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Network Working Group                                            R. PlzakRequest for Comments: 2664                                           SAICFYI: 4                                                           A. WellsObsoletes:1594                                                 UWisc-MadCategory: Informational                                           E. Krol                                                                  Univ IL                                                              August 1999FYI on Questions and AnswersAnswers to Commonly Asked "New Internet User" QuestionsStatus of this Memo   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does   not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this   memo is unlimited.Copyright Notice   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1999).  All Rights Reserved.Abstract   This memo provides an overview to the new Internet User.  The   intended audience is the common Internet user of today, thus it   attempts to provide a more consumer oriented approach to the Internet   rather than going into any depth about a topic.  Unlike its   predecessors, this edition seeks to answer the general questions that   an unsophisticated consumer would ask as opposed to the more pointed   questions of a more technically sophisticated Internet user.  Those   desiring a more in-depth discussion are directed to FYI 7 that deals   with intermediate and advanced Q/A topics.  A conscious effort has   been made to keep this memo brief but at the same time provide the   new user with enough information to generally understand the   Internet.1. Acknowledgements   The following people deserve thanks for their help and contributions   to this FYI Q/A:  Chris Burke (Motorola), John Curran (BBN Planet),   Albert Lunde (NWU), and April Marine (Internet Engines, Inc.).  Last,   but not least, thanks are extended to Patricia Harper and Charlotte   Nurge.  These ladies from South Riding, Virginia, consumer tested   this document.Plzak, et al.                Informational                      [Page 1]

RFC 2664            FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users         August 19992. Questions About the Internet2.1. What is the Internet?   People use computers to perform a wide assortment of tasks.  A   connected group of computers is known as a network. Because people   are connected via this network, they can use their computers to   exchange ideas and information.  Some computers are connected   directly to the network while others (primarily those in homes) are   connected via a telephone line and a communication device known as a   modem.  By connecting networks together with specialized computers   known as routers, people on one network can engage in activities with   people on other networks.  This INTER-connected group of NETworks is   known as the INTERNET.2.2. What Can I do on the Internet?   There is a large variety of activities that users can do on the   Internet.  These activities include surfing, searching, sending mail,   transfering programs and documents, chatting, and playing games.   SURFING   Surfing is one of the most popular Internet activities. To surf, a   user needs a program known as a web browser.  The web browser enables   the user to connect to a location that contains information.  Many   locations contain links to other sites that contain related   information.  These links are usually identified by underlined text   that is of a different color from the rest of the text in an article.   By clicking on one of these links the user is then connected to that   information.  This information may be at the same location or may be   at a different location.  This new information may, in turn, have   links to other information.  So just like a footnote or reference in   a print publication, links can be used to find related or non-related   information.   SEARCHING   Searching involves using a special program known as a seach engine.   There are several of these engines that are located at various search   sites.  The popular web browsers have location information about   these search sites.  Searching is similar to using a card catalog in   a library.  Just as a person would look up a topic in a card catalog   and find one or more references to that topic with library location   information, a search engine provides the user with a list of sites   that may contain relevant information.  This list is actually a set   of links to these sites so that all the user has to do is click on   the link to go to the location.  Just as different library cardPlzak, et al.                Informational                      [Page 2]

