the text.
65
The document or resource in which the search term or phrase appears most frequently is
considered to be the most relevant to your search. However, you need to keep in mind
that the technology is not the human brain with its intricate thought processes. What the
search engine may consider relevant may not be what you want at all!
2.6.3 Searching
2.6.3.1 Keyword search
When you type a search word into the search box of one of the search engines the
search engine software would scan the database and make a list of all the instances of
the pages with those particular keywords in them. This way of searching could result in
the retrieval of millions of web pages to be accessed and read. You would not necessarily
be able to find the information that you want. Keywords can be any words on a website.
Hence, you would not use common words as keywords for a search. Useful keywords
and key phrases are normally unique words in a piece of text. E.g. in the sentence “I
could not find the green angora sweater” you would not use the words “could not find”
as a search term. That would result in a millions of pages being returned in the results
list. You would rather use “green angora sweater” as a search phrase. This would limit
the results considerably. This is because some search engines index only parts of the
web pages that are considered important, like the title, words that are mentioned in the
beginning paragraphs of a document and/or unique words, while others index each word
in the page.
One needs to learn how to use a search engine properly to limit the search results to
find only the information which is really relevant.
If you are doing serious research on a specific topic, advanced searching is a better
option.
2.6.3.2 Advanced Searching
Most search engines offer advanced search options besides the normal keyword
searches. Advanced search options differ from search engine to search engine. They
allow you to find exact matches for certain phrases and to exclude words or phrases that
would muddy the results.
66
They also allow the use of Boolean operators to refine searches. Boolean searches allow
one to search for keywords that best describes the topic that you are searching for.
Boolean operators are the terms “AND”, “OR”, NOT, NEAR and FOLLOWED BY.
AND means that all the specified terms must appear in the document e.g. records AND
management (or in some search engines records + management) would only find those
documents in which both words appears, while electronic AND records AND management
(or electronic + records + management) would only bring back documents or pages in
which all three words appear.
OR means that at least one of the terms must appear in the document. OR broadens or
widens a search to include documents or pages that contain all the words, but not
necessarily in the same page or document. For example digital OR electronic would
return documents or pages where either the word digital or electronic appears.
You could also do a combination of AND with OR. For example digital OR electronic AND
preservation would return documents or pages in which the words digital preservation
and electronic preservation appear.
The OR operator is also useful in cases where a word has several synonyms or spellings.
For example preservation or conservation or retention which are sometimes used as
synonyms would return documents or pages in which all three words appear together or
alone. The same applies to document OR record which would return pages or documents
in which the one or the other appears.
NOT means that the specified term must not appear in the document. NOT narrows a
search so that certain words don’t appear. For example electronic NOT paper AND
records would return documents and information about electronic records but not about
paper records.
Most search engines allow for very complex searches. Normally when a search is very
complex it is a good idea to nest your search terms between brackets so that the terms
between brackets are searched for first e.g. (paper OR electronic NOT audio-visual) AND
records management would return pages or documents in which both the words paper
and electronic appear and then narrow the search to only those documents about paper
67
records management or electronic records management, not audio-visual records
management.
Most search engines also allow the use of proximity operators like ADJACENT, WITH,
FOLLOWED BY and NEAR.
NEAR means that the terms should be in close proximity to each other – you could
specify the maximum number of words between each term. FOLLOWED BY means that
the term should follow directly after the other term. ADJACENT and WITH mean that the
words should appear next to each other, while AND and OR do not require that the
words follow each other. They can be in any place in a document or page.
The Boolean search terms may differ from search engine to search engine. It would be
helpful if you access the search engine’s help file before attempting a search. Alta-Vista
and Lycos for example use + and – to include or exclude words. For tips about the most
popular search engines see the information on the website:
http://www.hamline.edu/administration/libraries/ bush/handouts/slahandout.html.
Search engines also allow you to use phrases to search by. If you want to search for a
specific phrase you need to tell the search engine so, otherwise you will retrieve
irrelevant documents which contain all the keywords in any sequence. Normally a phrase
should be enclosed in quotation marks i.e. “records management” as two separate
words. The reason behind this is that some search engines automatically default
separate words in a search string either to AND or to OR. If it defaults to AND your
search results would return pages in which the words records and management appears.
These returned pages may have nothing to do with records management per se but with
records and all sorts of other management! Should the search engine default to OR you
would have more or less the same problem in the sense that it would return pages in
which the word records appear as well as pages in which the word management appear,
without it necessarily being pages about records management.
Search engines also allow you to use truncation to search. Usually a * is used to indicate
truncation e.g. record* would also return records, recorded, recording and recordkeeping
(but not record keeping).
Every search engine has a different way of refining queries. Some even allow you to
refine a query on an existing result list if too many hits are returned. The best way to
68
learn is to practice with the different search engines until you find one that suits you
best. It may also be extremely helpful to access the search engine’s online help facility
to find out how you can optimize the search experience.
2.6.3.3 Finding the invisible web
Most directories contain links to databases e.g. the Libraries Index, Academic Info,
Infomine, About.com, Direct Search, The Invisible Web Directory, and Profusion57 are
examples of directories that link to databases on the web.
You can also search in normal search engines by using the subject term or keyword with
the word “database” or the phrases “invisible web”, “deep web”, and “hidden web”. If
the word database or any of the phrases are used in the description of the topic you
would find it.
A search for “archives and database” for example has very interesting results. For other
interesting results also visit the websites of the US Government Printing Office58 and
Search Systems59. You could also try Those Dark Hiding Places: The Invisible Web
Revealed60 for more information about the invisible web as well as links to invisible
databases.
2.6.4. Evaluating the information found on the Internet
Now that you know how to find information on the Internet and World Wide Web, it is
important that you should also know that everything published on the Internet is not
necessarily an authoritative source.
In the past, before the Internet phenomena, authoritative sources of information were
usually published by well known publishers and/or in professional journals and
magazines. To have one’s writings published required careful peer review to validate the
information as authoritative. With the advent of the Internet and the World Wide Web
and the ease of publishing to the Internet, the careful peer review before publication
57 http://lii.org, http://academicinfo.net, http://infomine.ucr.edu, http://www.about.com, http://www.freeprint.com/gary/direct.htm, http://www.invisible-web.net, http://www.profusion.com, http://wwwcompleteplanet.com 58 http://www.gpoaccess.gov/multidp.html 59 http://www.searchsystems.net 60 http://library.rider.edu/scholarly/rlackie/Invisible/Inv_Web_Main.html.
69
slipped through the cracks. It is therefore very possible that some of the information so
published is dubious.
You also need to remember that some of the information on personal websites – so
called “blogs” – contains personal opinions and not necessarily facts. A big part of doing
research is to evaluate the validity of resources. You would use the same evaluation
criteria as for any other resource. The following may be helpful:
What is the source/origin of this information?
Remember domain names? Domain names have a domain suffix that gives some
sort of indication what the purpose and intended audience of a website is. You
could use this as an indication of the trustworthiness of the information contained
in those sites.
.com Commercial sites. Information is usually promotional in nature and
tends to be on the positive aspects of products and services
advertised.
.edu Educational institution. This includes schools and tertiary education
institutions. Information published under this domain can range
from scholars’ and students’ personal websites to peer reviewed
authoritative resources. You would not normally consider the
information on a personal website authoritative, but published
research papers on the other hand would be more trustworthy.
.gov Government. Government Agencies can be held legally
accountable/liable for the information published on their websites.
There are normally very strict rules about the content of
documents and other information published on government
websites. Formal approval for publication is normally a
prerequisite. Information found on these websites have high
credibility.
.org Non-profit organizations. Care must be exercised especifically if
these organizations publish information that is biased and not
totally objective to promote a specific point of view.
70
.mil Military. As part of government, the information is also highly
credible.
.net All sites that do not fit under any other domain. Careful evaluation
is necessary because the information could be biased and
subjective.
How old is the information?
Also be careful of outdated information that is still available on the Internet.
Normally websites have an indication of when they were last updated. The more
frequently the site is updated, the less the chance that you may find outdated
information on those sites.
Who is the author of the information?
Resources published under the names of well-known authors and experts in their
profession would also normally be more credible than other information. If in
doubt, see if you could find something about the author and his/her credentials
on the web. If you cannot find anything about the author or any other
publications by that author, you could always check with other experts in the
field. They normally know each other or at least know about each other.
Why is this material on the Internet?
Is it advertising, lobbying, and/or networking?
Is it biased or subjective?
Is it historical fact?
Who benefits from publishing the information to the Internet?
The answers to these questions may very well give you some indication about the
trustworthiness of the information.
71
The Berkeley Library61, the Widener University62, the USC Beaufort Library63 and the
University of Albany64 have very good information about the evaluation of web
resources.
2.6.5 Planning a search
If you are searching the Internet just for fun, it is not necessary to plan a search.
However, if you are doing it for serious research a planned approach can save you a lot
of time. The UK Berkeley Library on their web page Recommended Search Strategy:
Analyze your topic and search with peripheral vision65 recommends the following:
a. Analyze your topic and decide where to begin
• Do you have distinctive words or phrases to search for?
• Do you know the synonyms of all the words?
• Do you know all variant spellings?
b. Pick the right starting place.
• Are you going to use a search engine? – Remember the Boolean logic to
refine your searches?
• Are you planning to use a subject directory? – What is the broader term or
subject of the word or phrase you are searching for?
c. Learn from your search experience and vary your approach.
Look at the search results. Maybe you have found something that you haven’t
thought of.
d. Don’t be bogged down by your strategy.
If the one doesn’t work, try another one.
e. Return to previous strategies better informed.
If you switched between strategies, go back to the original strategy with what
you learned and try again! Remember there are normal search engines, meta
search engines and subject directories to use. Furthermore, you could search
61 http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/Teaching46/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html 62 http://wwwz.widener.edu/Wolfgram-Memorial-Library/Webevaluation/Webeval.htm 63 http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/bones/lesson5.shtml 64 http://library.albany.edu/Internet/evaluate.htm 65 http://www.lib.berkely.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Strategies.htm
72
locally or globally on the World Wide Web or wider than that. Some pages on the
Internet are not visible as web pages. They exist as part of the deep web or
invisible web. You have to search specifically for them. If the search engine you
are using does not give you an option to search wider than the web, try using
your keyword or phrase with the word “database” as search terms or try the
invisible web directory.66
The USC Beaufort Library67 and the University of Albany68 have more information about
search strategies that could be very helpful if you plan a search.
66 http://www.invisible-web.net 67 http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/bones/lesson6.shtml 68 http://library.albany.edu/Internet/checklist.html
73
3. Netiquette
When you use any of the services on the Internet, you are becoming part of a new
culture with a basic set of “rules of engagement” called netiquette or net etiquette.
Netiquette is a basic set of guidelines for acceptable use of the Internet. The basic rules
are:
• Mind the people. You are not just talking to computer but with people. Remember
that the other people don’t see you and cannot read your body language, or see
gestures and expressions. They cannot see if you are funny, serious, etc. You need
to be very careful how you express yourself so that you are not misinterpreted.
• Mind your manners. What is unacceptable behaviour in real life is also unacceptable
on the net. Don’t launch personal attacks on other people.
• Mind your environment. When you participate in discussion groups and listservs, try
to follow the tone of the group. If it is formal, don’t be chatty and social. You will be
shut out or even flamed (i.e. told off). Remember; don’t wander away from the topic!
If you are interested in discussing something else – take it off-line.
• Mind the bandwidth. It is totally unacceptable to bombard people with huge e-mail
attachments, especially if they are not official in nature. Users with dial-up
connections would spend hours downloading these huge files and end up paying for
the Internet connection time.
• Mind your language. The basic spelling and grammar rules still apply. Even if the
people on the other side don’t know you, you should still protect your image as well
as that of your institution.
• Mind the accuracy of the information you pass on to others. The use of the Internet
is a way of sharing knowledge. Make sure of your facts before you answer
somebody’s question. You would not like to be fed bogus information, so don’t do it
to others. And remember there may be somebody else who does have the correct
facts and who would point out your incorrect facts in a very open forum!
• And don’t be lazy. Don’t ask questions that could have been answered by doing a
simple research on the public web.
For more information on netiquette, read The Net: User Guidelines and Netiquette69
69 http://www.fau.edu/netiquette/net
75
4. What do you need to connect to the Internet?
4.1 Computer
To make use of the wide variety of services the Internet provides the following is
recommended:
A computer with
• An up-to-date operating system
• A minimum of 64 Megabytes RAM. RAM is a microchip that stores data for brief
periods of time to enable the computer to run programmes and access data.
• A minimum of 10 Megabytes free disk space. A disk is the magnetic hard drive that
stores data long term. Free disk space is unused space on the hard disk that is
available for downloading information from the Internet.
• As a minimum a 486 or Pentium processor. The faster the processor speed, the
faster information can be downloaded.
• An Ethernet port if available.
• A sound card and speakers or headphone to enable you to access sound and
multimedia files.
To find out more about computers, you can download the IRMT’s publication
Understanding Computer Systems: An overview for Records and Archives Staff.70
4.2 Software
Besides the need to have an up-to-date operating system you also need the following
software:
• Connection software to allow the computer to dial into the computers of the Internet
Service Provider. The Internet Service Provider normally supplies this software as
part of the subscription fee. Connection software must be compatible with the
computer.
• A browser to access the information on the World Wide Web. If the computer’s
operating system does not have a built-in browser your Internet Service Provider
70 http://www.irmt.org/downloadlist/education.htm
76
would give you a choice of browser software to use. The two most known browsers
are Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator.
• Plug-ins are added software that extend a browser’s capabilities. Plug-ins allow you
to access multi-media files (e.g. audio or video files) without having to exit the
browser to access another application to open the files.
4.3 Internet account
When you sign up for Internet service with an Internet Service Provider you would have
an Internet account that gives you the right to use the services offered by that Service
Provider. But how do you go about opening an account with a Service
Provider? And what type of account should you choose?
4.3.1 Internet Service Providers
Internet Service Providers can be found by visiting your local library or contacting your
telephone company for recommendations. You could also consider contacting a local
computer store or perusing local computer publications to find out which Service
Providers are operational in your area.
Service Providers normally also advertise in local news papers or in the Yellow Pages.
Should your local library have an Internet connection available, try the following
websites that contain links to Service Providers:
Tag Online WebHosting Internet Resources71
The List of ISPs72
CNet Reviews73
These sites enable you to search for Internet service providers by name or geographical
area.
A brief list of Service Providers is attached as Annexure D.
