Webupon

Please take time to go through the simplified explanations for it will be helpful for you especially when you would need to explain these concepts to your customers as well.

We will begin this module by discussing what a browser is and then will continue with the other common web terminologies that you would need to be familiar with to be an effective Technical Representative for AT&T.

BROWSER FAQs

What is a Browser?

A browser is a software program used to access and display pages and files on the web. In layman’s terms, it is a tool necessary for you to use so that you could surf the internet.

This software cannot function if the user does not have any connection to the internet like DSL, Cable or Dial-up.

REMINDER: A browser is not synonymous to Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer is just another browser type.

Why do we have different types of Browsers?

If you are a regular visitor of internet Cafés or if you have Internet connection at home, you would probably have your own preference of your browser. Browsers can be graphical, like the ones that you are most likely used to (Internet Explorer and Firefox), some are just text-only browsers.

Many software manufacturers like Microsoft (makers of IE), Mozilla (makes of Firefox) and Apple (makers of Safari) created their own versions of browsers mainly so that they could have it incorporated in their own Operating systems. Microsoft wanted to have their browser packaged with their WINDOWS OS, instead of them buying Copy rights from other browser software makers.

All in all, different browsers cater to different needs and wants that the internet users would require.

REMINDER: Always verify the type of browser the customer has. Never assume that they use IE just because they have a Windows operating system. It would be safer that you verify so that you would exactly know how to guide them with their browsers (or if you would need to refer them to Support Plus or OEM for that matter).

Where do we get these browsers?

The different browsers would often be available on the official websites of their manufacturer. At the same time, when customers would buy their computers, by default, the computer manufacturer would already install the desired operating system plus the basic software that would always include a browser.

Moreover, customer could also purchase installers from different computer shops so that they could install their browser anytime they want.

Please check on the screen shots below for reference:

How does these browsers affect the FastAccess DSL service?

Technically, it would really not matter what browser you would be using. As long as the FastAccess connection is online, no matter what browser you are using, you should still be able to get the site that you would wish to go to. There would be a difference though in how you might be viewing a particular site when you would be using different browsers. For example, when going online using Firefox, you might have a different view when you open the same site using Opera.

Please refer to example below:

INTERNET EXPLORER

The Firefox browser was opened approximately 3sec earlier than the Opera browser. Usually, when you open a site on any browser, you should be able to see the same thing. However, they would differ due to the plugins that is present in your computer. Another reason is that some sites would work better for a specific browser (which is often Internet Explorer) that when they are viewed using a different browser, the site would not be displayed appropriately or not at all.

How the site is viewed or how they differ is dependent on how the site was programmed by the owner/publisher of the website.

What is a browser plugin?

A browser plugin could be best described as an add-on program in your computer. Browsers would need the plugins to provide specific demands from a site. For example, when viewing video footages from CNN.com site, a browser would need a video player plugin. If you don’t have any Windows Media Player or Quicktime Player, your browser would notify you that necessary plugin is needed and that if you do not download and install the plugin, you will be able to view the video from the CNN website.

In real life, you can compare the browser to a car. A car transports you from one place to another. When you install a radio in your car, would be able to listen to music while on a road trip. That radio is the plugin. It is a part of the car that allows the user to do another task aside from being a simple modem of transportation. The car can function with or without a plugin, however, there are specific tasks that a car cannot do without the plugin…which in this case, a radio for playing music.

At the later part of this topic, you would be able to see screenshots showing you how a plugin warning or error would look like.

What is a search engine?

The best example that can be given for this question is Google. The Google site was designed to help people find information that are stored in other sites. This is convenient for people who do not know what specific site would they need to visit for things that they would need to research for.

What is an Internet Cookie?

Simplifying this, internet cookie is a piece of text that a Web Server could store on a user’s hard disk. For example, when you visit www.amazon.com, an automatic text file will be stored in your computer’s hard disk. This text will usually look like this:

session-id-time 954242000 amazon.com/

There has always been a misconception regarding cookies. It has often been regarded as a “program” that a Web server would store in the computer and gather information about you and your Internet activities. This is not correct.

What is Browsing History?

The browsing history is like a log record. It keeps track of the addresses/URL of the sites that you’ve been to. This is really helpful if you want to go to a specific site however, you do not remember the exact URL, just browse through your internet history or use a search string that would help you pull up all matching site that were previously visited.

Another logic of the browser history is that it helps the browser load a site faster. Because it has already downloaded the site before, it will take lesser time for the browser to load it up for you by using the browser history. However, on the other hand, too much browser history in the disk space of the computer may cause slow speeds for the PC as well. Thus, users should always limit the history space to atleast 20MB.

What is Cache?

Cache (pronounced as cash) is more or less related to the browsing history. While the Browser History takes note of the URL of the site and the links related to this site, the cache will store the contents of the site itself. That is why, it is possible that you can get the yahoo.com site even if your internet connection is offline because your browser has already captured the screen representation of yahoo when you visited it before…however, when you click on the links, that’s when you will get a page cannot be displayed error.

Thus, it is necessary that you do not only let your customer visit ONE site to prove that they are surfing…let them go to atleast 2-3 other websites.

Vida Haboc

April 11, 2008 Page of