RFC 2664            FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users         August 1999   catalogs will contain different reference cards, different search   engines will provide different reference lists.   E-MAIL   E-mail is another very popular activity.  It is very similar to   sending letters through the post office or notes and memos around the   office.  It is used to exchange messages between two or more people.   Because email can be misunderstood or abused, users should be   familiar with email netiquette.  For more information see Netiquette   Guidelines [FYI 28,RFC 1855].   Many people also participate in mailing lists.  Usually a mailing   list is dedicated to a particular topic or interest.  Some mailing   lists are used to provide information to subscribers, such as product   update information for something an individual may have purchased   while others are used for discussion.  In the latter instance people   participate in the discussion by sending email to a "list" address   which in turn distributes it to all members of a list.  Abuse of mail   lists is probably the biggest source of junk email (also known as   "spam").  Everyone should take care that they aren't the source of   junk mail.   FILE TRANSFER   Programs and documents are transferred in several ways.  The most   common way this is done between individual users is to attach the   program or document to an e-mail message.  Programs and documents are   usually transferred from sites to users using the save feature of a   web browser or the file transfer protocol (FTP).   Such transfers   enable users to obtain a variety of programs, documents, audio files,   and video files.   CHAT   Chat takes place between one or more persons who are on the Internet.   Chatting is very similar to going to a party.  Just as people   congregate in small groups and discuss things, chatters meet in chat   rooms to discuss a topic.  Chat rooms are generally sponsored or   operated by an organization that has an interest in the topic area.   For example, an online news organization would have a chat room for   chatters to discuss current events.  To chat one person writes a   message which can be read, as it is being written, by the others who   can respond to it in turn.  First time chatters should be aware that   just as at a party where some people never say anything, so there may   be people in the room who are just listening.  Also, just like at a   party, some people may portray themselves to be someone different   than who they really are.  Lastly, remember that chatters come and goPlzak, et al.                Informational                      [Page 3]

RFC 2664            FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users         August 1999   to chat rooms the same way people move about groups at a party.   GAMES   Some people use the Internet to play games. These games can be role   playing games, action/adventure games, or online versions of old   standbys like chess.  Some games require the user to purchase a copy   of the game and install it on their computer, while others are played   by going to a game site.  Just like other forms of game playing,   Internet game playing can be challenging, entertaining, and an   enjoyable social experience.  Don't be afraid to have fun.   OTHER ACTIVITIES   Other popular activities include electronic shopping, banking, and   investing.  Many retailers describe and display pictures of their   products on the Internet enabling people to buy on line.  Shopping   also includes purchasing services such as an airline ticket or   ordering groceries.  Many banks allow people to transfer funds, check   available funds, pay bills and other such activities while on the   Internet with an account number and ID. Lastly, many people invest   while on the Internet in everything from stocks and bonds to real   estate.  One word of caution, if you are using a credit card, check   to see if there are security features in place to protect your credit   card information.  Reputable sites should tell you how they are   protecting your information. If you are in doubt about how your   information will be protected, don't use your credit card at that   site.2.3. What is an Address?   Two commonly asked questions these days are "What's your e-mail   address?" and "What's the URL?"  Generally, the first question is   asking where to send information, while the second is asking where to   get information.  The answer to the first question is usually   something like myname@company.com.  The answer to the second question   is usually something like "http://www.newspaper.com".  What do these   answers mean?   E-MAIL ADDRESS   As stated previously an e-mail address is something like   "myname@company.com", pronounced "MYNAME at COMPANY dot COM".  An   email address consists of two parts that are divided by an "@" sign.   The portion to the left is like the name line on a letter, it   identifies a particular person and usually is composed of the   person's name.  Typical names look like this:Plzak, et al.                Informational                      [Page 4]

RFC 2664            FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users         August 1999     john_doe     john.doe     jdoe     doej   The name is assigned by the system or network adminstrator who is   managing the email system and follows rules that have been   established by the company providing the e-mail service.  Sometimes   the name portion of the e-mail address is referred to as a mailbox.   The portion to the right of the "@" sign is the name of the computer   system that is providing the e-mail service.  This name is usually   the name of the company that owns the computer system followed by a   "dot" and an abbreviation that represents the "domain" or group of   names which the organization falls under.  Examples of these "top   level" domains are "edu", "com", and country codes such as "fr" for   France and "jp" for Japan.  When an e-mail is sent the portion of the   address to the right of the "@" sign is used to find the destination   computer of the email.   URL   A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is commonly used to identify a   computer that provides world wide web service.  It usually looks   something like "http://www.newspaper.com".  This address also   consists of two parts.  In this case the two parts are separated by   the "//".  The portion to the left means find the world wide web   service that is located at the computer identified to the right of   the "//".  The portion to the right is the name of the computer that   is providing the world wide web service.  Its name is composed of   parts that are similar to those described for the name of an email   computer.  Sometimes the portion on the right contains additional   information that identifies a particular document at the web site.   For example,http://www.newspaper.com/sports/article1.html would   identify a specific article in the sports section of the newspaper.2.4. Are There Any Rules of Behavior on the Internet?   In general, common sense, courtesy, and decency govern good Internet   behavior. There is no single formal rulebook that governs behavior on   the Internet. FYI 28 that was mentioned previously is a good guide.   Many activities such as game sites, chat rooms, or e-mail lists may   have rules of their own.  What may be acceptable behavior in one chat   room may be totally out of bounds in another.  It never hurts to   check the water temperature before jumping in the pool.  Users should   use the same precautions before joining in any online activity.Plzak, et al.                Informational                      [Page 5]