71 http://www.tagsys.com/Provider/provider_search.html 72 http://www.tagsys.com/Provider/provider_search.html 73 http://webservices.cnet.com/html/aisles/Internet_Access.asp
77
4.3.1.1 How would you go about connecting to the service provider?
The Internet Service Provider will supply you with the software that you need to connect
to the Internet, if you do not have it pre-installed as part of your operating system. They
will supply you with a brochure that contains step-by-step instructions, and/or with a
help line number where they will talk you through the process, and/or supply you with
an electronic step-by-step process.
You will need a local access number if you have a dial-up connection, or an IP address in
the case of a dedicated network line, a username and a password. The latter two would
prevent other people from using your account. Your username and password are unique.
If you choose a username that already exists on the Service Provider’s database, you
would be instructed to choose another username.
4.3.1.2 Evaluating the services of Internet Service Providers
Depending on the type of Internet connection that you want, your expectations of an
Internet Service Provider may differ.
Should you only want an Internet connection for your own personal use at home, you
may expect your Service Provider to allow multiple e-mail addresses for each family
member to have his own. You would also expect not to have periods of inaccessibility
even though it might be tolerable if the line is busy and you have to try again later.
Should you however need the Internet service for business reasons, a fast, reliable,
100% uptime Service Provider is ideal. In both cases cost and technical support are
important factors. You need to determine beforehand precisely what type of service you
want from your Service Provider.
The following are options to consider:
• Start up fees and fee structure
How much would it cost to set up your Internet account?
What else would you be paying for?
How much will it cost to be on-line?
78
- Remember to find out what your local telephone rates are if you would be
using a dial-up connection
Would you be paying long distance rates if you connect to remote computers
outside your local area?
• Do they provide access to all services on their Internet? It is best if the Service
Provider supports all of them.
• Reliability
How long has the service provider been around?
Are there any complaints about its services?
What type of contract is it offering? Short term or long term? Does it expect
payment up front or is it a monthly subscription fee?
• Reliable access
Does it have the ability to establish connections 24 hours a day 7 days a week
especially in peak hours?
• Customer support
Does it have 24 hour customer support?
Do they charge for customer support?
• What additional services do they provide?
Will they assist in registering a domain name?
Will they host your e-mail on their servers?
Would they be able to host your website?
To choose a Web Hosting Service that would suit your needs is also very
important. For a quick search to find a Web Hosting Service access the website
of Hostcart.com74 if the service of your Internet Service Provider does not suit
your needs.
A good Web Hosting Service
• is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• is quick to respond to questions.
• has been around for a while and have a good customer base.
• offers tutorials and other help facilities for beginners.
74 http://www.hostchart.com/hostcowizard.asp
79
• has 100% uptime so that the website is always accessible.
• does not have limitations on the amount of space you may use.
The University of Albany in their Internet Tutorial75 has a comprehensive list of questions
to ask a prospective Service Provider. You could also consult The Easy Guide to Selecting
an Internet Service Provider76 for more information. Even though the latter is a
commercial site, the information regarding the selection of Service Providers is well
worth reading.
4.3.2 Internet connection
An Internet connection should be as fast as possible to enable one to download
information as quickly as possible. The following types of connections are available. You
should speak to the Internet Service Provider about finding the best connection option
for you specific circumstances.
Dial-up connection
A dial-up connection is an Internet connection over a standard telephone line using a
modem. A modem is a device that translates the computer’s digital signals into analogue
signals. This enables the signals to travel over a standard telephone line. A modem
connected to a computer on the other end of the line translates the analogue signals
back to digital signals so that the computer can understand them. A modem capable of
downloading information at a speed of 56 Kilobytes or more per second would work best.
The faster the modem speed the better the performance level when accessing and
downloading graphical and multimedia files. Some digital files can be extremely large.
Modems can be externally connected to the computer’s serial port or internally installed
in the computer.
Broadband
Broadband is a dedicated network connection through a local area network that has an
Internet gateway to connect to other systems on a network. This connection can remain
connected to the Internet so that you don’t need to dial up when you want to access the
Internet.
75 http://library.albany.edu/Internet/connect.html. 76 http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/cc/so/cuso/cso/cm/ezgd_pl.htm
80
However in some countries other connection options are available, namely:
• Cable Internet where the computer uses the same network cable as the television to
access Internet. To access cable Internet one needs a cable modem as well as an
Ethernet card for the computer. An Ethernet card is a special circuit board that
enables the computer to connect to networks. A cable modem is much faster than a
normal telephone line modem with a dial-up connection. A cable modem is a modem
that operates over an ordinary TV cable. For more information you could access the
Cable Modem Reference Guide.77
• Satellite connections allow you to download Internet files via satellite connection, but
you would still need a modem to use the other features of the Internet.
• Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) is a type of digital phone line that
transmits data many times faster than a modem on a normal telephone line. ISDN
allows voice and data to be transmitted simultaneously using end-to-end digital
connectivity. An ISDN connection requires an ISDN adapter and a telephone line that
can send and receive digital signals. Your local phone company should have this
equipment installed. More information is available from the ISDN tutorial78.
• Wireless connections like cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDA’s), etc. that
are able to connect to the Internet.
• Web TV provides Web and E-mail access through ordinary television sets through a
custom high-speed modem.
• DSL is technology that transfers high bandwidth information over ordinary telephone
lines at a speed of ±6.1 megabits per second. It can carry data and voice signals.
The data line is continuously connected. DSL does not change into analogue signals
and back. Digital is transferred directly to the computer as digital data. A DSL or
Digital Subscriber Line requires a special modem and a network card in your
computer. Your Internet Service Provider, or local telephone company, would be able
to advise you regarding the installation price and monthly service fee. For more
information you can read The Fast Guide to DSL.79
E-mail only account
With this type of account you will have access to e-mail and mailing lists but to none of
the other Internet services.
77 http://cable-modem.org/tutorial 78 http://www.ralphb.net/ISDN/ 79 http://www.searchnetworking.techtarget.com/sDefinition/O,,sid7_gci213915,00.html
81
5. Advantages and Disadvantages of using the Internet
There are a number of advantages and disadvantages of using the Internet. The
following list is not exhaustive.
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
Rich source of information All information not necessarily credible
Anybody can publish online No quality control and validity check
Fast and powerful search engines Information overload
Immediate communication Speed takes precedence over credibility
Global communication of information Emphasizes the digital divide
Ease of use Viruses, hackers, logic bombs, etc.
Cost effective Doesn’t reach people not connected
Not free
Information available on any
computer connected
You have to have a computer with an
Internet connection
Information can be found quickly Information can also disappear quickly so
that you cannot find it again
What are the specific advantages and disadvantages for the archives and records
management profession?
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Effective form of outreach But only if your client base is connected
No publication cost But take into account that you pay for
the services of the Internet Service
Provider, the web host, the website
developer etc.
No residual inventory
No arrangements for exhibitions, speak-
ers, catering, invitations, etc
But very labour intensive if you want to
build interactive exhibitions
No physical security problems But remember that hackers and
spammers and hoaxers can reach you via
the website
82
Available 24/7
Immediately updateable and
changeable
Even if there are a number of disadvantages it is better to have a web presence than to
have none at all. And remember, you don’t need to go for the big bang approach and
wait until everything is perfect before you publish a website. Even a small start is better
than no start at all. A website is a living record that is expandable, changeable and
updateable. A small beginning doesn’t have to stay small for ever.
5.1 Security
The moment you connect your computer to a network you are vulnerable to attacks by
viruses, hackers, spammers, phishers, worms and Trojans to name but a few of the
hazards that are facing an interconnected world.
It is always a good idea to install virus protection programmes and firewalls before you
connect to a network, whether it is a dial-up connection or a permanent open network
connection. A firewall is a programme that prevents unauthorised access to a computer
over a network. Anti-virus software is a programme that scans the computer for viruses,
detects them and removes them. However it only does that effectively if you are keeping
the anti-virus software up-to-date.
Normally a new computer comes with a lot of programmes pre-installed, amongst which
are the firewall software and a trial version of an anti-virus software programme. You
should enquire about the existence of this software on the computer when you buy it.
Should your computer vendor indicate that the software is not pre-installed, you should
request them to so install it. If they cannot do it as part of the cost of the computer, you
would be wise to buy this additional software to protect the data on your computer.
You can keep the anti-virus software up-to-date once you are online, by downloading
updates from the internet. You can also set the software up so that it automatically
updates itself when you connect to the internet.
Anti-virus software and firewalls are not the only things that can protect your computer.
You should be careful what you download from the internet and also about what e-mails
you open. If you receive a virus alert when downloading a document or when trying to
83
open an e-mail, you should allow your virus protection software to clean the file first. If
the virus cannot be cleaned, do not continue the download or open the e-mail.
You need to protect yourself against the following:
5.1.1 Viruses, Worms and Trojans
Computer viruses, worms and Trojans are a threat to anyone who spends time online or
who sends and receives e-mail. The can at best slow your computer down and at worst
damage and delete system files and data files from your computer and any other
computer on the network that is infected. They can also cause a lot of embarrassment
by for example causing your browser to default to porn sites on the web.
Viruses are malicious programmes that can damage the data on your computer. They
are usually hidden away in another file or programme. They usually go no further than
your own computer. A worm is much more malignant. It e-mails itself to other
computers and damages the data on both your computer as well as the other computer
that it e-mailed itself to. A Trojan is a programme that purports to be useful, but that
contains hidden viruses and worms and is therefore the nastiest of them all.
Viruses, worms and Trojans can be hidden in files that are downloaded from the
internet, but there is an easier way to distribute them. E-mails with attachments are the
biggest scapegoat.
5.1.2 Hacking
Hackers are people with an active interest in breaking through computer security. They
are normally not malicious and are only of intention to let you know that you have gaps
in your security. However, some hackers do have malicious intent. If they do manage to
get through your firewall, they can leave a Trojan on your computer that logs all the key
strokes when you enter passwords on secure sites like internet banking sites. They also
record personal information like credit card particulars and then manage to scam
internet banking users out of their money.
84
5.1.3 Phishing
Phishing is another method of obtaining personal information from unsuspecting users.
For example – You receive an e-mail from your “bank” asking you to verify or update
your personal detail on-line. When you click on the link provided, it takes you to a
website that looks a lot like the website of your bank, but which is actually a dummy site
set up to enable the phishers to capture your personal details.
The best way to protect yourself is never to enter personal particulars in an e-mailed e-
form, or to open the bank website from a link in an e-mail message. It is best to open
the browser and type the bank’s URL into the location bar. If the bank really wants you
to update your personal particulars, there would be a notification to that effect on the
bank’s website.
5.1.4 Spam
Unsolicited bulk e-mail is another disadvantage of having a web presence. As soon as
you have a website with an advertised e-mail address you are open to spamming. Spam
is basically junk e-mail that advertises products and services. Spam is not malicious in
intent, but bombarding an e-mail address with unsolicited e-mails can cause the e-mail
server to become overloaded and to crash.
To prevent spam is difficult. You can set up a filter on your server to recognize spam
messages and delete them, or you can complain to your Internet Service Provider. They
will then try to block the e-mails.
85
6. What would you use the Internet for?
6.1 Introduction
How do people use the Internet? Why would you want to use the Internet?
When you are connected to the Internet and use the wide range of Internet services
available, you are able to communicate and share information easily. Using the Internet
to share and communicate information is relatively inexpensive. Sending one e-mail to
multiple recipients at the cost of one telephone call is a lot cheaper than making
individual calls.
Using the Internet will enable you to:
• keep in touch with colleagues via e-mail, video conferencing and online chatting;
• find information from all over the world on all kinds of topics;
• have instant access to up to date world wide news;
• have access to downloadable software;
• do online transactions like banking and shopping;
• publish information about your organization and its functions;
• keep up to date with world wide developments in your profession; etc
• request and provide assistance on professional issues via listservs and online chat.
But how can archivists and records managers use the Internet and World Wide Web?
The uses of the Internet and World Wide Web can be divided into the following types
namely:
a) Communicating what you do and what you have;
b) Marketing to draw a new audience to want what you do or what you have;
c) Research to better your skills and knowledge; and
d) Training.
Archivists and records managers could also use the Internet and World Wide Web for
these activities. We could however, add another type of activity namely:
e) Managing and preserving what we, our client offices and stakeholders produce
86
6.2 Communication
Having a presence on the World Wide Web could convey information about:
- Archives repositories
where they are
how to contact them
how to reach them
• map of location
• bus routes
• parking
what they look like
• photographs
how they operate
• official opening hours
• reading room rules
• ordering procedure
brief history about repositories themselves
- the holdings of the repositories
description of the holdings, manuscript and special collections
exhibition catalogues
finding aids with keyword searching
oral history transcripts
newsletters
news about new acquisitions
online exhibits
workshop announcements
- other institutions with similar holdings
links to other archives repositories
information about genealogical research
contact details of researchers
- the services and products of the records management sections and could contain
statutory and regulatory framework
who the client offices are
records management principles and standards
specific records management procedures that should be followed by client offices
policies, guidelines, advice, publications
records retention schedules of a general nature
87
circulars
There is a lot of information that one could publish to a website to develop a web
presence. However, the above suggestions are very static in nature and would most
probably only draw attention from the academics, historians, genealogists, researchers
and records management clients that already know about and use the services of the
Archives Service. You need to ask yourself if that is what you really want.
6.3 Marketing/Outreach
The purpose of a marketing/outreach campaign is to draw the attention of those people
that would not normally entertain the idea to visit an archives repository, those that do
not know the value of an Archives Service, and those that really don’t know that such a
thing even exists.
Traditional methods of outreach, namely open days, exhibitions (static and travelling),
guest lecturers, workshops, etc still have their place in society and especially in
developing countries that are not so digitally advantaged as the rest of the world.
However, this does not mean that Archives Services should not make use of
opportunities that may exist to build a presence on the web.
The traditional public perception of archives repositories is that they are dark and dusty
buildings that house old dusty documents for which the broader public has little use.
Archivists are old grey men and women that hide away in these buildings behind these
dusty documents because they are not good enough for anything else.
The perception that archives are only of value to academics and historians and that they
have little value for the public at large should be changed. As long as this perception
exists the public would feel no need to support archival and preservation actions and
records management clients would continue ignoring the value of good records
management practices. Archives Services need to use all opportunities possible to
market their services and holdings.
Marketing on the World Wide Web may have surprising results. It could lead to drawing
people to the repositories out of curiosity because they accidentally stumbled across
something interesting while they were searching for something totally different.
Broadening the audience of the Archival and Records Management profession could lead
88
to broader public support for the services they deliver. So, if you do have an opportunity
to develop an archival presence on the World Wide Web, what can you do to draw the
attention of the broader public?
