CNIT131 Internet Basics & Beginning HTML

1. CNIT131 Internet Basics & Beginning HTML Week 05 – Communicating Online http://fog.ccsf.edu/~hyip

2. Email Systems • Using email has several distinct benefits, including speed of delivery, low cost, accessibility, convenience, and ease of management: • Speed of delivery—A sender can compose and send an email message and deliver it to its recipient or multiple recipients in seconds. • Low cost—Email is a cost-effective way to communicate with others and to share documents quickly. • Accessibility—You can access email messages from any computer or device with Internet access. • Convenience—The sender can send an email message at his or her convenience, and the recipient can read it at his or her convenience. • Ease of management—Users can manage email messages by storing them in folders on their computers or mail servers. Users can arrange and view messages by date, sender, or other criteria, and can delete emails they no longer need.

3. Email Addresses • To reach the correct destination, an email message must have a unique delivery address consisting of a user ID and a host name, as well as a top-level domain. • An example of an email address is: mariaspringer@gmail.com. In this example, mariaspringer is the user name, or user ID, which is a unique identifier for the recipient. • The host name, gmail.com, identifies the server where the recipient’s email account or mailbox resides. The host name includes a top-level domain (TLD), such as .com or .net. The @ symbol separates the user name and host name. • You enter an email address in a new message window provided by your email client.

4. Email Clients • An email client is any program used to create, send, and receive email messages. To use some email clients, you download and install the program or app on your computer or mobile device and instruct it to manage your incoming email from a server or a web-based email service. • When you install an email client, you must set it up to sync and download email from your email address.

5. Email Clients (2)

6. Email Clients (3)

7. Email Servers and Protocols • Email messages travel over the Internet using the same packet-switching technology and TCP/IP suite that govern all communications over the Internet. • An email client might use a number of protocols, such as POP (Post Office Protocol), SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol), and HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) to interact with mail servers when sending and receiving messages.

8. Email Servers and Protocols (2) • The Email System consists of two different servers running on a server machine. • One is called the SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server – handles outgoing mails. • The other is either a POP3 (Post Office Protocol) server or an IMAP (Internet Mail Access Protocol) server – handles incoming mails. • Some free web-based email services, such as Outlook.com, use HTTP servers.

9. Email Servers and Protocols (3) NOTE: SMTP server listens on port 25, POP3 listens on port 110 and IMAP listens on port 143 

10. The SMTP Server • When you send an email to another person, your email client interacts with the SMTP server to handle the sending. • Your host SMTP server may communicate with other SMTP servers to actually deliver the email. • For example, my email ID is pwell, and I have an email account with emailworks.com. I want to send email to jsmith@anotherworld.com. I am using a simple email client like Outlook. • Outlook connects to the SMTP server at mail.emailworks.com via port 25. • Outlook communicate with the SMTP server, and send the sender address, recipient address, as well as the body of the message. • The SMTP server takes the recipient address (jsmith@anotherworld.com) and breaks it into two parts – the recipient name (jsmith), and the domain name (anotherworld.com). • If the recipient address is another user at your own domain (emailworks.com), the SMTP server would simply hand the message to the POP3 server.

11. The SMTP Server (2) • The sender SMTP communicates with a Domain Name Server (DNS) to resolve the IP address. The DNS replies with the one or more IP addresses for the SMTP server for the recipient domain. • The sender SMTP server connects with the recipient SMTP server using port 25. • The sender SMTP server sends the email to the recipient SMTP server. Then, the recipient SMTP server hands the email to its POPs server, which puts the email in jsmith’s mailbox (text file). • If the sender SMTP cannot connect with the recipient SMTP server, then the email goes into a queue. • The SMTP server on most machines uses a program called sendmail to do the actual sending, therefore this queue is called the sendmail queue. • Sendmail will periodically try to resend the e-mails in its queue. After four hours, it will usually notify you that there is some sort of problem with your send mail. After five days, most sendmail give up and return the mail to you undelivered.

