Webupon

            Every industry requires people with computer skills.  A cashier uses a computer to scan items at the register, factories have computers to control inventory, and telephone companies use computers to route calls.  Police use computers to track criminals, hospitals use computers to track health records, and banks use computers to transfer funds.  As you can see this technology is prevalent throughout our society, and knowledge of how computers work will make anyone a more valuable employee regardless of their job or the industry they work in.

            Now let’s take a look at the Internet.  What is the Internet?  Can you define it?  I could try, but I don’t think I could do the word justice.  Webopedia (www.webopedia.com) defines the word as, “A global network connecting millions of computers.”  Take a look at the full definition here: http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/I/Internet.html.  Does Webopedia define the word as you would?  I’d be willing to bet is it not exactly the same and you probably learned something from this definition. 

            Notice how some words in the definition are underlined once while other words are underlined twice.  Let’s focus on the words with the single underline.  How would you define these words?  Do you think Webopedia would define them in the same way?  Click on one to view the definition.  Notice there are more words underlined in this definition. 

            Clicking on a word with a single underline will bring you to the definition of that word.  Clicking the back button in the upper left corner of the browser window will return you to the previous word’s definition.  Clicking on a double underlined word will bring you to an advertisement.  Even moving the arrow over these double underlined words will bring up a small advertisement window.  Despite the annoyance of these advertisements, they ensure the site remains free. 

            With a little effort, anyone can become fluent in the technical jargon used throughout our society.  I challenge you to carry a notebook and pen with you for a day or week.  Write down all the computer related words you would like to look up.  Don’t be overwhelmed by the amount of information there is to learn.  Focus on how much you learn and continue to learn rather than how much you don’t know. 

Here are a few words you may be familiar with to get you started now: 

browser

pointer

window

operating system

RAM

binary