Due to the interactive nature of the medium it is possible to
a) have online exhibitions: These do not need to be only static photographs which
the users need to view by clicking through them. Consider building a more active
exhibit by
- picking a specific theme
- finding out what documents, photographs, moving images and sound
recordings you have about the theme
- combining these in a online exhibit. - e.g. do you have the President’s state of
the nation address? Why not publish that with an option to listen to the radio
broadcast or view the video. An example of this type of exhibit is the Digital
Scriptorium of the University of Berkeley80.
You could also consider taking users through a virtual walk of an exhibition that is
running in the archives repository. Technology exists whereby one could make a
three-dimensional video of an existing exhibition. It allows an on-line user to
“walk” through an exhibition by pointing the cursor. It even allows one to zoom in
and out to specific parts of the exhibition. This type of exhibition is usually
combined with a sound overlay to explain the purpose of the exhibition and to
explain the exhibits themselves. Normally you would also be able to view a
textual description of the content of the exhibit.
One could even take this one level further by making a hyperlinked virtual
exhibition. One could build hyperlinks into specific parts of virtual exhibitions that
could allow one to jump to an exhibition on a totally different topic. For example:
You are doing an exhibition on the history of a specific town and you have
photographs in the exhibition of a specific building that is of architectural value.
The user zooms in on that part of the exhibition and finds the photograph of the
building. He then has a choice to continue browsing the current exhibition or to
jump to another exhibition depicting the history of that building. When viewing
the history of the building and he views the photograph of the architect, he could
have a further choice to stay with the current exhibition or to jump to an
exhibition about the architect.
80 http://sunsite.berkeley..edu/scriptorium
89
These types of on-line exhibitions are normally used by museums. An example of
these types of exhibitions is the Egyptian Tomb of Menna.81 The Birmingham
Museum and Art Gallery82 and the Malta National Museum of Archaeology83 have
similar type of exhibits.
These are only some examples of what can be done with the technology. You
should however keep in mind that building such exhibitions would be resource
and labour intensive.
b) have searchable catalogues of the holdings on the website that allows user to do
keyword searchers. You may consider publishing the images of the records that
draw the most hits on the website too.
Examples of searchable catalogues can be found on the websites of all the
Archives Services that have a web presence.
c) publish videos of bad record-keeping practices and backlog clearing actions for
the records management clients to get a feel for good recordkeeping practices.
Seeing the shocking condition in which some public service departments keep
their records, to which the public has a right to access, may cause public debate
and interest in recordkeeping practices and may even make the public aware of
their rights in this regard.
6.4 Research
The global nature of the World Wide Web brought a lot of valuable information on
archival and recordkeeping practices together in “one” place.
Archivists and Records Managers can, with a touch of a button, have access to the latest
information regarding their profession. They can search the web to find out what their
colleagues in other countries are doing, they can ask questions about professional issues
and offer advice to others. There is no archival or records management problem or issue
81 http://www.doc.nmu.ac.uk/Research/virtual-museum/Menna/index.html 82 http://www.bmag.org.uk/museum_and_art_gallery 83 http://www.maltavoyager.com/moa/walkthroughs/vw_intro.html
90
that has not received attention yet. All of us are battling with the same problems and
some of us have solutions or possible solutions for those problems and issues.
The best thing that could have happened to the archival and records management
profession is the knowledge base that exists on the World Wide Web, and the
opportunities for networking with experienced people that did not exist in the past.
Distance and different time zones became irrelevant in the quest for archival and records
management knowledge. One does however, need to be careful and evaluate the
relevance and authenticity of the information that is gathered via this resource.
There are a number of pages on the web that contain links to archival and records
management resources. Examples of such pages are the following:
Records Management and Archival Web Resources Links84
RIM Resources85
Archives on the Internet: Valuable Resources for Reference and Professional Inquiries86
Preservation Resources87
Useful Websites for Archivists and Records Managers88
Bibliography of Glossaries89
E-government Resources90
Electronic Records Resources and Reference Links91
Archival resources92
Selected archival and records management resources93
Records and Information Management Resource List94
Unesco Archives Portal95
Annexure E also contains links to useful websites.
84 http://www-library.lbl.gov/teid/tmAro/hotlinks/Arohotlinks.htm 85 http://www.archives.nysed.gov/ 86 http://we.library.uiuc.edu/ahx/rao/swain.htm 87 http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Preservation 88 http://www.nagara.org/clearinghouse/summer_97/slavin.html 89 http://www.archives.gov/research_room/alic/reference_desk/glossaries_for_archivists.html 90 http://www.egov.vic.gov.au/Research/WebSiteIssues/InformationManagement/infolink1.htm 91 http://useastpra.optiview.com/HTTP:/enterprise.state.wi.us/home/e-records/resource_ref_links.htm 92 http://www.cslib.org/twnclrkes.htm 93 http://www.gclc-lib.org/resources/haig-archival.html 94 http://infomgmt.homestead.com/files/site_toc.html 95 http://www.unesco.org
91
6.5 Training
Web-based training is an excellent idea to share information with other professionals and
to train students if training resources are limited. Examples of web-based training are
the NARA Digital Classroom96 and Records Management Training for Oregon County
Government97. A free manual98 on delivering education via the web can be found on the
Macromedia website. You could also access the guide Web-based Training for Archivists
and Other Historical Record Keepers99 for more information about web-based training.
6.6 Preserving what we, our client offices and stakeholders produce for the
Internet and World Wide Web
Archivists and records managers are battling with a new challenge. What are websites?
Are they records or are they publications? And does it matter what they are? How should
we preserve them as evidence of what was communicated to the world?
Websites, like other electronic records, are hardware and software dependent.
Furthermore the information published to websites tends to be very short-lived. While
web development is still in its infancy in some countries, it gives them a real opportunity
to build preservation mechanisms into the websites at an early stage.
Information regarding the debate about the preservation of websites can be found on
most of the listservs. You could learn more about archiving web resources by accessing
the archived version of the National Library of Australia’s information on the
International Archiving Web Resources Conference100 held in November 2004. You could
also do a search for information on the preservation of web resources by using the
following keywords/phrases: archiving and (web resources), preservation and (web
resources.
96 http://www.archives.gov/education/digital_classroom.html 97 http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/banners/recmgmt.htm 98 http://www.macromedia.com/resources/learning/elearning_guide.pdf 99 http://www.coshrc.org/arc/webeducation/index.htm 100 http://www.pandora.nla.gov.au
93
7. Designing a website/Intranet site
7.1 Introduction
The design of a website requires:
• Thorough planning;
• An understanding of how websites are built;
• An understanding of what you want to achieve with the website.
Designing a website normally has stages, namely:
• Planning;
• Content development;
• Graphic design;
• Programming;
• Hosting;
• Marketing and promotion; and
• Maintenance.
If you are not an expert on website design and you plan to have a very elaborate
website, it may be best if you employ a professional website developer to develop the
site for you.
You could, as a start, design a very simple website to enable you to develop a web
presence, and as the site develops over time and it becomes more complicated, employ
the necessary professional skills to maintain and update the site. For more information
about the development of a website, you could access the Web Developer’s Virtual
Library101and the Web Developers Journal102.
A basic knowledge of HTML can be very helpful when creating your own website.
101 http://www.wdvl.com 102 http://webdevelopersjournal.com
94
7.2 Planning your website
To plan a website thoroughly you need to determine the following:
How would it benefit you to have a website? Building and maintaining a website is
a costly exercise. If you cannot prove a return on investment and/or that the
website would benefit your institution in one way or the other, it does not make
sense to spend the money to design the website. Remember that benefits are not
only financial in nature. If the purpose of the website is to attract more people to
the archives repository and/or to convey the message about good recordkeeping,
it can be a very successful marketing/outreach tool.
What should be communicated on the website? Remember that you could start
small and gradually build up the website. You do however need to know what the
long term aim of the website is so that you could plan the sequence of the site
development properly. You also need to know what information you want publish
to start the website with;
Who is the intended audience? What would be of interest to your intended
audience? How could you add value to their experience of you and your services?
Would what you plan to do with the website be very different from your normal
publications? Remember that you are not creating the website only for yourself.
You want other people to use it. You need to know who those other people are.
You also need to know beforehand if you only want to draw one type of audience
to your site or if you want to attract all types of audiences. You would for
instance plan differently for serious academic researchers, school children and
casual browsers. The bigger your intended audience is, the more creative you
need to be. The intended audience determines what would be published on the
website and what the look and feel of the site should be. For example, if your
intended audience is academics, you would not entice them to your site with
animated cartoons and daily jokes. For a good example of how professionals,
academics, students and school children were accommodated on the same site
you could visit the website of the UK National Archives;103
How will the site be organised? Normally a site should be easy to maintain and it
should be very easy to find information. At this stage you should consider
drawing a schematic design of the website to enable you to “visualise” the site
How sophisticated should the website be? You may need to do a bit of research
on the internet to look at different websites and how user friendly they are. If you
103 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
95
see a website that you like, you could contact the webmaster (the contact
particulars are normally published on the website) to find out who the website
developer was, and how they went about drafting a terms of reference for
obtaining the services of the website developer. It would also be beneficial if you
could obtain information about the cost of the development and the maintenance
of the particular website so that you could form an idea of how much you should
budget for the development of a website.
With this information at hand you could now obtain management approval for the design
of the website and the content to be published. Websites are a very public form of
communication and should be managed as part of your institution’s broader
communication policy. Remember that your institution can be held legally accountable
for what is published on the website.
Management’s buy-in is however needed for a much more practical reason…. To build
the website and to keep it up-to-date requires a continued financial commitment. If
management does not buy into the website and the benefits of having a website are not
clear to them, you would not receive the necessary financial support to maintain the
website. There is however, more to it than just that. Depending on the level of
sophistication of the website you may need to employ the services of a professional
website developer. You would need to convince your management that it is necessary to
outsource the development of the website and that you would need to budget for that.
You should also remember that a website is a work in progress. It is not a once off
development. It should continue to grow with your institution and should be kept up-to-
date. Planning it properly from the start and having a financial commitment from the
start would definitely be beneficial for all concerned.
7.3 Developing website content
To determine what content the website should carry, you need a very clear idea what
you want to achieve with the site. Normally the idea behind a website is to let the world
know that you exist and to let them know what services you offer. You do however also
want to attract more people to use your services and to understand the value that you
add to society. You need to keep all this in mind when you plan the content of your site.
To start off with, you could develop a very simple site that fulfils the same function as a
pamphlet, display ad or newsletter. Such a site would only include contact information
96
and a very brief description of the service you offer, and would most probably not attract
additional people to use your services. It would however, serve as a convenient
mechanism to contact you if you include an e-mail address on the site.
If you want to use the site to increase awareness of the value that you add to society,
the site can become more complex in nature and would then not only include pamphlet
style listing of your address and services. It could include on-line exhibitions, interactive
catalogue searching, etc. The content of your website would then most probably be a
combination of information that you already have available and information that you
need to develop specifically for the website. It is possible that the information that you
have available already needs to be repackaged for web publishing. You need to consider
how many resources you have available in-house to assist with content development and
maintenance. The amount of resources available in-house as well as the amount of
money available to hire skilled writers should be investigated. If you have the money
available, it may be a good idea to hire the services of a skilled writer to assist with the
repackaging of the information and to write additional information for the website.
Limited resources may be one of the reasons why you would have to start small and
build the site up gradually.
It is always a good idea to workshop the content of the site with your staff. For example,
if the staff could indicate what users normally ask them most and the answers could be
posted to a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page on the website, staff would not have
to spend time on answering those frequently asked questions, but could spend time on
doing other work.
At this stage it is also necessary to give consideration to keeping the content of the
website updated. Who would be responsible for that task? Would you allocate the task to
one of your existing staff members, or would you need to hire the services of a content
manager?
7.4 Graphic Design
To make the website more attractive, it is a good idea to create a sense of continuity by
repeating a specific background and/or logo on every page of the website. You could try
to do this yourself, but because websites do have technical limitations, e.g. file sizes,
colour, screen resolutions and access speeds, it is a good idea to employ a good graphic
designer to work with the person who is developing the website.
97
It is a good idea to also workshop this aspect with the staff. They will feel more involved
and would be keener to use the site and to refer other people to the site to use it.
7.5 Programming your website
When the website is planned, the content created and the look and feel of the site
decided on, it is necessary to convert all this to a web readable form. Normally the text
files are converted to HTML format and the graphics are converted to GIF or JPEG
formats. More complicated sites however, also contain e-forms, image maps, etc. The
more complicated the planned site is, the better it is to have an expert available to write
the content to a website readable form. However, if you plan to start with an
uncomplicated text-based site, you could do some of the work yourself. You could either
write some of the text yourself using the HTML guidelines above or you could write the
text in your normal word processor and save the text as HTML104 files. You could then
use the basic HTML guidelines to test the text to make sure that the text would display
correctly in a website. You should remember that, when you have a large piece of text to
convert to HTML format, like a book for instance, it is good HTML practice to break the
text up in smaller parts that would be faster to download – almost like the chapters of
the book. It is also good practice to allow users to choose between a HTML document to
download in parts or an open source document format like PDF or to download it in its
entirety. In this regard you could look at the National Archives of Australia’s DIRKS
Manual.
Also remember that long scrolling pages of text are not very user-friendly. Users will
lose interest very easily if they have to scroll to a large piece of text to find out what you
are all about. It is always a good idea to design a home page for your website. The
home page is the very first page of your website and should draw the attention of the
users. This does not mean that it should be very “busy”. A home page with a simple lay-
out that immediately tells the user what the site is all about is best. The home page
serves as a table of contents for the rest of the site.
It is not necessary to convert all the information that you have available to HTML format.
You may want textual pages of limited length that allow you to download more
substantial information or publications. Should you wish to go this route, remember not
104 http://www.naa.gov.au/recordkeeping/dirks/summary.html
98
to publish your publications in proprietary formats (like MS Word, WordPerfect, etc)
because all computers do not have the software available to read them. It is better to
convert the documents to a non-proprietary format like PDF that can be read with a
reader that is freely available on the Internet.
The more complicated your site is, the more critical it is that you have a search function
on the site to enable users to search the site for information without having to drill down
into all the pages of your site to find the information that they want. Your search
function should have an easy keyword searching functionality as well as a more
advanced Boolean searching functionality.
It is very nice to include graphics in the site. You should, however, keep in mind that
graphics take longer to download and that it can be very frustrating for users with a dial-
up connection. If you want to include graphics, keep the file sizes small. It is also a good
idea to give users an option to view the site with or without graphics. Multi-media files
also take longer to download. If you want to include these types of files on your site, you
should also give the users the option to view them or not.
It is a good idea to add links to related sites to add value to your user’s experience.