RFC 2664            FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users         August 1999   E-mail in particular can lead to misunderstandings between people.   Users should remember that the reader only has the text to determine   what is being said.  Other conversation cues such as "tone of voice"   and body signals like winking are not present in the text.  Because   of this, users of the Internet have developed cues to put in the   text.  Text techniques such as capitalization and symbols known as   emoticons (also called "smilies") are used.                   A typical smiley looks like this  :-)   Additionally, acronyms have evolved over time (for example IMHO - In   My Humble Opinion).  More information about this can be found by   searching.  Use keywords like "netiquette" and "emoticon" with your   search engine to find more information.   Users should also be aware that their particular programs such as   word processors or e-mail might produce documents and messages that   are not readable by everyone.  Very often, a reader must have the   same program in which a document was written in order to read it.   So, before sending an attached document, it is a good idea to make   sure that the intended receiver of your document has the capability   to read it.  If in doubt, send a text (ascii) version of the   document.2.5. How Does the Internet Work?   Each of the activities mentioned in the section describing what one   can do on the Internet requires that computers exchange information.   Computers take turns sending and receiving information.  When a   computer is sending information, it is known as the "source"; when it   is receiving information, it is known as the "destination."  (The   same computer can be both a source and destination at different   times.  This is especially clear when one thinks of sending and   receiving e-mail.)   Every computer on the Internet has a unique Internet "address" that   identifies it from among the millions of computers.  The Internet has   specialized computers between the source and destination located at   network inter-connection points.  These computers are known as   "routers."  The routers understand how to use a computer's address to   appropriately point information from one computer to another over the   Internet.   In an exchange of information the following occurs:     *  The source finds the address of the destination.     *  The source contacts the destination and says "hello".Plzak, et al.                Informational                      [Page 6]

RFC 2664            FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users         August 1999     *  The destination responds back with a "hello" of its own.     *  The source tells the destination that it has information to        send.     *  The destination tells the source that it is ready to receive the        information.     *  The source breaks the information into small pieces called        packets and sends each packet on its way to the destination.     *  The routers guide each packet to the destination.     *  The destination takes the packets and puts them back together to        form the information.     *  The destination tells the source that it has received the        information and asks the source if it has anything more to send.     *  If the source says no, the destination will say "good bye"        unless it has something to send back.  If it does, it will break        the information into packets and send them.     *  Once both end users are done "talking", they say both say "good        bye".   Clearly our simplified introduction to this section did not explain   many steps in this process, such as how a computer discovers the   address of another computer or how packets are divided and   reassembled.  Fortunately, these are specifics that people using the   Internet never really need to deal with!2.6  Who Runs the Internet?   No one.  The Internet is a cooperative effort among Internet Service   Providers (ISPs), software companies, volunteer organizations, and a   few facilities that tie the whole thing together.  The ISPs and   software companies are completely independent and most of them   compete with each other.  The ISPs provide internet service to people   much the same way that they obtain telephone service from a telephone   company.  ISPs agree to connect their networks to each other and   transmit information following an established set of rules   (protocols).  The software companies agree to manufacture programs   (such as email or web browsers) that also follow protocols.  There   are other organizations that keep things straight.  Some assign   Internet addresses in much the same manner as telephone numbers are   assigned, others keep track of names used by Internet users and   groups, and a large volunteer organization called the InternetPlzak, et al.                Informational                      [Page 7]