12. The SMTP Server (3)

13. The POP3 Server • The POP3 server maintains a collection of text files – one for each email account. • When a message arrives, the POP3 server simply appends it to the bottom of the recipient’s text file. • When you check your email, your email client connects to the POP3 server using port 110. (using account name and password) • Once you have logged in, the POP3 server opens your text file and allows you to access it. • Most common commands • USER – enter your user ID • PASS – enter your password • QUIT – quit the POP3 server • LIST – list the messages and their size • RETR – retrieve a message, pass it a message number • DELE – delete a message, pass it a message number • TOP – show the top x lines of a message, pass it a message number and the number of lines. • Your email client connects to the POP3 server and issues a series of commands to bring copies of your email messages to your local machine. Then it will delete the messages from the server.

14. The IMAP Server • Many users want their email to remain on the server (Unlike POP3 server, after download to your local machine, it will delete the email from the POP3 server). • IMAP (Internet Mail Access Protocol) is a more advanced protocol that solves this problem. • With IMAP, your mail stays on the e-mail server. You can organize your mail into folders, and all the folders live on the server as well. • The email client connects to the IMAP server using port 143. Then, the email client issues a set of text commands to retrieve messages from all the folders. • Most email clients have some way to cache email on the local machine. The messages still exist on the IMAP server. • This allows you to read and reply to email even if you have no connection to the internet. • The next time you establish a connection, you download all the new messages you received while disconnected and send all the mail that you wrote while disconnected.

15. The HTTP Server • An HTTP server provides web-based email services that you can access through a website and a web browser. • The main advantage of an HTTP server and web-based email is that you have access to email anywhere, using any Internet-connected computer or device. • One disadvantage is that an email client, such as Windows Live Mail, might not support access to incoming messages stored on an HTTP server.

16. Anatomy of an Email Message • Most email clients provide the same basic message window features. • The To line contains one or more email addresses of the message’s recipient or recipients. The email addresses for multiple recipients typically appear separated by semicolons or commas. • The Cc line lists the email addresses of recipients who will receive a courtesy copy of the message. A courtesy copy is a copy of the message you send as a courtesy to someone other than the primary recipients in the To line. • The Bcc line contains the email addresses of recipients who will receive a blind courtesy copy of the message. A blind courtesy copy is a copy of a message sent without that recipient’s name or email address appearing in the message header. Only the sender can see the Bcc line. The Bcc recipient(s) only see his or her own email address or name, and cannot see addresses for others in the Bcc line.

17. Anatomy of an Email Message (2) • The Subject line contains a description of the message content. • The Attach line contains the file names of any attachments. • An attachment is a file that is sent along with the email message. • The message body contains the text of the message. In addition to text, a message body can include graphics, links to webpages, or the contents of webpages. • You can include a signature automatically to all of your outgoing email using a small signature file. • A signature file contains standard content, such as the name, title, and contact information of the sender.

18. Using Email • A web-based email service, such as Gmail or Yahoo! Mail, is an email service available to a user through a browser and a website, or a web or mobile app. • Web-based email services make personal email available to anyone with access to an Internet-connected computer or device. • Basic web-based email services generally are free, but may include advertising. A premium web-based email service usually reduces or eliminates advertising and often provides additional advanced features, such as increased message storage space, typically for a small annual fee.

19. Using Email (2) • The primary advantage of using a web-based email service is portability. Because web-based email can be sent and received from any computer, users can access their email accounts at coffee shops, libraries, and other public venues that provide Internet access. • The primary disadvantage of web-based email is the inclusion of advertising on the email service’s webpages that some users find annoying. • Please refer to the book for how to set up an email account and install an email client; review the features of an email client window and then receive, read, and reply to an email message; open an attachment; compose and send a message with an attachment; and organize email messages.

20. Social Media • Social media tools are an integral part of the way Internet-connected individuals interact with family, friends, and others who share their professional, personal, or political interests. • Social media refers to online tools that allow people to communicate, collaborate, and share over the Internet.

21. Social Networking • Social networking websites and apps, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+, provide a medium in which friends, colleagues, and school alumni can share personal information or photographs, résumés and networking opportunities, or information about events. • Individuals who maintain connections with other people to share information or participate in activities of common interest are involved in a process called social networking. • Social networking websites typically offer a combination of online communication tools: email, discussion groups, blogs, instant messaging, P2P networking, and real-time chat. Members use these tools to build and maintain their own personal networks of friends.