However, you may need the permission of the owners of the other sites to include the
links on your site. Before you add a link to another site, you should contact the
webmaster of that site to obtain permission to do so.
When developing your site you should also keep copyright restrictions in mind. If you
want to re-use information or graphics that are published on other sites, you should
obtain written permission to do so from the owners of the other site. For more
information about copyright you could study the Copyright Website105
7.6 Hosting your website
Now that you have the website developed, you need to find a host for the website. You
could consider buying a web server to host your website in-house, or you could host
your site with your Internet Service Provider or with a Web Hosting Service.
105 http://www.benedict.com
99
Should you decide to host the website in-house, your system administrator should be
skilled in all aspects about web hosting. It is a good idea to do a proper risk and costing
analysis before you make a decision. You should remember that a website is the public
face of your institution and that it is meant to be available 24 hours 7 days a week.
7.7 Marketing/Promoting your website
A website is no use if nobody knows that it exists. There are various ways of marketing a
website. It can be as easy as including your website address on your business cards, in
your hardcopy publications, in your e-mail auto signature when you send out e-mail, etc.
If you have a huge marketing budget, you could even consider printing pamphlets and
leaving them with your local library to distribute or advertising in newspapers and
computer magazines.
However, there are also other ways of publicizing your website. The first one is to allow
your website to be crawled by search engines so that your site could be retrieved when
searches are done. This is a hit or miss method, that may not have the desired results.
It is better to actually register your website’s URL and a description of your site to
several search engine sites to ensure that it does show up in search results when
searches are done. A good place to start is with SubmitIT106. This site contains a form
that you can complete on-line and submit to dozens of search engines at once. You
could also submit the particulars of your site to website directories to be included in their
listings.
You could also send information about the existence of your site to the various
professional listservs. Another method would be to ask the owners of other websites
with similar interests to add a link to your website on their sites. It is also a good idea to
ask the owners of the Records and Information related portal sites to include a link to
your site on their portals.
7.8 Maintaining your website
A website needs regular upkeep; otherwise it becomes outdated very easily. If you have
a relatively uncomplicated website, it is easy to check regularly for outdated information,
if all the links are still working properly and if all the documents on the site are
106 http://www.submit_it.com
100
accessible and readable. However, when the site grows maintenance can become a full
time job. At this stage it may be a good idea to appoint a person to maintain the
website.
You should remember to budget for the cost of full time maintenance of the site,
especially if you have a very sophisticated website. To enable you to do this, it is
necessary that you design a proper maintenance strategy for your site. You need to
decide how often to update the site and how extensive the updates should be. You also
need to know how many users visit the site and what pages they are viewing. Your Web
Hosting Service should be able to provide you with the user statistics. You could use this
information to find out why you are not drawing many visitors to your site and which
pages are not accessed. You should also remember to keep proper records of all
maintenance actions on the website, because a website is an official record and its
authenticity should be able to be proven beyond any doubt.
It is a good idea to include the e-mail address and other contact particulars of the
webmaster on the website. This would allow users that experience problems accessing
information on your site to contact you and to alert you to possible problems.
101
8 Understanding HTML
8.1 HTML Documents
HTML documents are plain text documents. They are created by using either a text
editor (WYSIWYG107 editors are available) or by creating a document in a normal word-
processing software package and saving it as text only. HTML is the authoring language
of the web. It is used to embed instructions into documents so that web browsers know
how to display them.
Figure 50 contains an HTML version of the ACARM Guide to the Internet and World Wide
Web for Archivists and Records Managers and Figure 51 contains the HTML source code
of the document.
Figure 50: HTML version of the ACARM Guide to the Internet
and World Wide Web for Archivists and Records Managers
107 WYSIWYG acronym for “What you see is what you get”
102
Figure 51: The HTML Source Code of the ACARM Guide to the
Internet and World Wide Web for Archivists and Records Managers
8.2 HTML Tags
A text document consists of various elements, for example headings, paragraphs tables,
lists, etc. These and other components of the structure of a text document are
distinguished for browser interpretation by using HTML tags. HTML tags consist of a left
angle bracket (<), a tag name, and a right angle bracket (>). Tags are usually paired
(e.g. <HI> and </HI>) to start and end the tag instruction. A slash (/) distinguishes
between the start and end tags. In general pairs of tags can be used within other pairs
provided that the end tags are in reverse order of the opening tags.
HTML is not case sensitive. In HTML the tag <title> is equivalent to <TITLE> or
<TiTlE>.
Not all tags are supported by all World Wide Web browsers. If a browser does not
support a tag, it normally ignores it.
103
8.3 The Basic HTML Document tags
8.3.1 Starting an HTML document
<html> and </html> is placed at the start and end of a document to define the
document type.
8.3.2 Head and title tags
Each document consists of head and body text. The head contains the title, and the
body contains the actual text or images to be displayed on screen by the browser.
The tags <head> and </head> define the header information including the title, while
the title tags <title> and </title> contain the title of the document which is displayed
somewhere on the browser window. The title tags are normally contained in the head
tags, e.g. <head> <title> type the title here </title></head>.
In this example
Figure 52: Example of a document heading in HTML format
the HTML tagging of the document will look like this:
<html>
<head> <title> type the title here </title></head>.
104
</html>
Look at the HTML source code below. Can you see the <html> <head> <title> and the
</title></head> </html> tags?
Figure 53: Source code of the example in figure 52
8.3.3 Body tags
The body of the document contains the content of the document. The body is tagged
with<body> and </body> that marks the main body of the page. The </body> or “end
body” tag is normally placed before the </html> or “end html” tag at the end of the
page.
In this example
105
Figure 54: Example of body text in an HTML document
the HTML tagging of the document will look like this:
<html>
<head> <title> type the title here </title></head>.
<body> type the content of the document here
</body>
</html>
Look at the HTML source code below. Can you see the <body> and </body> tags?
Figure 55: HTML source code of example in figure 54
indicating body tags
106
The content of a document also contains a number of other tags, namely
8.3.3.1 Heading tags
HTML has six levels of headings, displayed in larger and/or bolder fonts than normal
body text. The syntax of the heading element is:
<hx> type the text of the heading here </hx>
x is a number between 1 and 6. This indicates the size of the heading. 1 is the largest
heading and 6 the smallest.
The HTML tagging of the document will now look like this:
<html>
<head> <title> type the title here </title></head>
<body>
<h1> type the text of the heading here </h1>
type the content of the document here
</body>
</html>
Look at the HTML source code below. Can you see the <body> and </body> tags?
Figure 56: HTML source code of document in figure 54
indicating heading tags
107
8.3.3.2 Paragraph tags
In an HTML document paragraphs are delineated by paragraph tags. Unlike normal text
documents, HTML does not recognise carriage returns as paragraph breaks. Normally
multiple spaces are collapsed into a single space by your browser. All other formatting
by word processors is also ignored.
<p> and </p> defines paragraphs in a document. They mark the beginning and end of a
paragraph and automatically insert a line break. The </p> closing tag can be omitted
since the browser opens a new paragraph as soon as another <p> tag is encountered.
The HTML tagging of the document will now look like this:
<html>
<head> <title> type the title here </title></head>
<body>
<h1> type the text of the heading here </h1>
<p>
type the content of the paragraph here
<p>
type the content of the 2nd paragraph here
</p>
</body>
</html>
Look at the HTML source code below. Can you see the <p> and </p> tags?
108
Figure 57: HTML source code of document in figure 54
indicating the paragraph tags
With these tags you could create a very simple HTML document.
To make your HTML document more attractive, there are a number of other formatting
tags that you can use in the content of your document. You search on the internet to
find web pages that fulfil the criteria below. View the source code and see if you can
identify the tags.
8.3.3.3 Centre paragraphs
Paragraphs can be centred using the ALIGN= alignment attribute as follows:
<p align=centre> this is a centred paragraph </p>
It will look like this:
<html>
<head> <title> type the title here </title></head>
<body>
<h1> type the text of the heading here </h1>
<p align=centre>
<p>
type the content of the 2nd paragraph here
this is a centred paragraph
</p>
109
</body>
</html>
8.3.3.4 Lists
HTML supports unnumbered, numbered, definition and nested lists as shown below:
a) Unnumbered bulleted list:
<ul> and </ul> defines a bulleted list. <li> and </li> defines list items and should be
placed in front of each list item between the <ul> and </ul> tags
Example:
<ul>
<li> oranges
<li> lemons
<li>grapefruit
</ul>
When viewed from a browser-
• oranges
• lemons
• grapefruit
b) Numbered Lists/ordered lists
<ol> and </ol> defines numbered lists/ordered lists and are used in combination with
the list tags <li> and </li>
Example:
<ol>
<li> oranges
<li> lemons
<li> grapefruit
</ol>
When viewed from a browser-
110
1 oranges
2 lemons
3 grapefruit
c) Definition List
The <dl> and </dl> defines definition lists. They are used in conjunction with the
definition term <dt> and </dt> tags and the define definition <dd> and </dd> tags
Example
<dl>
<dt> IRMT
<dd> International Records Management Trust
<dt> ACARM
<dd> Association of Commonwealth Archivists and Records Managers
</dl>
When viewed from a browser-
IRMT
International Records Management Trust
ACARM
Association of Commonwealth Archivists and Records Managers
d) Nested Lists
The nested list can be described as a list within another list. Both lists can be of the
same type or a combination of unnumbered, numbered or definition lists.
A nested list is created by using the list definition tags and would look like this:
Example:
<ul>
<li> Citrus fruits:
<ul>
<li> Oranges
<li> Lemons
<li> Grapefruit
111
<ul>
<li> Other types of fruits:
<ul>
<li> Apples
<li> Apricots
<li> Peaches
<ul>
</ul>
When viewed from a browser
Citrus fruits:
• Oranges
• Lemons
• Grapefruit
Other types of fruits:
• Apples
• Apricots
• Peaches
8.3.3.5 Preformatted text
The text between the <pre> and </pre>tag is displayed in fixed-width font. This tag
also makes spaces, new lines, and tabs significant.
The <pre> tag can be used with an optional WIDTH attribute that specifies the
maximum number of characters for a line.
Hyperlinks can be used within <pre> sections. Other HTML tags within <pre> sections
may not function properly hence usage should be avoided.
8.3.3.6 Extended Quotations
The <blockquote> tag is used to include lengthy quotations in a separate block on the
screen. Most browsers generally change the margins for the quotation to separate it
from surrounding text.
112
8.3.3.7 Forced Line Breaks
The <br> tag forces a line break. The difference between the <p> and the <br> tags is
the space between lines. After a <br> the space is narrower than the space between two
paragraphs separated by a <p> tag. This is especially useful in postal addresses for
example.
8.3.3.8 Horizontal line
The <hr> tag inserts a horizontal line the width of the browser window. A horizontal
rule is normally used to separate sections of documents.
The thickness and width of the rule can be varied using the size and width tags followed
by a number or percentage respectively.
Example
<hr size=3 width= “75%”>
8.3.3.9 Other commonly used tags
• <dfn> for a word being defined. Typically displayed in italics.
• <em> for emphasis. Typically displayed in italics.
• <cite> for titles of books, films, etc. Typically displayed in italics.
• <code> for computer code. Displayed in a fixed-width font.
• <kbd> for user keyboard entry. Typically displayed in plain fixed-width font.
• <samp> for a sequence of literal characters. Displayed in a fixed-width font.
• <strong> for strong emphasis. Typically displayed in bold.
• <var> for a variable, where you will replace the variable with specific information.
Typically displayed in italics.
• <b>text in between is shown as bold</b>
• <i>text in between is shown as italics</i>
• <b><i>text in between is shown as bold and in italics</i></b>
• <tt> typewriter text, e.g. fixed-width font.
113
8.3.3.10 Special characters
HTML does not recognize certain special characters in text. A special case sensitive
escape sequence tag covers the following characters:
< - <
> - >
& - &~
ö - ö
8.3.3.11 Document Links
A special feature of HTML is that it allows linking between documents or between texts in
documents. Links or hyperlinks are instructions to the browser on how to navigate to
other places in the document, other documents or other web pages.
Hyperlinks are used to connect documents, images, sound clips or video clips. These
links can be used to connect between different parts inside the same document or to
different documents which may reside on any server on the World Wide Web.
The browser highlights the identified text or image embedded in the hyperlink which
when selected will display on screen another document or a different section of the same
document.
Hyperlinks are created by using the tag <a>, which stands for anchor. The destination
anchor is also known as a bookmark.
a) Linking between documents in the same directory
The format for the HTML tag linking to documents in the same directory as the root
document is:
<a href= “address.html”>Addresses</a>
Here the hyperlink “Addresses” links to the document address.html, which is in the same
directory as the document containing the hyperlink.
114
b) Links to documents in other directories
Links to documents in other directories can be made by specifying the relative path from
the current document to the linked document. For example, <a
href=“country/address.html”>London</a> links to a file address.html located in the
subdirectory country. This is a relative link since the path to the linked file is specified
relative to the location of the current file.
c) Links to URL’s
The World Wide Web uses URL’s to specify the location of files on other servers. The
absolute path name is the complete URL of the file. Relative links are more efficient in
accessing a server. The advantage of using relative links is that path names remain
valid when a group of documents is moved to another location. Absolute names must be
used when linking to documents that are on other websites.
d) Links to text in other documents
Links between sections of different documents can be done by inserting a name tag
anchor in the target file and embedding the name tag after the hash (#) mark in the
hyperlink on the source file, e.g. to link document A (docA.html) to a specific section in
another document (DocB.html):
The HTML coding for a link to a named anchor in document A. is:
<a href=“docb. html#crv”>current events </a>.
The named anchor in document B is:
<a name=“crv”>current events</a>
When a reader selects current events on document A, the browser will open document B
scrolled down such that current events on document B will appear at the top of the
browser.
115
e) Links to text in the same document
The technique to link to specific sections within the current document is the same except
that the filename is omitted.
f) Mailto
If “mailto:” followed by a specific e-mail address is embedded in a hyperlink a reader will
be able to send electronic mail straight from his browser. The format is:
<a href= “mailto:emailadd@hostname”>name</a>
8.3.3.12 Images
Most web browsers can display images of various formats such as GIF, or JPEG format
with text next to them. Images take time to process and slow down the initial display of
a document according to their size and number.
To include an inline image, the html code is:
<img src=imagename>
where imagename is the URL or relative address of the image file.
Note that the syntax for <img src> URLs are similar to those used in an anchor href.
a) Image sizes
The HEIGHT and WIDTH attributes can be used to let the browser set aside the
appropriate space (in pixels) for the images as it downloads the rest of the file.
