Surfing Around!
"Get around, round, round. I get around" (Beach Boys)
You've made your first connection to the Internet, and now you are ready to begin exploring the World Wide Web (commonly known as surfing).
The question is - where do you start?
Most web browsers, when you open them, try to automatically load a default webpage. In other words, they will automatically take you to a web site on the Internet that has been "pre-specified" by the browser company, or your ISP. If your browser appears "stuck", check that you are actually connected to the Internet. Some browsers can be configured to dial-up to the Internet automatically but some may need this facility to be added. If there's still a problem, then dial up to the Internet manually, using your normal method, before you open your browser.
When you are surfing the web, you can choose from millions of websites to visit and your browser has a number of ways of allowing you to do this:
- Manually
- You can type the address of the location you wish to visit into a small window (usually called Address or Location) near the top of your browser, press ENTER and it will take you straight there.
- Bookmarks
- You can use a Bookmark or Favorite. Nearly all web browsers have a feature which is like an automated address book. These allow you to grab a copy of a website address and store it so that you can return to the site at a future time. Many browsers come complete with a few bookmarks and you can add your own over time. To use a bookmark, simply open the appropriate menu and click on the name of the site you wish to visit.
- History
- Most browsers have History feature which is simply a list of all the sites you have visited recently - although this can be tucked away in one of the sub-menus. If the History feature isn't immediately obvious, try using the Help facility within your browser to find it. Once you have located your browser's History, you can return to any of the sites listed by just clicking on it's address.