22. Blogging and Microblogging • Blogs are highly popular and powerful tools for sharing thoughts and ideas across a wide spectrum of interests and audiences. • The variety of blogs available is collectively referred to as the blogosphere. • Microblogging, which resembles a combination of blogging and instant messaging, involves broadcasting brief (typically 140 characters or less) messages to a public website, or sending email or text messages, to subscribers.

23. Text Messaging • Text and multimedia messaging, also called Short Message Service (SMS) and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), respectively, allow users to send short messages containing text only or text, audio, and video. • Typically, users send and receive text messages using smartphones. • To save time, users often use short abbreviations, known as text speak. An example of text speak is: “CU L8R K?” for “See you later, OK?”

24. Chat • Chat is a facility that allows two or more people to exchange text or multimedia messages in real time, using either a special client, or a mobile or web app. • To chat, users need a special client software or app. Depending on the network and platform, users may be able to chat with those using other platforms or networks. • A channel, or chat room, is a specific chat discussion that might be on a given topic or with a certain set of participants. Users also can set up private channels in which access is by invitation only, thus restricting who can participate.

25. Chat (2) • Web-based chat allows for real-time communication using a web browser or web or mobile app. • Web-based chat allows users to exchange both text and multimedia messages. Some chat facilities also allow users with a microphone to exchange voice messages in a chat room instead of, or in addition to, text messages. • Some web-based chat sites provide the ability to share video between two participants who have web cameras. • New users might find that it takes some time to learn how to follow a conversation online. If a chat room has many participants, many conversations might be going on at once, which makes following one particular chat thread very difficult. • Because the exchange of text often is rapid, participants use the same abbreviations and shorthand as in text speak — for example, typing LOL instead of the phrase, “laughing out loud” — to express laughter in response to another’s post.

26. Chat (3) • To maintain privacy and security, chat participants should adhere to these guidelines: • Do not disclose your real name and address or any information of a sensitive nature. Use a nickname rather than your real name. • Avoid using websites or apps that display your IP address along with your nickname. • Remember that other participants might misrepresent themselves—she might not be a woman, and he might not be a teen — and that some predators are online, seeking the unwary. Therefore, be careful about arranging to meet online chat participants in person. • Some e-commerce websites use chat for real-time customer service, providing the user with a chance to talk to a customer service representative electronically in real time. Unlike when communicating by phone, a customer service representative can chat with multiple customers at once, increasing the speed of resolving customer issues.

27. Chat (4) • Another very popular form of chat is instant messaging (IM),a private means of exchanging real-time messages with one or several people using the Internet. Many social networking websites, including Facebook, provide IM messaging tools. • Several IM programs are in popular use, including AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), ICQ, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, and Gchat. Although all of these IM programs offer similar features, an individual using one IM program might not be able to communicate with another individual using a different IM program. • For this reason, many people choose to install and use several different IM programs so they can send instant messages to all of their contacts who use IM. Alternatively, users can install and use Pidgin, an instant messaging program that consolidates messages from these dissimilar IM programs into a single interface.

28. Collaboration and Sharing • WIKIS: Most websites you visit do not permit you to add to or edit content. A wiki consists of webpages in which authorized users can make edits to content, such as supplementing or deleting. One popular example of a wiki is the free online encyclopedia Wikipedia. • The Wikia wiki service is a popular wiki platform, and host to many large and small wikis, searchable by topic. • SOCIAL BOOKMARKING: Social bookmarking and content-sharing websites, also called social tagging websites, allow users to post a webpage link or image bookmark to a public website, and then tag the bookmark with keywords or hashtags. Tagging the bookmarks with keywords helps organize them and makes it easy to search for bookmarks by topic. • Pinterest is an example of a content-sharing website and app. Delicious is an example of a social bookmarking website.

29. Collaboration and Sharing (2) • SHARING AND STORING PHOTOS ONLINE: Many people use photo sharing websites or apps to manage their photo collections using websites such as Flickr, Shutterfly, Instagram, and Picasa, and then share access to the photos and photo slide shows with family members and friends. • The increase in broadband Internet access, together with access to inexpensive video equipment and webcams, has made creating personal video clips and sharing them online a very popular activity. • Businesses and organizations, as well as individual professionals and topic experts also post videos to websites such as YouTube. YouTube includes many professionally created video clips. Many companies, such as Google, post frequent videos to YouTube on the company’s official YouTube channel.