Example:
<img src=Photo.gif height=1 00 width=65>
116
b) Aligning images
Images can be displayed separated from text and aligned to the left or right or centered.
Or an image can be aligned with text.
By default text is aligned to the bottom of an image. The ALIGN= attributes TOP and
CENTER align a line of text to the top or centre of an image.
An image can be displayed without any associated text as a separate paragraph using
the paragraph ALIGN= attribute to centre the image or adjust it to the right side of the
window thus:
<p align=centre> <1mg src = “Portrait.gif”> </p>
c) Alternate text for images
Some World Wide Web browsers cannot display images. Some users turn off image
loading even if their software can display images. By including the ALT attribute
specified text can be displayed instead of an image. For example:
<img src=“UpArrow.gif”alt= “up”>
where UpArrow.gif is the picture of an upward pointing arrow displayed by graphics
enabled browsers otherwise the word Up is displayed on screen.
d) Background images
Many web browsers can load an image and use it as a background when displaying a
page. It is important that text remains easily readable when background images are
used. The tag to include a background image is included in the <body> statement as an
attribute:
<body background=“filename.gif”>
e) Background Colour
117
Browsers, by default, display text in black on a grey background. The colour of text,
background, links, visited links, and active links can be changed by using attributes
within the <body> tag. For example:
<body bgcolor=“#000000” text=“#ffffff” link=“#9690CC”>
This creates a window with a black background (bicolour), white text (text), and silvery
hyperlinks (link).
The six-digit number and letter combinations represent colours by giving their RGB (red,
green, blue) value. The six digits are an encryption of three two-digit numbers in
sequence, representing the amount of red, green, or blue as a hexadecimal value in the
range 00-FF. For example, 000000 is black or no colour at all, FF0000 is bright red, and
FFFFFF is white or full of all three colours.
8.3.3.13 Sounds and Animations
An image opens as a separate document when a reader activates a link on either a word
or a smaller inline version of the image included in a document. This is useful to prevent
slowing down the loading of the main document with large inline images.
To include a reference to an image opened as a separate document:
<a href=“Sepimage.gif”>text link anchor</a>
To use a smaller image as a link to a larger image:
<a href=“bigimage.gif”><img src=“Tinylmage.gif”5<ia>
The same syntax is used for links to animations and sounds. For example,
<a href= disney.mov”>link anchor</a>
specifies a link to a movie.
118
8.3.3.14 Tables
Text and images can be embedded in tables which use HTML tags. A table has headers
to describe what the columns/rows include, rows for information, and cells for each item.
In a table, the first column contains the header information, each row explains an HTML
table tag, and each cell contains a paired tag or an explanation of the tag’s function. The
<table> and </table> tags embeds the entire table definition. The first item inside the
table is the caption, which is optional. Then, the number of rows is defined by the <tr>
and </tr> tags. Within a row you can have any number of cells defined by the
<td>……...</td> or <th>…..</th> tags. Each row of a table can be formatted
independently of any row above and below it hence single cell tables can be displayed.
• <table> ... </table>defines a table in HTML.
• border = n displays the table with a border the width of the border depends on the
value of integer n. If n is set to zero the border will not be displayed.
• <caption> ... </caption>defines the caption for the title of the table. The default
position of the title is cantered at the top of the table. The attribute align=bottom
can be used to position the caption below the table.
• Any kind of markup tag can be used in the caption.
• <tr> ... </tr>specifies a table row within a table. Default attributes may be defined
for the entire row.
• Align (left, centre, right) and/or valign (top, middle, bottom).
• <th> ... </th>defines a table header cell. By default the text in this cell is bold and
centred. Table header cells may contain other attributes to determine the
characteristics of the cell and/or its contents.
• <td> ... </td>defines a table data cell. By default the text in this cell is aligned left
and centred vertically. Table data cells may contain other attributes to determine
the characteristics of the cell and/or its contents.
The following table attributes defined within <th> ... </th> or <td> ... </td> cells
override the default alignment set in a <tr> ... </tr> tags:
• align (left, centre, right) for horizontal alignment of cell contents
• valign (top, middle, bottom) for vertical alignment of cell contents
• colspan = n to specify ‘number of columns
• rowspan = n to specify number of rows
• nowrap = to turn off word wrapping within a cell.
119
The general format of a table includes the following tags:
<table>
the start of table definition. All other table tags are embedded between the <table>
</table> tags.
<caption> caption contents </caption>
<tr>
start of first row definition
<th> cell contents </th>
first cell in row 1 (a head)
<th> cell contents </th>
last cell in row 1 (a head)
</tr>
end of first row definition
<tr>
start of second row definition
<td> cell contents </td>
first cell in row 2
<td> cell contents </td>
last cell in row 2
</tr>
end of second row definition
<tr>
start of last row definition
<td> cell contents </td>
first cell in last row …
<td> cell contents </td>
last cell in last row
</r>
end of last row definition
</table>
end of table definition.
120
8.3.3.15 Forms
Web forms let a reader enter information, in specific fields, for posting to a web server
for some process. The forms themselves follow the same constructs as other HTML tags.
The processing of the incoming data is usually used as input to a programme written in a
language that manipulates text, files, and information. The language may be Java,
C++, or other requiring a skilled programmer.
8.3.3.16 Frames
Frames allow multiple HTML documents to function at the same time in one browser
window. The documents in two separate frames can operate either independently, or by
interaction between the contents of another frame.
Frames are defined by the number required, size, name, and initial HTML contents.
Frame areas are defined by their row size if the requirement is to span the window
horizontally or by the column size to expand upward and downward. Frame areas are
defined by the HTML tag <frameset>. In each frameset the sizes of the frame areas can
be specified as a percentage, number of pixels, or auto-scaling. The order in which the
frames are defined determines the order in which they appear in the browser window,
and the ones defined by column width are displayed side by side.
A frame content definition is required for each frame defined. The HTML tag <frame> is
used for defining the contents of the frame. By embedding the tag src=“file.html” in the
<frame> tag the contents of the html file specified by the src tag will appear inside the
corresponding frame. The name tag in the frame tag is used to specify the frame to
interact with.
Scrolling inside the frame can be controlled by using the scrolling tag inside the frame
tag. Scrolling can have three values. Scrolling=“auto” is interpreted by the browser to
use a scroll bar if the contents do not fit in one screen. By substituting auto with yes or
no the programmer determines whether scrolling should be used.
Some browsers do not understand frame tags. To prevent such browsers from
interpreting such tags as ordinary text, frame tags can be embedded between
<noframes> </noframes> tags.
121
If you want to practice html you can download HTML editors and file conversions
programmes from Download.com108
For more information on HTML see HTML Primer109 and A Beginner’s Guide to HTML110.
You would also find Writing Web Pages – Guidelines for Archivists111 very useful.
108 http://www.download.com 109 http://www.htmlprimer.com 110 http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/Internet/WWW/HTMLPrimerPrintable.html 111 http://www.archivesinfo.net/forum/webguide.html
123
Annexure A: Glossary of Terms
Anchor
The highlighted text or graphic in a file which is the source or
destination of a link. Clicking a mouse on an anchor area causes
the link to be followed, leaving the anchor at the opposite end of
the link displayed. Anchors tend to be highlighted in a special way.
The destination anchor is also known as a bookmark.
Anonymous FTP
This is a facility that allows you to download information from
computers where you do not have a user account. The user logs on
as “anonymous” but does not need a password to access
documents on the server.
Anti-virus
software
Anti-virus software is programmes that scan the computer for
viruses, detects them and removes them.
Authoring
A term for the process of writing a document (referring to web
documents).
Auto signatures Auto signatures are a little bit of text containing contact particulars
that appear at the end of e-mail messages.
Bookmark A bookmark identifies a location or selection of text that you name
and identify for future reference, normally to add a hyperlink to.
Blogs Blogs or web logs are personal web pages that contain personal
thoughts and links to other sites that are of particular interest to a
blog owner.
Boolean
operators
Boolean operators are the terms “AND”, “OR”, NOT, NEAR and
FOLLOWED BY. See also proximity operators.
Boolean searches Boolean searches allow one to search for keywords that best
describe the topic that you are searching for.
Broadband Broadband is a dedicated network connection through a local area
network that has an Internet gateway to connect to other systems
on a network.
Browser
A browser is a programme used to locate, display, browse and view
information on a website.
Cable Internet Cable Internet is a system where the computer uses the same
network cable as the television to access the Internet.
Channels Channels on the web are a pre-selected information source that
can send information to your computer automatically according to
124
a predetermined schedule.
Client
A computer running client software that connects to server
machines holding information; the client makes requests to a
server for documents and is responsible for displaying the
information. Normally, the browser is a client of a data server.
Client
Clients are computers that make requests. They are loaded with
the correct software to talk to the correct servers.
Country code Top
Level Domain
A two letter code derived from an International Standard ISO 3166
Country Codes that indicates geographical origins.
Database A collection of information stored electronically.
Deep web See invisible web.
Dial-up
connection
A dial-up connection is an Internet connection over a standard
telephone line using a modem.
Directories Directories are websites that contain a large number of links. The
links are classified into subject categories or types.
DNS
A central list of domain names and IP addresses. The principal use
is the lookup of host IP addresses based on host names.
Document
Unit of information sent from servers to clients; a document may
contain plain or formatted text, in lined graphics, sound, other
multimedia data, or hyperlinks to other documents; often also
referred to as a file.
Domain Name A computer name/address that is understandable to humans.
Domain Name
Registrars
Domain Name Registrars are companies that are licensed by ICANN
to sell domain names.
Download
Retrieving files from the web by using the FTP protocol or
according to the instructions prompted by the browser in use.
DSL Digital Subscriber Line is technology that transfers high bandwidth
information over ordinary telephone lines at a speed of ±6.1
megabits per second.
E-mail E-mail is an electronic message containing information sent from
one computer to another over a network.
E-mail address A unique address for each user on a network that allows the user
to send and receive e-mail.
Ethernet The most common cabling and data delivery technology used in
Local Area Networks (LAN).
Favourites
A list of interesting websites which users save to easily re-visit
them at a later stage. Some browsers use the term bookmark to
125
name the action of listing the favourite sites.
Firewall A firewall is a programme that prevents unauthorised access to a
computer over a network.
Forms HTML specification of tools, which includes text fields, password
fields, multi-line text entry, checkboxes, toggles, option menus,
multiple selection lists, images, hidden fields, and submit buttons.
FTP FTP (File Transfer Protocol) allows you to copy files from one
computer connected to the Internet to another computer
connected to the Internet. It allows you to download information,
upload web pages and transfer information between computers.
Hackers Hackers are people with an active interest in breaking through
computer security.
Hacking Breaking into a computer over a network to test the security of the
computer and the network.
Hard disk/drive A hard disk is the magnetic hard drive that stores data long term.
Hidden web See invisible web.
Host A computer on a network.
Home page
The first page of a website is called a home page. This page serves
as the index or content page for the rest of the website. The home
page normally consists of links to the other pages on the website.
HTML
An acronym for HyperText Mark-up Language which is used to
format information so that it can be structured and made
accessible to the WWW; The authoring language used by web
browsers to define the appearance of websites and web pages.
HTTP The acronym for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. This protocol is used
to transfer data between web servers and web clients or web
browsers. It also allows jumping between hypertext documents.
Hyperlinked Hyperlinked information is information resources that are linked to
other information resources.
Hyperlinks Hyperlinks are links inside a document or on a website that allow
one to jump to the other information resources from the current
one and back.
Hypertext
Hypertext is piece of text that contains links to other pieces of text
or to websites.
ICANN Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.
IMAP
Internet Message Access Protocol allows the mail client to access
messages residing on a mail server from any computer.
126
Index
A pointer to other data; a server facility which provides pointers to
particular data as a function of a query; a table of contents of a
book in hypertext form; the action of describing electronic data to
make them accessible on the WWW.
Internet The Internet is a worldwide network of computer networks, each
with a unique address, that uses phone system technology and
satellite links to communicate information to each other 24 hours a
day using a common software standard.
Internet account When you sign up for Internet service with an Internet Service
Provider you would have an Internet account that gives you the
right to use the services offered by that service provider.
Internet Service
Provider
A company that provides customer access to the internet. They
provide the users with software, a username and password and
allow users to access services like e-mail, internet access, Usenet
news, Internet Relay Chat, etc.
Internet phone Software that allows you to use your computer to dial a normal
phone number and that converts your voice signals to digital
packets to sent over the Internet.
Intranet Intranets are private networks that help an organization to share
information between departments, units and regions across a
network.
Invisible web The invisible web or deep web is a part of the Internet that is
password protected or is protected against web crawlers and that is
not indexed by search engines. The invisible web cannot be
retrieved with key word or advanced searches.
IP addresses IP addresses are computer names/addresses. They consist of
number strings separated by full stops e.g. 491.572.72.196. See
also domain names.
IRC Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a means of having a conversation with
many people on a variety of topics in real time; in other words all
the parties to the conversation are participating simultaneously
regardless of the time zone they are in.
ISDN Integrated Services Digital Network is a type of digital phone line
that transmits data many times faster than a modem on a normal
telephone line.
ISO An acronym for International Standards Organisation.
LDAP Lightweight Directory Access Protocol is used by e-mail clients to
127
query the address directories on the Internet to find and display e-
mail addresses.
Link
A relationship between two anchors, stored in the same or different
database. A link can be “Internal”, in other words it points to the
same document or “External”, in other words it points to a different
document, or to a website.
Listserv A listserv is a facility that allows participation in ongoing
discussions via e-mail. Listservs provide a discussion forum to
share information on specific topics. See mailing lists.
Mailing List
Mailing lists (also called listservs, List processors, distribution lists,
mail hosts, etc.) are discussion groups formed around a specific
area of interest, which correspond via e-mail.
Meta search
engines
Search engines that pull together information that is listed by other
search engines and that merges the results into one list of results.
MIME
An acronym for Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (multimedia
mail standard); the proposed standard for multimedia mail formats
on the Internet.
Modem A modem is a device that translates the computer’s digital signals
into analogue signals. This enables the signals to travel over a
standard telephone line.
Navigation
The process of moving from one information source to another
through the hypertext web. This is normally done by following
links.
Netiquette Netiquette is a basic set of guidelines for acceptable use of the
Internet.
Newsgroups Newsgroups are common areas where users can post messages for
many users to view/reply to.
NNTP Network News Transfer Protocol is used to distribute news articles
between news servers.
Operating system A programme that runs on a computer that allows the computer to
run other programmes. The operating system performs basic tasks
like recognising the input from the keyboard, sending output to the
monitor, keeping track of files and directories on the disk,
controlling the peripheral devices like the printer, the mouse, the
scanners, etc.
