Excerpt of How to Create a Basic Web Site (Chapter 2 - Starting a Web Page)

HTML Editors

An HTML editor is a specialized piece of software that enables the creation of HTML code.
Users are able to enter raw text in order to create and maintain their websites. A good
HTML editor helps boost productivity enormously. Here is a list of some of the most
popular and effective editors:
• Microsoft Expression Web
• Google Web Designer
• Adobe Dreamweaver
• Microsoft Visual Web Developer
• Microsoft FrontPage
• Notepad

In this book, we will use Notepad to create the website.


Here is the link to the e-book, which is available for purchase at Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YE05M82?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Excerpt of "How to Create a Basic Web Site" by David Miller (Chapter 1 - Introducing the Internet and HTML)

What is the Internet?

History

The Internet was first established in 1969 by the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET). This was spearheaded by the US Department of Defense. Beginning in the 1970s, e-mail and other messaging systems were created and distributed among large companies as well as government organizations. These systems allowed individuals in each organization to send messages to each other. However, problems arose with general refusal to allow interconnection of computers between organizations. Over time, issues like these made it necessary to establish rules that would enable various users to communicate (whether in organizations or not) on the Internet and send messages. By 1987, ARPANET was heavily congested on its telephone lines; thus, a network run by the National Science Foundation (NSFNet) merged with two other networks (CSNet and BITNET) to form a major network that can handle the increasing online traffic. The result was a contract with corporations such as IBM and Sprint to operate the network’s main backbone (connections and technology that support large amounts of data). IBM and Sprint were also among the first companies to help provide commercial Internet access.

The Internet or World Wide Web (WWW) possesses global broadcasting capability that serves as a medium for information dissemination, collaboration, and interaction among individuals and their computers regardless of geographic location. Simply called the Web, this innovative channel of communication, utilizes technology as a way to access, send and share information. It is a vast network of interconnected computers and networks that link millions of businesses, agencies, institutions, and individuals. Structurally, the Internet consists mainly of web pages which are really documents, images and audio files containing immense amounts of information. Web pages are connected to one another via connections called hyperlinks. Viewing and interacting with web pages are possible because of the technical capabilities of web browsers. These technological programs allow users to view text, images, videos, and other multimedia. Normally, a website contains one or more web pages that are grouped together under a common theme, for personal, commercial or social purposes. When a computer connects to the Internet, it becomes a web client.

Major Elements of the Internet

Listed below are brief descriptions of some of the network systems, services, programs and devices that support and impact operation of a website on the Internet.

Intranets/Extranets

An intranet is an information portal designed for the internal communications of various businesses. They include enterprises, governments, industries and financial institutions. Compared to the Internet, intranets can be tailored specifically to meet the exact needs of businesses and organizations. Users of intranets consist mainly of managers and directors, support staff, customer service, and other stakeholders. Extranets are portals designed for businesses to provide external users such as important clients, industry partners, and suppliers with limited access to certain files on computer systems.

Ethernet

Ethernet is the physical connection method of cabling networking technologies for local area (LAN) and larger networks to a computer. Simply put it is the cable that connects a computer or other device to a router or network.  Ethernet is known as arguably the most popular and most effective network technology in the world. Furthermore, it is the most widely-installed local area network (LAN) technology. There are industry standards that govern Ethernet communication to technology devices. These standards include how communication is provided for connected devices as well how they are attached to a common medium such as a router that provides a path where electronic signals travel. An Ethernet LAN typically uses coaxial cable or special grades of twisted pair wires. In recent times, it is more commonly a twisted pair or fiber optic cabling. Most home computers are connected to the Internet using either coaxial cable or wireless adapters. 

Routers

Routers are electronic devices that provide the mechanism for computers to communicate with other computers in a network, or to connect to an intranet or the Internet. The primary function of a router is to access the best path to receive data from one device and to transmit it to another. The internet service provider (ISP) assigns an Internet Protocol (IP) address (example of an IP address: 175 . 16 . 235 . 2) for each of the devices that are connected to the router. 