RFC 2664            FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users         August 1999   Engineering Task Force (IETF) develops the protocols computers follow   to make network communications succeed.3. Security Considerations   The question "is the Internet secure?" can be a confusing one for   people, who will hear many assurances that it is secure and many   scary stories saying it is not secure.  There are a few basic rules   of thumb to remember that will address most concerns.   First, make it a rule never to share account passwords with anyone.   Learning a password is the easiest way for someone to break into a   system.  Most people feel that their files are not that interesting   to anyone, but someone may be able to get a foothold from one   innocuous account to other places in the same computer system.  Many   good security practices can be found in the User's Security Handbook   [FYI 34,RFC 2504].   Second, understand that there are means for people to track the   information a user sends via email, the files one downloads, and the   sites visited on the web.  The system administrators and network   engineers who oversee a sites' computers require access to   information that an individual may think is secret.  In practice, no   responsible system administrator or network engineer will violate a   person's privacy out of personal curiosity.  However, if someone less   legitimate attains illegal access to a system, they also will have   access to this information.  This situation is not a problem for most   people, but it should be understood that things like email sent a   year ago or a log of users web pages browsed may still exist in some   system's backup archive tape and can be easily resurrected and   published widely.   Third, before giving personal information over the Internet, such as   filling in a form on a Web page, users should realize that there is   no assurance of confidentiality or privacy.   It could be compared to   faxing such information to a party that you've never dealt with   before.  While many organizations on the Internet are responsible   with information received via the web and email, this cannot always   be determined in advance.4.  References   [1] Guttman, E., Leong, G. and G. Malkin, "Users' Security Handbook",       FYI 34,RFC 2504, February 1999.   [2] Hambridge, S., "Netiquette Guidelines", FYI 28,RFC 1855, October       1995.Plzak, et al.                Informational                      [Page 8]

RFC 2664            FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users         August 19995.  Authors' Addresses   Raymond Plzak   SAIC   1710 Goodridge Drive   McLean, Virginia 22102   Phone: (703) 821-6535   EMail: plzakr@saic.com   Amy Tracy Wells   Internet Scout Project   University of Wisconsin-Madison   Computer Sciences Department   1210 W. Dayton St.   Madison, WI 53706   Phone: (608)263-2611   EMail:  awel@cs.wisc.edu   Ed Krol   University of Illinois   1120 DCL   1304 Springfield   Urbana IL   61801   Phone (217)333-7886   EMail: krol@uiuc.eduPlzak, et al.                Informational                      [Page 9]

RFC 2664            FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users         August 1999Appendix A   Glossary of Terms   Emoticon      Combination of punctuation marks used to provide sense                 of the senders tone of voice in an e-mail message   IETF          Internet Engineering Task Force [see text for a                 description]   Internet      An interconnected group of networks   ISP           Internet Service Provider [see text for a description]   Network       A connected group of computers   Router        A specialized computer that connects networks together                 and guides information packets to their destination   Spam          A slang term for junk e-mail   URL           Uniform Resource Locator [see text for a description]   Web Browser   A program that provides the capablility to read                 information that is located at a world wide web sitePlzak, et al.                Informational                     [Page 10]

RFC 2664            FYI Q/A - for New Internet Users         August 19996.  Full Copyright Statement   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1999).  All Rights Reserved.   This document and translations of it may be copied and furnished to   others, and derivative works that comment on or otherwise explain it   or assist in its implementation may be prepared, copied, published   and distributed, in whole or in part, without restriction of any   kind, provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph are   included on all such copies and derivative works.  However, this   document itself may not be modified in any way, such as by removing   the copyright notice or references to the Internet Society or other   Internet organizations, except as needed for the purpose of   developing Internet standards in which case the procedures for   copyrights defined in the Internet Standards process must be   followed, or as required to translate it into languages other than   English.   The limited permissions granted above are perpetual and will not be   revoked by the Internet Society or its successors or assigns.   This document and the information contained herein is provided on an   "AS IS" basis and THE INTERNET SOCIETY AND THE INTERNET ENGINEERING   TASK FORCE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING   BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF THE INFORMATION   HEREIN WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF   MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.Acknowledgement   Funding for the RFC Editor function is currently provided by the   Internet Society.Plzak, et al.                Informational                     [Page 11]