Path
A hierarchical set of directories which the computer’s operating
system uses to store and find system files and data.
128
PCT Private Communications Technology is used to provide secure
communications over the Internet.
Phishing Phishing is a method of obtaining personal information from the
computers of unsuspecting users.
Plug-in Plug-ins are software programs that allow you to access multi-
media files (e.g. audio or video files) without having to exit the
browser to access another application to open the files.
PPP
Point to Point Protocol is the protocol that dial-up Internet
connections use to transmit information.
POP Post Office Protocol allows a mail client to download e-mail
messages to the computer’s hard drive from the mail server.
Protocols Protocols are a standard set of specifications or parameters that
allows computers to send and receive data.
Proximity
operators
Proximity operators like ADJACENT, WITH, FOLLOWED BY and
NEAR are also Boolean operators that allow you to refine searches.
Public web The public web is the part of the Internet that is available for
search engines to crawl and index and that can be retrieved by
doing keyword or advanced searches.
RAM Random Access Memory is a microchip that stores data for brief
periods of time to enable the computer to run programmes and
access data.
Relevancy ranking
This is a facility that the search engine uses to indicate the
document or resource in which your search term or phrase appears
most frequently and which it assumes are most relevant to the
search terms(s) that you entered.
Robot engines A search engine that uses spiders to visit your website to index the
content of your website.
Satellite
connection
Satellite connections that allow you to download files from the
Internet via a satellite connection.
Search Engines Search engines are programmes that can search the Internet for
specific information.
Server Servers are computers that store information for use by clients. In
other words they are computers that service the requests from
clients.
SLIP
Serial Line Internet Protocol was the first protocol designed for
transmission of information over dial-up connections.
S/MIME Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail is a protocol that is used to
129
encrypt data for transmission over the Internet and allows for the
decryption of the information by the intended recipient.
SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol allows an e-mail client to send
messages to a mail server.
SSL Secure Socket Layer provides a secure facility for programmes to
pass data back and forth between computers.
Surfing the Net A method of web exploration that begins at any page of interest
and then follows that page’s links to other sites.
Source file
The file on the computer where the html code and scripts of a
specific document or web page can be found. To view the source
code of a document or web page, right click on the mouse and
select view source.
Spam Spam is junk e-mail that advertises products and services.
Spiders Spiders are computer programmes that are used to crawl websites
to index them so that search engines can find them when you do a
search.
Tags Tags are computer codes used in HTML (e.g., <h1>, </h1>, <p>)
TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol Internet Protocol manages the flow
of information on the Internet and ensures that data arrives
without errors.
Telnet The Internet protocol that allows a user to log into a remote
computer and use its services.
Trojan A Trojan is a programme that purports to be useful, but that
contains hidden viruses and worms.
URL Uniform Resource Locators or URL’s are addresses that point to
specific resources or files on the World Wide Web.
USENET
Usenet is a world wide distributed system of online discussion
groups in which people continuously participate.
UUCP Unix to Unix Copy Programme allows computers using versions of
the UNIX operating system to communicate with each other and
with remote computers.
Video
conferencing
Video conferencing allows you to chat with one or more people in
real time and/or to see live images as you speak or type.
Viruses Viruses are malicious programmes that can damage the data on
your computer. They are usually hidden away in another file or
programme
WWW An acronym for the World Wide Web. The World Wide Web (WWW)
130
is a branch of the Internet that provides access to hyperlinked
information.
Web
A set of information resources interconnected by links. Another
name for the World Wide Web.
Web chatting Web chatting uses a browser as a client to enable participation in
conversations conducted in web chat rooms.
Web chat room A web chat room is part of a website or a website by itself that
provides an online venue where users with common interests can
communicate sometimes in real time.
Web hosting
service
A web hosting service is an organization with a web server that is
connected to the Internet and has the technical know how to
manage the equipment and software. They rent out space on their
servers to enable website owners to make websites available on
the Internet.
Web mail Web mail is a facility to send e-mail from a web page
Website A collection of related web pages, normally belonging to the same
institution and covering related information is called a website.
Web TV Web TV provides Web and e-mail access through ordinary
television sets through a custom high-speed modem.
Wikis Wikis are collaborative websites where the community participate
in writing a publication, like an encyclopaedia or a general purpose
website.
Worm A worm is a malignant programme that e-mails itself to other
computers and damages the data on all computers that it infects.
WYSIWYG An acronym for What You See is What You Get.
131
Annexure B: Condensed list of listservs
AMIA-L: An Online Forum for Moving Image Archivists - http://www.amianet.org
Annotated list of mailing lists on archives, records management and museums -
http://www.archimac.org/Profession/Lists/index.spml
Archives forum for journalists and historical research - http://hennekam.opweb.nl/phpbb
Archives Listserv - http://[email protected]
Archives-Wales - http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/archives-wales.html
Archivi 23 - http://www.unipd.it/ammi/archivio/lista.htm
Association of Commonwealth Archivists and Records Managers – http://www.acarm-
AUS-ARCHIVISTS - http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/asa/aus-archivists/aus-archivists.htm
Australian Archives - http://lists.archivists.org.au/pipermail/archivists.org.au/aus-archivists/
AV Media Matters - http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byform/mailing-lists/av/
BBS on archives and records management profession -
http://www.archimac.org/ArchiMac/index.spml
Business Archive Discussion List http://www.gla.ac.uk/External/BusArch/
CANMUS-L - http://www.yorku.ca/caml/canmus.htm
Conservation - http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/conservation-nccr.html
Diffuse Project - http://www.diffuse.org/index.html
Digital-preservation e-mail list - http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/digital-preservation.html
Discussielijsten/Mailing lists - http://www.archiefschool.nl/links.htm#disc
Discussion Lists - http://www.archivesinfo.net/proassn.html#lists
132
Electronic Media Group - http://aic.stanford.edu/sg/emg/resources.html
E-Mail Lists of the Society of American Archivists -
http://www.archivists.org/listservs/arch_listserv_terms.asp
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Electronic List -
http://lcweb.loc.gov/ead/eadlist.html
ERECS-L - http://www.nla.gov.au/padi/topics/70.html#list
FIAF Forum - http://www.fiafnet.org/forum/forum.cfm?lg=uk
FIAF Round Table – http://www.cinema.ucla.edu/fiaf/english/rnd.html
History-digitisation - http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/history-digitisation/
IMAP Listserv - [email protected]
Infosfera - http://es.egroups.com/group/infosfera
List of Archives-Related Listservs - http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/chass/history/archlist.html
List of e-mail lists - http://www.albany.edu/sisp/people/students/saa/links.html#E-mail
Listes de discussion et forums – http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/autserv/archives.htm#Listes
Listserv of ICA/SAE - http://www.ica-sae.org/listserv.html
Lost Art Internet Database - http://www.lostart.de/
Mailing lists - http://www.uni-marburg.de/archivschule/mailinglisten.html
Netbib - http://www.netbib.de/
Padiforum-l - http://www.nla.gov.au/padi/forum/
Progressive Archivsts (ProgArchs) - http://www.topica.com/lists/Progarchs
Rlg-primary-sources - http://lists2.rlg.org/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=rlg-primary-sources
Scottish Archivists List Archive –
http://www.archives.gla.ac.uk/arcbrc/contact/enquiry.html#scotarchlist
133
Scottish Archivists Discussion List - http://www.gla.ac.uk/External/scotarch
South-East Asia Pacific Audio Visual Archive Association (SEAPAVAA) List Service -
http://www.screensound.gov.au/MailList.nsf/frmLogin?OpenForm
UK Archives - http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/archives-nra.html
UK Records Management - http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/records-management-uk.html
US Electronic Archives - http://listserv.albany.edu:8080/archives/erecs-l.html
US Records Management - http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
Video Art/e-monitor - www.videoart.suite.dk/e-monitor
VIDEOLIB - http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/VideoLib/
135
Annexure C: List of ISO 3166 Country Codes
.af Afghanistan
.al Albania
.dz Algeria
.as American Samoa
.ad Andorra
.ao Angola
.ai Anguilla
.aq Antarctica
.ag Antigua and
Barbuda
.ar Argentina
.am Armenia
.aw Aruba
.ac Ascension Island
.au Australia
.at Austria
.az Azerbaijan
.bs Bahamas
.bh Bahrain
.bd Bangladesh
.bb Barbados
.by Belarus
.be Belgium
.bz Belize
.bj Benin
.bm Bermuda
.bt Bhutan
.bo Bolivia
.ba Bosnia and
Herzegovina
.bw Botswana
.bv Bouvet Island
.br Brazil
.io British Indian Ocean
Territory
.bn Brunei Darussalam
.bg Bulgaria
.bf Burkina Faso
.bi Burundi
.kh Cambodia
.cm Cameroon
.ca Canada
.cv Cape Verde
.ky Cayman Islands
.cf Central African
Republic
.td Chad
.cs Czechoslovakia
(former - non-existing)
.cl Chile
.cn China
.cx Christmas Island
.cc Cocos (Keeling)
Islands
.co Colombia
.km Comoros
.cg Congo, Republic of
.cd Congo, Democratic
republic of the (former
Zaire)
.ck Cook Islands
.cr Costa Rica
.ci Côte d'Ivoire
.hr Croatia
.cu Cuba
.cy Cyprus
.cz Czech Republic
.dk Denmark
.dj Djibouti
.dm Dominica
.do Dominican Republic
.tp East Timor
.ec Ecuador
.eg Egypt
.sv El Salvador
.gq Equatorial Guinea
.er Eritrea
.ee Estonia
.et Ethiopia
.eu European Union
.fk Falkland Islands
.fo Faroe Islands
.fj Fiji
.fi Finland
.fr France
.gf French Guiana
.pf French Polynesia
.tf French Southern
Territories
.ga Gabon
.gm Gambia
.ge Georgia
.de Germany
.gh Ghana
.gi Gibraltar
.gr Greece
.gl Greenland
.gd Grenada
.gp Guadeloupe
.gu Guam
.gt Guatemala
136
.gg Guernsey
.gn Guinea
.gw Guinea-Bissau
.gy Guyana
.ht Haiti
.hm Heard and
McDonald Islands
.va Holy See (Vatican
City State)
.hn Honduras
.hk Hong Kong
.hu Hungary
.is Iceland
.in India
.id Indonesia
.ir Iran
.iq Iraq
.ie Ireland
.im Isle of Man
.il Israel
.it Italy
.jm Jamaica
.jp Japan
.je Jersey
.jo Jordan
.kz Kazakhstan
.ke Kenya
.ki Kiribati
.kp Korea, Democratic
People's Republic of
.kr Korea, Republic of
.kw Kuwait
.kg Kyrgyzstan
.la Lao People's
Democratic Republic
.lv Latvia
.lb Lebanon
.ls Lesotho
.lr Liberia
.ly Libyan Arab
Jamahiriya
.li Liechtenstein
.lt Lithuania
.lu Luxembourg
.mo Macau
.mk Macedonia
.mg Madagascar
.mw Malawi
.my Malaysia
.mv Maldives
.ml Mali
.mt Malta
.mh Marshall Islands
.mq Martinique
.mr Mauritania
.mu Mauritius
.yt Mayotte
.mx Mexico
.fm Micronesia
.md Moldova
.mc Monaco
.mn Mongolia
.ms Montserrat
.ma Morocco
.mz Mozambique
.mm Myanmar
.na Namibia
.nr Nauru
.np Nepal
.nl The Netherlands
.an Netherlands Antilles
.nc New Caledonia
.nz New Zealand
.ni Nicaragua
.ne Niger
.ng Nigeria
.nu Niue
.nf Norfolk Island
.mp Northern Mariana
Islands
.no Norway
.om Oman
.pk Pakistan
.pw Palau
.ps Palestine
.pa Panama
.pg Papua New Guinea
.py Paraguay
.pe Peru
.ph Philippines
.pn Pitcairn
.pl Poland
.pt Portugal
.pr Puerto Rico
.qa Qatar
.re Reunion
.ro Romania
.ru Russia
.rw Rwanda
.kn Saint Kitts and
Nevis
.lc Saint Lucia
.vc Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines
.ws Samoa
.sm San Marino
.st Sao Tome and
Principe
.sa Saudi Arabia
.sn Senegal
.sc Seychelles
137
.sl Sierra Leone
.sg Singapore
.sk Slovakia
.si Slovenia
.sb Solomon Islands
.so Somalia
.za South Africa
.gs South Georgia and
the South Sandwich
Islands
.es Spain
.lk Sri Lanka
.sh St. Helena
.pm St. Pierre and
Miquelon
.sd Sudan
.sr Surinam
.sj Svalbard and Jan
Mayen Islands
.sz Swaziland
.se Sweden
.ch Switzerland
.sy Syrian Arab
Republic
.tw Taiwan
.tj Tajikistan
.tz Tanzania
.th Thailand
.tg Togo
.tk Tokelau
.to Tonga
.tt Trinidad and Tobago
.tn Tunisia
.tr Turkey
.tm Turkmenistan
.tc The Turks & Caicos
Islands
.tv Tuvalu
.ug Uganda
.ua Ukraine
.ae United Arab
Emirates
.gb United Kingdom
.uk United Kingdom
.us United States
.um United States Minor
Outlying Islands
.uy Uruguay
.su USSR (former)
.uz Uzbekistan
.vu Vanuatu
.ve Venezuela
.vn Vietnam
.vg Virgin Islands British
.vi Virgin Islands U.S
.wf Wallis and Futuna
Islands
.eh Western Sahara
.ye Yemen
.yu Yugoslavia
.cd Zaire
.zm Zambia
.zw Zimbabwe
139
Annexure D: Internet Service Providers in some Commonwealth Countries
This is not an exhaustive list.
Bahamas
IBM Bahamas Ltd.
P.M.B. SS-6400
Nassau, Bahamas
Contact: Kenneth Bethel
Phone: (809)322-2145
Fax: (809)322-4649
E-Mail:
Barbados
CaribSurf Internet Services
Barbados External
Telecommunications Ltd.
Tel :(809) 427-5200
Sunbeach Internet Service
Barbados / BIOS, Inc.
Tel: (246) 426-4638
Bangladesh
AGNI BBS Nawab Kabir
2nd Floor, Faridpur Mansion,
75-76 Kakrail Road, Dhaka 1000.
Phone: 880-2-833984
BBS: 880-2-887346, 880-2-882379, 880-2-
885984, 880-2-871088
E-Mail: [email protected]
BRAC-BDMaiI Network
G. P. 0. Box: 2142, Dhaka 1000,
Bangladesh.
