A Quick Tour of a Web Browser

Almost all web browsers share some common and essential controls that allow you to move through web sites and view or save information. All web browsers transfer a requested web page to your computer's memory (RAM) and display it on your monitor. This process is referred to as loading or downloading a web page. Here are some of the most basic functions. Included with the explanation of what they do will be specific instructions for finding them in the Netscape Navigator web browser. There are different versions of Netscape, and also sometimes the commands for the Mac and Windows versions differ. The commands that follow are as generic as possible, but if they do not work for you, consult the Help menu from within Navigator.

Web browsers all use point and click methods to locate and use their various functions. Pointing to and clicking on an item on the menu bar will bring out a "pop up" (or "pull down") new menu. Clicking on items in the new menu will either call up the function required, or yet another menu. A short hand has been developed to give instructions on what items to click on. Windows/Bookmarks/Insert Folder means: First click on the Window button on the menu bar. Second click on the Bookmark button in the pop up menu. Third click on Insert Folder and follow the instructions on the screen to perform this function.

Open a Web Address or URL
In order to access a web site directly you need to enter it's unique address and tell your web browser to access the site. On your menu across the top of the screen, under File, you will find an Open Page command. When you choose this option, you can then enter the address of the site with which you wish to connect. Alternatively, you can type the URL in the window next to Netsite on the Netscape Toolbar. Sometimes it may take a little while to connect to the site or to download it's web page. If you are using Netscape, "comets" stream across the Netscape logo that appears in the upper right-hand corner of the screen as the browser works to display the web page requested.

Stop Loading a Page
Particularly for those using a SLIP/PPP account to access the Internet, a large web page with multiple graphics will often take a long time to completely display. During this time you may either find the text hyperlink to which you want to go, or look at what is already downloaded and decide that you are not interested in seeing the rest of the page. In such cases you can immediately halt the downloading of the page by clicking on the "stop" button. In Netscape the Stop button appears as one of the large buttons on the menu bar with a red octagon shaped icon on it. Most other browsers have a similar button.

Move Backwards and Forward
As you move through web pages, clicking on things that seem interesting, you may eventually want to trace your steps back. To do this in Netscape there is a large Back button on the menu bar that will take you to the previous page(s) in order. If you then want to come back to newest the page you had viewed, click on the Forward button. Other web browsers will usually also have Back and Forward buttons represented by an arrow pointing left for backward, and right for forward.

Netscape has a "Go" menu which also allows you to move backwards and forwards. Click on Go and a pop up menu will appear. The Go menu lists pages that you have accessed during your current session. You may click on any of these pages to return to them. Finally, you can click on the "Home" button. Home will take you to your default home page, which is described later on.

Saving Web Pages
If you select the Files button when a web page is loaded on your browser and select the Save option and enter a filename, that page will be saved as a text file without the images. If you are viewing a saved page while online and select a hyperlink, you will be connected with that hyperlink address as you would from any web page.

Saving Images
If you want to save an image from a web page, click on the image with the right mouse button (on PC's) or hold the mouse button down when pointing to an image (on Mac's). With most browsers a pop up menu of options will appear, one of which will be "Save Image". Some web sites won't allow downloading of their images.

Changing Your Default Page
When you start up your web browser you will notice that you always start out on the same page. This starting page is often called the "Default" web page. At some point in time you may want to change this page so that you always start at a different web site. For instance, if you are planning to go through the entire Reach for the Sky lessons, you may want to reset your default web page to the Reach for the Sky Home Page. In Netscape, to change your default web page go to Edit/Preferences/Navigator and enter the URL of the site you want to set for your default address in the box beside Home Page - Location. For the Reach for the Sky Home Page, put in:

http://www.learner.org/courses/rfts/index.html

Other web browsers will also generally have a Preferences or Options section in the pop up menus that will allow you to set the default page.

Tutorials
There are high quality tutorials and help guides available on the net for most web browsers. Netscape users can click on the Help/Contents menu to access tutorials from Netscape's web site.
If you are using a different browser try going to:

http://www.boutell.com/openfaq/browsers/

There are also a number of books available on how to use various web browsers such as:

Easy World Wide Web with Netscape, by Jim Minatel, QUE publishers, ISBN: 0-7897-0279-7 PH.800-428-5331

Activity:
1. Experiment with the features of your browser. If you are working with a group, post a helpful tip or a series of steps to complete a task specific to your browser to your group. You may also post questions you may have about using your browser.
2. Post to your group two good educational web pages that you came across while browsing.