3.4+Syllabus+Content

** 3.4 Internet ** ** Introduction **  The **internet** and World Wide Web are omnipresent in contemporary society. This topic introduces ITGS students to the technology that enables access to the internet. The tools and applications that contribute to the creation of web-based resources and websites are addressed under topic 3.6, “Multimedia/digital media”.  The use of the internet for activities such as e-commerce, academic research and social networking can raise ethical issues and have positive or negative social impacts. These may include exposure to undesirable materials, cyber-bullying, e-fraud, improved communication between individuals and groups, intellectual property theft, plagiarism, spamming and the global dissemination of ideas. Students are expected to discuss, where appropriate, possible solutions to a specified problem and evaluate their effectiveness. ** Possible scenario **  A school is considering using the internet to enhance the learning opportunities of its students. Before making a final decision it intends to obtain an outline of the different facilities available. It must also consider the potential problems of opening this “window on the world”. Where appropriate, the ITGS student should investigate different environments to experience the range of available learning opportunities. This may include research using different collaborative websites, educational websites or online sources of information. ** IT concepts to address in this topic ** **// Fundamentals //** • WWW (World Wide Web), URL (uniform resource locator), internet, intranet, extranet  • Internet protocols: for example, HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol), HTTPS (hypertext transfer protocol secure), FTP (file transfer protocol), TCP/IP (transmission control protocol/internet protocol) • IP address  • Modem, browser, internet service provider (ISP), bandwidth, download, upload, streaming audio/ video, compression, decompression, cache • Domain names, domain name system (DNS) • Features of a website: for example, hyperlinks, navigation, metatags, tags, forms • Features of a browser: for example, bookmarks, visited links, tabs • Web-based languages: for example, hypertext markup language (HTML), JavaScript • Adding functionality to a browser (for example, plug-ins) • Data-driven websites: for example, active server page extended (ASPX), personal home page (PHP) • Site management: for example, web hosting, uploading • Other site use: for example, bounce rate, click-through rate (CTR), avatar, profile **// Tools //**  • Search engines, web crawler/spider, search directories, search techniques, filtering, keyword density, keyword prominence, ranking of sites • Social networking: for example, newsgroups, message boards, chat rooms, forums, instant messaging • Email, email server, list server  • Web 2.0, Web 3.0 and beyond, collaborative online tools: for example, wikis, blogs, micro-blogs, RDF (resource description framework) site summary feeds, RSS (really simple syndication) feeds, mashups, forums, social bookmarking, online collaborative applications, podcasts, photocasts, vidcasts, social networking sites, templates, tagging, viral marketing, webcasts, widgets, virtual worlds and learning environments • Web databases, encyclopedias **// Services //** • Online advertising and marketing technologies: for example, banners, pop-ups, cookies • Push–pull technologies: for example, email newsletters • Content management systems: for example, Moodle, Blackboard  • E-commerce technology: for example, business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C), consumer-to-consumer (C2C), payment services, secure transactions • The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) **// Internet threats and security //** <span style="display: block; line-height: 15px; margin-left: 23pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.95pt;"> • Internet security: for example, firewall, proxy server, SSL (secure sockets layer), encryption, public and private keys, digital signatures • Internet threats: for example, global viruses, hackers, spam, phishing, pharming, spyware, adware <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**// Practical techniques //** <span style="display: block; line-height: 15px; margin-left: 23pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.95pt;"> • Collaborative online tools: for example, wikis, blogs, RSS feeds, mashups, forums, social bookmarking, online collaborative applications, podcasts, photocasts, vidcasts, social networking sites, templates, virtual worlds and virtual learning environments