Tel : 838674
Fax: 88-02-863357 E-mail [email protected],
Zakaria Swapan
Proshika Computer Systems
Proshika Bhaban
i/I-Ga, Sec-2. Mirpur
Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh
Phone: +880-2-809003
Fax: +880-2-805811
E-mail: [email protected]
Drik Picture Library Ltd
House 58, Road 15A (New)
Dhanmondi RA, Dhaka
Bangladesh
Phone: 812954, 328332 (24 hrs)
Fax: 880 2 863470, 867647
Shahidul Alam (Director)
Bermuda
Internet Bermuda Ltd
Tel (441) 296 1800
Botswana
URLICC Independent Computer
Consultancy
Telephone 030-7796
Fax 030-7796
Email [email protected]
HealthNet
Tel 226 306655
140
Fax 226 310477
E-mail [email protected]
http://healthnet.org/bots.Html
InfoBW
Tel 267 318444
Fax 267 318555
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.info.bw
SADC
Tel 267 318444
Fax 267 372848
E-mail: [email protected]
Fiji
Datec Pty Ltd.
Tel: +679 314411
http://www.datec.com.au
Telecom Fiji Ltd.
Tel: +679 210351
http://www.is.com.fi
Cameroon
ORSTOM
Tel 23720 1508
Fax 237201854
E-mail [email protected]
Centre for Health Tech(CHT)
Tel 2372301 13
Fax 237 230103
E-mail [email protected]
Ghana
Network Computer Systems
TEL 021 220622021 772279
E-mail : [email protected]
Grenada
Grenada National College Tanteen
St. George’s Grenada
Tel (809) 440-2652
E-mail: [email protected]
Grenada Telecommunications Ltd.
(GRENTEL)
St. George’s Grenada
Tel: 809-440-1000
Fax: 809-444-4843
E-mail: [email protected]
Guyana
Sustainable Development Networking
Programme (Guyana)
Tel + (592-2) 75723
E-mail: [email protected]
University of Guyana,
Computer Studies
Tel: +(592) 2-63691
Fax: +(592) 2-54885
E-mail: [email protected]
CompuWorks MultiMedia Ltd.
CARLTON
TEL: (876) 929-1048
InfoChannel Ltd.
Tel: (876) 978-2960
Jamaica
Jamaica Online Information
Services Ltd.
CARLTON, MONTROSE
TEL: (876) 960-8209 978-2490
141
Kenya
NairobiNet
TEL: +254 2-217406
http://www.nbnet.co.ke
Cyprus
Cylink Information Services Ltd.
TEL: +357 2-317617 9-663844
http://www.cylink.com.cy
Harrisonburg.Comrk Nicosia
TEL:+ 1 540-8286696
http://www.harison.com
Malaysia
Nasionet / Swiftcom Sdn. Bhd.
Tel: +60 3-5821008
http://www.nasionet.net
Rakyat Jaya Sdn Bhd
Tel: +60 5-5458831
http://www.rakyati.com
Infonet Services Corp. (D)
TEL: +60 3-4416268
http://www.infonet.net
Malaysia Online
Tel: +60 3-2014988
http://www.mol.net.my
Harrisonburg.Comrk
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: + 1 540-8286696
http://www.harrisonburg.com
GlobalOne Communications
Tel: +60 3-2626111
http://www.global-one.Net
Jaring
Tel: +60 3-2549601
http://www.jaring.My
Asia Connect Sdn Bhd
TEL: +60 3-2308818
http://www.asiaconnect.com.my
Malta
keyWORLD Internet Access
Service (ESI, Ltd.)
TeL: +356 486199
http://www.keyworld.net
Kemmunet Ltd.
TEL: +356 489002
http://kemmunet.net.mt
Mauritius
Telecom Plus
TEL:+230 2037272
http://www.intnet.mu
Mozambique
CIUEM
Tel 258 1 491 557
http://www.uem.mz
HealthNet
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.healthnet.org/
Namibia
Internet World Wide Namibia
Tel: +26461-250477
http://www.iwwn.com.na
142
NAMIDEF
Tel 264 641 610005
Fax 264 644461004
E-mail [email protected]
http://www.net.na/
New Zealand
Cave Rock Software Ltd.
TEL: +64 3-3664242
http://caverock.co.nz
Global NZ Ltd.
TEL: +64 9-3660818
http://www.global.co.nz
NetLink
TEL: +64 4-4955031 800-655465
http://www.netlink.co.nz
Internet Hawkes Bay
TEL: +64 6-8441488
http://www.inhb.co.nz
Web World Ltd.
TEL: +64 9-2782966
http://www.ww.co.nz
WINZ
TEL: +64 6-3709469
http://www.wiriz.co.nz
Internet Group Northland, Ltd.
TEL: +644-4381516
http://www.igrin.co.nz
Plain Communications, Ltd.
TEL: +64 3-3645888
http://www.plain.co.zn
GlobalOne Communications
Tel: +64 9-3573700
http://www.global-one.net
Deep South Networks, Ltd.
TEL: +64 3-4792078
http://www.deepsouth.co.nz
PowerLink Internet Services Ltd.
TEL: +64 9-5255924
http://www.powerlink.co.nz
Net Ltd, The
TEL: +64 647-8380066
http://www.thenet.co.nz
Manawatu Internet Services
TEL: +64 6-3562814
http://www.manawatu.gen.zn
Internet Company of New Zealand Ltd., The
TEL: +64 800-843638
http://www.iconz.co.zn
Taranaki NetSource
TEL: +64 6-7594638
http://www.netsource.co.nz
Southern Internet Christchurch
TEL: +64 3-3657059
http://www.southern.co.nz
Internet Group, Ltd.
TEL: +64 800-222225
http://www.ihug.co.nz
SineSuri Internet, Ltd.
TEL: +64 3764461
http://www.sinesurf.co.nz
Binary Brothers Ltd.
TEL: +64 9-3762202
http://www.bitz.co.nz
143
Wizkid Internet Ltd.
Christchurch
TEL: +64 3-373808
http://www.wizkid.co.nz
Voyager
TEL: +64 9-4439447
http://www.voyager.co.nz
Wave Internet Services
TEL: +64 800-809283
http://www.wave.co.nz
Sky Surf Ltd.
TEL: +44 9-5206544
http://www.skysurf.co.nz
Netbyte Internet Ltd.
TEL: +64 9-3094638
http://www.netbyte.co.nz
NetAccess Internet Services, Ltd.
TEL: +64 3-3488747
http://www.netaccess.co.nz
Interactive Internet
TEL: +64 800-846327
http://www.ii.co.nz
Earthlight Communications
TEL: +64 3-4790303
http://www.earthlight.co.nz
Clear Communications, Ltd.
TEL: +64 800-888800
http://www.clear.co.nz
Globe.Net Communications Ltd.
VC: +64 800-401000
http://www.globe.co.nz
NetGate Communications Ltd.
TEL: +64 9-3023001
http://www.netgate.co.nz
South Net Ltd.
VC: +64 3-2156163
http://www.southnet.co.nz
Pakistan
Brain Computer Services
TEL: +92 42-7581126
http://www.brain.net.pk
Singapore
Infonet Services Corp. (D)
VC: +65 7373889
http://www.infonet.net
CyberWay Pte. Ltd.
TEL: +65 8434833
http://www.cyberway.com.sg
99com Pte. Ltd.
TEL: +65 2998055
http://www.99com.com.sg
GlobalOne Communications
TEL: +65 7374788
http://www.global-one.net
UUNet Technologies, Inc. /AlterDial
TEL: +1 703-206-5600 800-488-6383
http://www.uu.net
Swiftech Automation Pte. Ltd.
TEL: +65 2744722
http://www.swiftech.net.sg
Affordable Access
TEL: +1 413-5870522
http://www.autonet.net
144
St Kitts and the Nevis
CaribSurf Internet Services
TEL: (809) 457-1901
http://www.caribsurf.com
St Vincent and the Grenadines
CaribSurl Internet Services
TEL: (869) 465-1000
http://www.caribsurf.com
Sri Lanka
Lanka Communications Services
(Pvt) Ltd. TEL: +94 1-437545
http://www.lankacom.net
Infonet Services Corp. (D)
TEL: +94 1-437545
http://www.infonet.net
South Africa
Lanka Internet Services, Ltd.
TEL: ÷94 1-3430505
http://www.lanka.net
InfoDOOR
TEL: +27 11-4769424
http://www.infodoor.co.za
E.P. Web
TEL: +27 41-571702
http://www.epweb.co.za
Atlantic Internet Services (Pty) Ltd.
TEL: +27 12-3420622
http://www.lantic.co.za
CyberServ CC
TEL: +27 16-9814525
http://www.cyberserve.co.za
XPoint Internet Services
TEL: +27 231 -73777
http://www.xpoint.co.za
Internet Solution, The
TEL: +27 11-4475566
http://www.is.co.za
Smartnet
TEL: +27 12-9985291
http://www.smartnet.co.za
CEWNet Internet Service Provider
TEL: +27 9491095 832-706838
http://www.cewnet.co.za
SANGONet / South African NGO Network
TEL: +27 11-8386943
http://www.wn.apc.org
South Africa Online
TEL: +27 31-3320640
http://www.saol.com
FutureNet
TEL: +27 331-428870
http://www.future.co.za
South net
TEL: +27 12-3424423
http://www.south.co.za
lneterneXt Kimberley
TEL: +27 531-81 5570
http://www.kimberly.co.za
FastLight Data Distributor CC
TEL: +27 11-7060212 135-926102 12-
3772264
http://www.fdd.net
145
Zanet Internet Services (Pty) Ltd.
TEL:+27 4650700
http://www.zanet.co.za
Internet Intertech (Pty) Ltd.
TEL: +27 11-3131215
http://www.ibi.co.za
Dockside Internet
TEL: +27 21-41 86767
http://www.dockside.net
Kingsley Technologies
TEL: +27 21-262725
http://www.kingsley.co.za
Q Data Internet Ltd. (D)
TEL: +27 11-2665111
http://www.qdata.net
Flashnet Internet Services
TEL: +27 82-9602012
http://www.flashnet.co.za
Interweb Alley
TEL: +27 11-4539914
http://www.interweb.co.za
Planet Pinnacle
TEL: +27 11-8026400
http://www.pinnacle.co.za
East Coast Access
TEL: +27 82-8881193
http://www.eastcoast.co.za
GlobalOne Communications
TEL: +27 11-32255600
http://www.global.co.za
Acenet / Acetron (Pty) Ltd.
TEL: +27 11-4443311
http://www.acenet.co.za
Zomerlust Systems Design
TEL: +27 21-641106
http://www.zsd.co.za
Gem Internet Co. Pty. Ltd. Cape Town
TEL: +27 21-237023 11-7926083
http://www.gem.co.z
Infonet Services Corp. (D)
TEL: +27 11-2390000
http://www.infonet.net
M-Web Connect Pty. Ltd.
TEL: +27 12-4837100 800-032000
http://www.mweb.co.za
Electronic Laboratory Services, CC
TEL: +27 11-3580893
http://www.elab.co.za
AlterNet
TEL: +27 21-5105006
http://www.alternet.co.za
Compuflex Networking CC
TEL: +27 16-45531 03
http://www.compuflex.co.za
MD Systems (D)
TEL: +27 11-4543760
http://www.mds.co.za
Global Internet Access
TEL: +27 11-8034024
http://www.global.co.za
MegaWeb Internet Services cc
TEL: +27 11-4851984
http://www.megaweb.co.za
146
Netline (Pty) Ltd.
TEL: +27 4774118
http://www.netline.co.za
InterneXt
TEL: +27 57-3571184 4480362 51-
447371082-
http://www.marques.co.za
Online Welcome
TEL: +27 11-7912490
http://www.onwe.co.za
NetActive Pty. Ltd.
TEL: +27 11-4448999
http://www.netactive.co.za
Networld
TEL: +27 21-4194430
http://www.new.co.za
Club Internet (Pty) Ltd.
TEL: +27 11-3153476 12-47407513-
7501234
http://www.lia.net
Harrisonburg.Comrk
Cape Town, Durban,
Johannesburg
TEL: +1 540-8286696
http://www.harrisonburg.com
Internet Connection
TEL: +27 11-4476866 80-2121521
http://www.icon.co.za
Tanzania
Africa Online, Inc.
Tel +255 51 -666983
http://www.africaonline.co.tz
CyberTwiga
Tel 255-51-327-662
Fax 255-51-865-799
E-mail: [email protected]
www.twiga.com
ZACCOSERV
Tel 255-54-32291
postmaster~znz.glcom.com
Trinidad and Tobago
Opus Network
PORT OF SPAIN
TEL: (868) 625-5949
http://www.opus.co.tt
WOW. Net Ltd.
Tel (868) 622-8865
http://www.wow.net
Carob-Link Ltd.
Tel (868) 628-9075
http://www.carib-link.net
Uganda
COSTECH
255-51-26211
HealthNet
Tel 255-51-27081
Fax 255-51-46163
E-mail [email protected]
www.healthnet.org/
ZACCOSERV
Tel 255-54-32291
147
Telecommunications Services of
Trinidad & Tobago, Ltd.
TEL (868) 623-7840
http://www.tstt.net.tt
Interdev Ltd.
TEL (868) 637-6862
http://www.trinidad.net
Uganda
Stardom Communications (U) Ltd.
TEL +25641-343166
http://www.starcomm.co.ug
Vanuatu
Datec Pty Ltd.
Tel +678 26933
http://www.datac.com.au
Telecom Vanuatu Ltd. (D)
Tel +678 22015
http://www.tvl.net.vu
Zambia
Stardom Communications (U) Ltd.
Tel +25641-343166
http://www.starcomm.co.ug
Zane Communication Systems, Ltd.
