Types of Services Provided by the Internet

The Internet can also be defined as the global information system, that is able to support communication, using the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol suite (TCP/IP) or its subsequent extensions (A set of rules that defines how computers communicate with each other to transfer data.)

Below are some types of services provided by the Internet;

www:

www is a system in which documents (called web pages) stored in special computers (web servers) can be accessed and viewed from any part of the world, by computers that are connected to the Internet. These web pages can be accessed and viewed using a special program called a ‘web browser’, for example, Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Safari, Crazy, Mozilla, Opera, Bolt, Google Chrome, etc.

The web pages contain texts, graphics, animations, and videos as well as hypertext links. The links let users jump from one page to another. Web pages are specially formatted using a web page formatting program, called HTML, that supports links to other documents.

Remote Computer Control:

A remote computer control refers to any method of controlling a computer from a remote location. Software that allows remote administration is becoming increasingly common. A remote location may refer to a computer, in the next room, or one on the other side of the world. It may also refer to legal and illegal remote administration, that is, hacking.

When the client connects to the host computer, a window showing the desktop of the host usually appears. The client may then control the host as if he/she were sitting right in front of it.

Online Gaming:

An online game is a video game played over some form of computer network, usually the Internet. Online games can range from simple text-based environments to games incorporating complex graphics, and a virtual world populated by many players simultaneously.

Telnet:

This is a program that allows you to log in from your computer to a remote computer somewhere else, on a computer network or Internet, instead of the remote computer sending you software, or files, to run on your own computer. The Telnet program runs on your computer, and connects your personal computer, to a server on the network.

Electronic Mail:

This can be described as mail messages, sent electronically from one computer network user to another across the Internet. They are delivered in a few minutes.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

This is a protocol (program) that enables files to be copied, from one computer to another over the Internet. To copy files onto a web server (in order to update or create a website) an FTP program is required.

Chat:

This is a real-time discussion between two or more users, through a computer in a network or over the Internet. Once a chat has been initiated, either user can enter text by typing on the keyboard, and the entered text will appear on the other user’s computer screen instantly.

Newsgroup:

This can be described as a collection of messages, about a particular subject, sent on the Internet. It is a forum for exchanging information and views over the Internet. There are newsgroups on every subject you can think of and more. To read the messages in a newsgroup you need access to a newsgroup server, through your ISP. When one posts a message, it is systematically copied to other newsgroup servers around the world, so other people can read it and reply with their views.

Gopher/Archie/Veronica:

Gopher; This is a program that searches for files and other resources on the web, that are resident on Internet servers called “Gopher servers”. Gopher servers present their contents as hierarchical menus to the user, and as the user selects options on the menu, they are moved to different Gopher servers on the Internet.

Archie; This is a program that enables one to search for files anywhere on the Internet, by typing the filename.

Veronica; This is a program that searches for documents on the Internet by description (that is, by typing a phrase that describes the document) it works like a search engine.