It's a good thing the pantry is a fun site, full of humor because telling my experiences with browsers is hilariously funny. I could actually write an idiot's joke page about new internet users and their browsers. I am speaking of those of us who were not taking computer programming in some college when we first got hooked up to the World Wide Web, but the average user who was an internet dummy and wanted to be part of the new method of communication on the net. Remember when everyone wanted a CB in their car, and learned to talk the CB lingo. (That's a 10-4 good buddy, yeah, a smoky at mile marker 20 coming your way.) Ahh, memories are sweet
Here I am speaking about those of us who had no internet savvy or classes with a teacher or text books guiding us. We just hooked up with an ISP and jumped on board cold turkey. If any visitor is an advanced web master viewing this page and you had all the knowledge before you got online you can consider this a humorous joke page. Others, like me, who just jumped on and started surfing will see ourselves back then, and have a chuckle as memories flood back. To the new arrivals with no knowledge or prior training this will be serious stuff you need to know.
Example of A Browser dummy
I was online and learning to surf, finding sites and joining any community that would have me. I found PowWow and signed up. Great, now I was a member and could get access to a health group who had a site there, I followed instructions to get to my destination and to my dismay could not enter the area I wanted. A message appeared and told me I needed something that I can't remember after four year. The message said " Look at your browser". Well I looked down on my desk at my mouse sitting on the mouse pad, and thought,"ok I'm looking, now what do I do next?"
What is a Browser?
It is not your Mouse !!
A browser is a tool to let you surf the web and a multimedia interface integrating of text, graphics, audio and video, It is also "Client software" for viewing the World Wide Web.Your Browser does your work for you. It contacts a web server and sends a request for information, It receives the information and then displays it on the your computer. Your browser lets you view images on your computer. you "point-and-click" with a mouse so your browser can select hypertext links, and use drop-down menus and toolbar buttons to navigate and access resources on the Internet.
Different Browsers
There are many different types of browsers. All perform the same basic functions (transferring hypertext) but many have specific features that are unique.
Two of the most popular browsers are Netscape and Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE). They are both available free over the Internet. They are also both too large to fit on a high density disk! It's best to download them from free sites on the web. Links will be found at the end of this chapter to sites that let you download browsers, plug'ins and other things you will need. Here we will only discuss these two, most widely used browsers. I will refer to them as NN and IE
CNN news anchor proclaimed that the browser wars are over. He
cited the latest surveys on what browser people were using as the basis for his statement:
Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) is carrying up to an 80% market share. Looks
like Bill Gates has won.
NN was the darling of the Web when it first came out. Then along came Bill Gates and
Microsoft's Internet Explorer. The rest is history. War between these two rivals has kept
us in its grip, and many said IE was forced on them by their internet service providers.
Hog Wash! you can use the browser of your choice. All advanced users know we can
have multiple browsers on our computers. Bill Gates didn't force you to use
IE. The browser is on every computer running Windows software. We actually need both
to see how our sites look in each browser. Many surfers have complained they can not hear
background sound on web sites, when using NN. I can't and don't tell me how simple the
solution is. If it is that simple I would be hearing music.
I like writing and surfing in IE better than NN because I get fewer errors and less
crashing. The later versions of NN became so strict regarding acceptable code that
it wasn't fun to write for the browser. It's a bad omen when you get e-mail or a
visitor signing your guestbook saying the page looks great in IE but won't even execute in
Netscape. The amusing thing is that the problem is usually something minor, thus
very hard to pick out. Giant mistakes are easier to see.
NN seemed created for the professional programmer. Someone who is writing their
first Web pages is not interested in perfect coding. We want to see our pages, and think
every one else can. There's something to be said for a browser that tolerates your
mistakes. IE 5's AutoComplete and drop-down location menu is great at remembering
what you've previously written. It also has a feature where you can set an image as
your bookmark.You have far more control over browser functions. It actually helps
you. I use IE, but wait till NNv5.0 comes out, I'll be right there to grab my
copy. Many novice users think they must use the browser that was installed on their
computer from the disk their internet provider gave them. The truth is you can use the
browser you choose. If you run Windows, you also have IE installed on your computer.
If your service provider gave you IE, you can go to many sites and download other
browsers. you can go to Netscape.com and download Netscape FREE. You can use one as your
default browser and use the others to see how your site looks in other browsers. I only
have NN and IE. as I realize I can not please all my viewers, and most of the internet
users will be using one of these two popular browsers. For the life of me, I can not
understand why anyone that wants to do a lot of surfing on the internet or build a web
site would use an old browser, when they are free. So if you do not have the latest
browser, Go get one today. You are missing out on the best of the web if you have an old
browser.The links below will take you to sites that have free browser downloads. Start
browsing in style today.
Links to FREE browser download
Tucows is where I go to get my sofeware FREE .
Netsacpe now gives their browser FREE...
Microsoft will give you the latest version of Internet Explorer