TEL: +260 1-290358
http://www.zamnet.zm
Zimbabwe
Internet Africa
TEL 04 75819404 758197
E-mail [email protected]
http://harare.iafrica.com/
HealthNet
263-4-303211
www.healthnet.org/zimbabwe.html
MANGO
Tel 263-4-737-301
Samara-Zim
Tel 263-4-708-05/9
Fax 263-4-708055
www.samara.co.zw
ZWZI MBIX
Tel 263-4-303-211
Fax 263-4-732828
ESANET
Tel 2364 303 211
E-mail [email protected]
IAFRICA Zim
Tel. 263-4-758-194
Fax 263-4-758-197
E-mail [email protected]
PTC Zimbabwe
263-4-732-406
263-4-735-892
Stellar Systems
Tel 263-4-730-506
Fax 263-4-730-506
Zl MTAP
Tel 263-4-702-009
Fax 263-4-703-416
148
149
Annexure E: Useful Websites
Universities and colleges
Colorado College Archives and Records Survey Project Manual -
http://www.cc.colarado.edu/Library/SpecialCollections/ArchiveProject/TOC.html
Edith Cowan University Archives and Records Management -
http://Liswww.fste.ac.cowan.edu.au/archives/
Glasgow University Archives and Business Records Centre -
http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/Archives/arcbrc.htm
Heriot Watt University Archive, Records Centre and Historical Artefacts -
http://www.hw.ac.uk/archive/
Indiana University Electronic Records Project - http://www.indiana.edu/~libarche/
Monash University Department of Librarianship, Archives and Records -
http://dlar.fcit.monash.edu.au/
Oregon State University Archives -
http://www.orst.edu/dept/archives/ARMH/index.html
Syracuse University Archives and Records Management -
http://sumweb.syr.edu/archives/
University of Dundee Department of Archives and Manuscripts -
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/archives/
University of Illinois Archive Gopher Server -
gopher://musicbox.msc.jhu.edu:70/11/others/archives
University of Liverpool Archives - http://www.liv.ac.uk/~archives.home.htm
University of Warwick Library, Modern Records Centre -
http://www.warwick.ac.uk/services/Library/mrc/mrc.html
150
Standards organisations
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) - http://www.ansi.org/
Canadian Standards Association - http://www.csa.ca/
Digital Signature Standard - http://www.nist.gov/itl/csl/fips/fips/186.txt
International Standards Organisation (ISO) - http://www.iso.ch/welcome.html
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) - http://llwww.nfpa.org/
Standards Australia - http://www.standards.com.au/
Professional organisations
ARMA International Home Page - http://www.arma.org/hq/
American Bar Association - http://207.49.1.6/home.html
Archives Association of British Columbia - http://www.harbour.com/AABC/
ASLI B - http://www.aslib.co.uk/aslib/
Association for Information and Image Management International (AIIM) -
http://www.aiim.org
Association of Canadian Archivists - http://www.archives.ca/aca/index.html
Association of Commonwealth Archivists and Records Managers (ACARM) –
http://www.acarm.org
Association of Records Managers and Administrators (ARMA) - http://www.arma.org
151
Australian Society of Archivists -
http://www.aa.gov.au/AA_WWW/ProAssn/ASA/ASA.html
Canadian Council of Archives - http://www.CdnCouncilArchives.ca/intro_e.html#top
Canadian Information and Image Management Society - http://www.ciims.ca/FID
Florida Records Management Association - http://www.frma.org/
International Council on Archives (ICA) – http://www.ica.org
International Records Management Trust – http://www.irmt.org
National Association of Government Archivists and Records Administrators -
http://www.nagara.org/
Northwest Archivists lnc. - http://www.orst.edu/Dept/archives/misc/nwa.html
PRISM: Professional Records Information Services Management -
http://www.prismintl.org/
Records Management Association of Australia (RMAA) - http://www.taunet.net.au/rmaa
Records Management lnstitute - http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/rmi-igd.menu.htm
Records Management Society of Great Britain – http://www.rms-gb.org.uk
Scottish University Special Collections and Archives Group (SUSCAG) -
http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/Archives/suscag.htm#
Society of American Archivists - http://www.archivists.org/
Society of Southwest Archivists - http://lib-04.lib.uh.edu/ssa/ssa.htm
The Academy of Certified Archivists - http://www.uwm.edu/Library/arch/aca/aca.htm
152
Government departments and organizations
Archives Authority of New South Wales - http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/
Arizona Department of Library, Archives and Public Records -
http://www.dlapr.lib.az.us/
Australian Archives - http://w.aa.gov.au/AA_WWW/AA_Home_Page.html
Australian Office of Government Information Technology - http://www.ogit.gov.au/
British Columbia Archives and Records Service -
http://www.bcars.gs.gov.bc.ca/bcars.html
California State Archives - http://www.ss.Ca.gov/archives/archives_home.htm
Delaware Public Archives - http://del-aware.lib.de.us/archives/
Department of Defence (US) Records Management Task Force -
http://www.dtic.dla.mil/c3i/recmgmt.html
Department of Energy Records Management - http://www.metc.doe.gov/rm/
Environmental Protection Agency - National Records Management Program -
http://www.epa.gov/nrmp/
Indiana State Archives - http://ai.org/icpr/index.html
Maryland State Archives - http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) - http://www.archives.gov
National Archives of Canada - http://www.archives.ca/
National Archives of Ireland - http://www.kst.dit.ie/nat-arch/
National Archives of Malaysia - http://arkib.gov.my/
153
National Archives of Singapore - http://www.museum.org.sg/nas/
Nevada State - Local Government Records Manual -
http://www.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/NSLA!RECORDS/recman.htm
Nevada State Library and Archives - http://www.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/NSLA/nsla.htm
New Hampshire Division of Records Management and Archives -
http://www.state.nh.us/state/archives.html
New York State Archives and Records Administration - http://unix6.nysed.gov/
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Records Management -
http://www.ornl.gov/records/home.html
Oregon State Archives - http://159.121.28.251/default.html
UK National Archives - http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland - http://proni.nics.gov.uk/index.htm
The Archives Authority of New South Wales -
http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/index.html
Utah State Archives - http://utstdpwww.state.Ut.us/~archives/
Information and Records Management (Generally)
Information management or records management? A glossary of info-babble! Who
cares? - http://www.mlrsi.com/rickbarry/lMT-ARM1/IMT-ARM1.html
Records and Information Management - http://webcrafters.com/cgiwin/rmcnt.exe
Preservation Resources http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Preservation/
154
Electronic Records Management
Bibliography on Electronic Records - http://www.iis.pitt.edui@~nhprc/bibtc.html
Electronic Records Bibliography: Tom Ruller/Nancy McGovern -
http://http2.sils.umich.edu/HCHS/ERECS-Bib/bib.html
Resource References & Links: Administrative rule on Electronic Records –
http://useastpra.optiview.com/HTTP:/enterprise.state.wi.us/home/erecords/resource_ref_links.htm
Search Tools
Alta Vista - http://www.altavista.digital.com/
HotBot - http://www.hotbot.com/
Net Search - http://home.netscape.corn/home/Internet-search.html
Yahoo! - http://www.yahoo.com/
InterNIC - http://rs.internic.net/rs-internic.html
TIG Internet Domain-Name Database - http://horne.tig.com/cgi-bin/genobject/domaindb
Web Stuff
Farallon Home Page - http://www.farallon.corn/
Tribal Voice - http://www.tribai.com/
Welcome to Netscape - http://home.netscape.corn/
Web-Counter Home Page - http://www.digits.com/
Web-Counter Creation Page - http://www.digits.com/create.html
155
Windows95.corn Web Authoring Tools - http://www.windows95.com/apps/html.html
The Webmaster’s Guild -
http://www.thedaily.washington.edu/staff/martin/webrnasters.guild/
Webmaster’s Resource Center - http://www.cio.com/webmaster/wm_notes.html
Webreference.com[TM] - http://webreference.com/
The Web Masters’ Page - http://gagme.wwa.com/~boba/masters1.html
!Register-It! - Promote your Web Site! - http://www.register-it.com/
WebMaster Magazine - http://www.cio.com/WebMaster/
Welcome to Web Week Magazine – Online - http://www.webweek.com/
Home page of the IRC Chat client mlRC – lndex - http://www.mirc.co.uk/
Servers and IRC Networks you can use with mlRC - http://www.mirc.co.uk/servers.html
The mlRC pages - What is IRC - http://www.mirc.co.uk/irc.html
Search Worldwide White Pages - http://www.wyp.net/info/search/NA.html
Xenon Labs: The Universal Currency Converter - http://www.xe.net/currency/
USPS ZlP+4 Code Lookup - http://www.usps.gov!ncsc/lookups/lookup_zip+4.html
E-mail Etiquette Guide - http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/~tss/tss/policy/etiquette.html
The Campaign to Stop Junk Email - http://www.mcs.com/~jcr/junkemail.htm
157
Annexure F: Bibliography
General
Grimes, G: 10 Minute Guide to the Internet and the World Wide Web, 2nd Edition, 1996.
HAHN, Harley: Teaches the Internet, 1999.
MacRae, K: Best Defence, Computer Active, Issue 3, March 2005.
Steemson M, The record keeping future, Records Management Bulletin, Issue No. 83,
1997 p.21.
Protocols
Internet Technology Overview, June 1999 Chapter 30: Internet Protocols
http://www.cisco.com/univercd
How the UseNet News Protocols Works http://www.dsv.su.se
Definition and Types of Protocols http://gc.maricopa.edu
Types of Internet Protocols http://www.usg.edu
Internet History and Protocols http://webfccj.org
How Does E-mail Work? http://www.library.yale.edu
Harness E-mail: How it Works http://www.learnthenet.com
Harness E-mail: Anatomy of an E-mail Message http://www.learnthenet.com
Harness E-mail: Step-by-step: Sending an E-mail Message http://www.learnthenet.com
Harness E-mail: Understanding E-mail Addresses http://www.learnthenet.com
158
A Beginner’s Guide to Effective E-mail http://www.webfoot.com
How E-mail Works http://www.howstuffworks.com
Everything E-mail http://everythingemail.net
Internet
Using the Internet http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au
Enhancing Subject Area Expertise via the Internet http://oregonstate.edu
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Internet http://www.mc.edu
Advantages and Disadvantages of Using the Internet for Information
http://www.curriculumsupport.nsw.edu.au
How Does the Internet Work? http://www.fuzzylu.com/does/po2.htm
How Does the Internet Work?
http://www.theshulers.com/whitepapers/Internet_whitepaper.html
The History of the Internet http://www.daresite.com/webstation/net-history5/shtml
Internet Tutorials http://library.albany.edu/Internet/
World Wide Web
What is a Website? http://www.uic.edu/classes/cie/cie480/assign/website.htm
What is a Home Page? http://www.wou.edu
What is a Home Page?
http://english.ttu.edu/karos/2.2/features/refletions/help/pop7-54.htm
World Wide Web Definition http://www.mariosalexandrou.com/glossary.www.asp
159
World Wide Web (WWW) http://tekmom.com/buzzwords/zd.www.html
A Little History of the World Wide Web http://www.w3.org/History.html
How Web Servers Work http://computer.howstuffworks.com/webserver.htm
Build a Website http://www.learnthenet.com
What is an Active Server Page? http://www.takempis.com/asp1.asp
Those Dark Hiding Places: The Invisible Web Revealed
http://library.rider.edu/scholarly/rlackie/Invisible/Inv_Web_Main.html
The Deep Web: Surfacing Hidden Value
http://brightplanet.com/technologu/deepweb.asp
Search Engines
Search Engines http://ascsitedesign.com/promotionpopup.htm
Search Engines http://sweb.uky.edu/~wivang00/sayre/games.htm
How Does a Search Engine Work?
http://hhd.csun:edu/shelia/searchpolsummer/mollyr/tsbl004.htm
The Spider’s Apprentice http://www.monash.com/spidap4.html
Search Engines: What They Are, How They Work and Practical Suggestions for Getting
The Most Out of Them http://www.webreference.com/content/search
Definition of a Search Engine
http://academics.smcvt.edu/sburks/Definition_search_engine.htm
How Search Engines Work
http://searchenginewatch.com/webmasters/article.php/2168031
160
Tips on Popular Search Engines
http://www.hamline.edu/administration/libraries/bush/handouts/slahandout.html
Multi-subject Guides to Specialised Search Engines http://www.searchability.com
A Grab Bag of (Mainly) Free Bibliographies and Bibliographic Databases on the Web
http://www.leidenuniv.nl/ub/biv/freebase.htm
Search Engine Robots That Visit Your Website
http://www.javasoft.com/searchengines/webots.html
URLs
URL Definition http://www.edragste.com/help/urldefinition.htm
Recommended Uniform Resource Locator (URL) Reading
http://www.learnthat.com/define/u/url.shtml
Browsers
Web Browser Definition http://www.marketingterms.com/dictionary/webbrowser
Web Browser http://www.atis.org/tgzk/_web_browser.html
Web Browser
http://www.sucessfulonline.com/soe2002/attendee/glossare/web_browser.htm
Web-History Browsers http://livingInternet.com/w/w1_browser.htm
Intranet
Intranet vs Extranet http://pigseye.kennesav.edu/~adp2681/advantage.html
Disadvantages of Intranets
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/cyhiggin/Debate1/disadvantages.htm
Art, Geeks and Power Plays: How to Build Your Intranet
161
http://www.strom.com/pubwork/forbes896.html
Intranet http://www.higherweb.com/497/html/intranet.html
Equipment
Master the Basics: Making Connections http://www.learnthenet.com
How to Connect to the Internet and World Wide Web
http://www.centerspan.org.tutorial/www.htm
Basic Equipment Used in the Structure of the Internet
http://cs4.uhh.hawaii.edu.acs/recommended_equipment_required_to_connect
Master the Basics: About Modems http://www.learntheweb.com
Searching
Research Guides: Boolean Search Tips
http://www.iscc.flu.us/library/guides/boolsea.htm
Boolean Searching on the Internet http://library.albany.edu/Internet/boolean.html
Finding Information on the Internet: A Tutorial
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/teachinglib/guides/Internet
Evaluating Web Resources
http://wwwz.widener.edu/Wolfgram-Memorial-Library/webevaluation/
Bare Bones 101: A Basic Tutorial on Searching the Web
http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/bones.shtml
Domain Names
Domain Name System – Domain Names http://www.livinginternet.com
Where is all the Internet Domain Names Registered and Maintained?
162
http://www.howstufworks.com/question422.htm
Invisible Web
Noodle Tools: Choosing Invisible Web Databases
http://www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/information/5locate/advicedepth.html
The Invisible Web http://www.weblens.org/invisible.html
Internet Service Providers
What to expect from your ISP
http://www.computer-telecommunications.com/isps.htm
HTML
A Beginners Guide to HTML http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/Internet/WWW/HTMLPrimer.html
Instant Messaging
How Instant Messaging Works
http://www.howstuffworks.com/instant-messaging.htm
Instant Messaging http://webopedia.internet.com/TERM/:/intstant-messaging.html
Blogs and Wikis
WHG Web hosting Glossary: Blog http://www.marketingterms.com/dictionary/blog
What is Wiki? http://wiki.org/wiki.cgi?WhatIsWiki
Wiki History http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?WikiHistory
Our Favourite Technology Blogs
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition0,,sid9_gci884512.0.html
Operation of a Large Scale: General Purpose Wiki Website
163
http://aronsson.se/wikipaper.html
Why Wikis Works http://C2.com/cgi/wiki?WhyWikiWorks
Hacking
What is a Hacker? http://www.interhack.net/hacker.html
Definition of a Hacker http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~pmaydell/hacker.html