30. Collaboration and Sharing (3) • SOCIAL OPINION: Consumers visit social opinion websites to check out user reviews for products, movies, books, travel accommodations, local restaurants, appliances, and local service providers. Social opinion websites, such as Angie’s List and Yelp (Figure 4-61), aggregate thousands of individual reviews of products and services into well-organized and easily accessible categories. • Some sites, such as Yelp, offer reviews of services by locality. Users who join social opinion sites can add their own reviews and rate the reviews posted by other users. E-commerce websites, such as Amazon.com and TripAdvisor, integrate social opinion features (reading list recommendations, book reviews, hotel and restaurant reviews) into their e-commerce operations to attract visitors.

31. Email Marketing • Email marketing software helps organizations send email and track the success of a marketing campaign by keeping track of the number of users who read the email, how many times the recipients tapped or clicked a link in the email, and how many times the recipients purchased a product or enrolled in a service. • In addition to email services, these services can help you promote events and reach customers using social media. Unlike spam, email marketing relies on users to opt-in to receive emails. A user opts-in to an email marketing list by providing his or her email address during an enrollment, solicitation, or purchase, usually from the company or organization’s website. • Opt-in email marketing typically is more successful and welcomed because the users have expressed an interest in receiving communications from the company or organization.

32. Online Survey Technology • Online survey technology companies, such as SurveyMonkey and LimeSurvey, offer companies and organizations the ability to send an online survey using email. • Recipients typically tap or click a link in the email or on the company’s social media profile, to open the survey in their browser. Surveys are useful tools to collect and analyze opinions about products, services, or any other topic. • Some survey companies allow you to create a free survey with limited functionality or to subscribe for a premium version of the service, which gives additional analytical and formatting capabilities. You can share your survey through blogs, email, and social media in order to reach your target survey audience.

33. VoIP • VoIP (voice over internet telephony) is a technology used to make phone calls over the Internet. • In order to use VoIP, you must have a broadband connection, a microphone, and a speaker. • In addition, you need software or an app, such as Skype to facilitate the phone call. You may need to purchase or install an additional VoIP router. Some VoIP services are fee-based, while others are free. You must have another user’s contact information or account name in order to initiate a VoIP call.

34. Newsgroups and Web-Based Discussion Groups • Web-based discussion groups are online discussion forums often hosted by a portal. Discussion groups are an outgrowth of newsgroups, which are online bulletin boards that were first made available in the 1980s over the Usenet network. • Usenet consists of a number of servers that use the Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) to send newsgroup messages over an IP network. Each Usenet server, also called a news server, acts as a host to a number of newsgroups. • A user can access newsgroup content using a newsreader, which is software or an app that allows a user to read newsgroup messages. Some online newsgroup services, such as Newsville and Google Groups, provide access to newsgroups using a web browser.

35. Mailing Lists • mailing list subscribers use email to exchange information, opinions, and ideas about particular subjects with other subscribers. Mailing lists have diminished in popularity with the rise in usage of social networking tools. Because mailing lists are easy to use, offer free or inexpensive options, and have none of the privacy concerns of social networking websites, they still are used. • A mailing list must have a moderator or list owner who handles administrative tasks. • To receive email from a mailing list, you first must join, or subscribe to, the list. When subscribing to an open list, the subscription begins automatically upon receipt of the subscription email message. Subscriptions to a closed list require approval by the list moderator.

36. Mailing Lists (2) • You also can send messages to the list address, which is an email address used to send messages for distribution to list subscribers. • If the list is an unmoderated list, the message goes out immediately to all subscribers. • If the list is a moderated list, the moderator reviews the message and then either approves and sends it, makes or requests edits, or discards it. • Posting is the process of sending a message to the list. Each mailing list might follow different rules for posting messages to ensure that subscribers can contribute to the list in a productive manner and do not offend other subscribers by sending inappropriate material to the list.

37. References • Discovering the Internet: Complete, Jennifer Campbell, Course Technology, Cengage Learning, 5th Edition-2015, ISBN 978-1-285-84540-1. • Basics of Web Design HTML5 & CSS3, Second Edition, by Terry Felke-Morris, Peason, ISBN 978-0-13-312891-8.