Servers

Basically, servers are computers which serve information to other computers and receive from them also. On the Internet, web servers are structured in networks that contain software and files that are capable of connecting with other computers online. The software continuously runs on a computer and allows other computers to upload and download documents. Each file is private; only the users of that network can access those files. There are many online companies such as Dot5Hosting, Hostmonster, iPage, Web.com, HostGator, and GoDaddy.com to host websites. These companies usually charge monthly fees for their hosting services.

Browsers

A Web browser is a computer program used for accessing sites or information on a network (as the World Wide Web) and view web pages on the Internet. Web browsers are created by software run on the computer to connect to various operating system software programs across the Internet. The most commonly used web browsers include America Online, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and YouTube Browser. Users can navigate between each page through hyperlinks (detailed in Navigation section).

E-Mail

Short for electronic mail, e-mails are electronic messages containing files, images, and/or other attachments sent through a network (online) to a specific individual or group. Most Internet providers allow users to send and receive e-mail messages. There are e-mail programs such as Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird.  The most common way that users send and receive e-mail is through free online e-mail services or web mail such as AOL mail, Hotmail, Google Mail (Gmail), and Yahoo Mail.

Navigation

Web navigation refers to the process of going through (or navigating) on a webpage, or on a network of multiple information resources online. The primary user interface used for navigation is the web browser. The constant goal is to have a web navigation interface that helps to maximize usability. Most web browsers have a navigation toolbar with buttons of frequently used web commands such as “back”, “reload”, “stop”, “print”, “Home”, etc. In the middle of the toolbar is the location (also called address or URL) bar, which describes the text box for entering a web address in the browser. A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is a uniquely formatted text that web browsers and other software uses to help identify network resources (web pages, documents, graphics, etc.) on the Internet. There are four parts for the addressing scheme in a URL:

·        Transfer protocol (http://) - set of rules necessary for transporting the files, the most common type of Internet protocol is HTTP.

·        Domain name – unique name for the address on the host computer.

·        Pathname - Directory or folder where file is stored.

·        Name of the file.

Internet Security

Internet security helps to establish rules and measures against attacks over the Internet. It involves not only browser security, but also network security in general as it relates to other applications and operating systems. Internet security programs monitor the exchange of information, and prevent intrusion or fraud. Different methods have been used to protect the transfer of data, including encryption, which refers to scrambling and encoding data transmission online, and preventing intruders from decoding and reading the page’s content.  The page is encrypted when there is a padlock icon at the bottom of the browser window. Web page security elements can be checked on the Internet Explorer.

Computer Security

Computer security is comprised of programs that are designed specifically for computing devices such as computers and smartphones used in both private and public settings such as the Internet. Functions of security applications involve protecting all the processes and mechanisms for digital equipment, information and services from viruses, malware and hacking. Computer security software detects and prevents unauthorized access or changes or destruction of information. It is becoming increasingly important to purchase this type of software to protect personal information and documents on PCs, smart phones, tablets and social media.

Cybersecurity 

Cybersecurity is the overall process of utilizing security measures for data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Cybersecurity protects assets such as the vast amounts of data on computers, servers, and cloud technology from hackers and unauthorized access. The goal of cybersecurity is to protect and ensure security of data. Some of the measures include access control, awareness training, risk assessment, security assessment, vulnerability management, etc. Cybersecurity functions are critical because web servers open windows between individual networks and the entire world virtually. Server maintenance, web application updates and website coding help to determine the degree of web security. Websites are prone to security risks, in addition to networks where web servers are connected. Furthermore, all programs either have bugs or weaknesses to varying degrees, since they are inherently complex . However, poorly written software exacerbates security issues, and the bugs will create web security issues that directly affect web applications and the server. In recent times, there have been cyber attacks against major corporations such as Target, Home Depot, Neiman Marcus and Sony.  The combination of technical factors, increased human activity, and notable events have provided a critical moment in efforts for cybersecurity.

Examples of Security Programs

There are some effective and inexpensive Internet software programs (many with free trials) that can increase cybersecurity for websites and computers in general. Here is a list of some of the programs:

·        AVG Secure Search

·        AVG Internet Security

·        Avast Free Antivirus 2015

·        Norton Internet Security

·        Comodo Antivirus 7 

·        Bitdefender Total Security 2015

·        360 Internet Security

The entire downloadable e-book will be made available soon on Amazon.com.