4.2.3 The Internet

Question 1

what is the internet?

Answer 1

• a huge group of networks joined together “international network”
• each network consists of lots of smaller networks meaning it is hardware

Question 2

what is FTP?

Answer 2

FTP= file transfer protocol

-a standard set of rules that have been established to allow the exchange of large files over the internet.

Question 3

what are the uses of FTP?

Answer 3

• used for uploading a database of e.g sales from one branch of the organisation to the other
• distribute information (e.g on a new sales catalogue) between the company and their customers and suppliers
• used for down/uploading a website from/onto the Internet/server
• transfer files from mac to PC

Question 4

what are the advantages of FTP?

Answer 4

• you are not limited to file size
• greater security in transfer of information
• allows reliable transfer of files between platforms

Question 5

what is e-commerce? state the services included

Answer 5

Interactive online shopping service:

• companies can advertise goods and services only
• you get interactive sites which encourage feedback on products
• you can get auction sites such as Ebay
• there is internet banking and secure payment services
• internet tutorials

Question 6

what are the main requirements needed for an efficient on-line shopping service

Answer 6

• Catalogue of stock, stock database/table so that one can immediately see if something is available or whether there will be a delay.
• Methods of secure payment / shopping trolley so that customers don’t get their bank details stolen
• Database/table of customer orders/bids so that immediate searches can be made to find and update customer information.
• Maintaining a company website / need for trained staff.

Question 7

what are the advantages of online shopping both to the business and the customer?

Answer 7

Business:

• People can email them with enquiries, orders, requests.
• Overheads cut / Large savings on shop, warehouse and office space / Less money tied up in stock / less stock wastage
• Wider customer base / Can reach an international audience.
• Can target sales because you can see rivals prices on their website and alter your prices
• Can sell 24/7

Customer:

• There is no traveling; it can be done from home so saving in costs and time / delivered to the door
• Allows disabled people to do more shopping
• Much quicker to do a price comparison
• Can find obscure goods not available locally
• See other customer reviews
• Can be done 24/7

Question 8

what are the disadvantages of online shopping both to the business and the customer?

Answer 8

Business:

• cost of maintaining website
• increase in cost of delivery e.g vans or ships can make items more expensive
• fewer shops on the high street
• need for trained staff

Customer:

• credit card fraud
• lack of social interaction
• Security issues e.g. hackers stealing bank account details
• can’t fully assess the quality of goods

Question 9

ways of accessing information on the internet: Search engine

explain how a search engine would be used to find a website on the internet

Answer 9

-an application that is accessed over the internet hat maintains indexes of web pages and logical operators/keywords to find the information that you require.

-enter key words to find the information you require
company to pay

Question 10

ways of accessing information on the internet: Uniform resource Locator

define and explain how a URL would be used to find a website on the internet

Answer 10

-the web address of a site OR recognised
method for referring to resources on the internet OR the unique address for a file that is accessible on
the Internet.

-if you know the web address (URL) of a site
you can simply type/enter it in to go directly to the website you want
-if you do not know the address of the sites of interest,
then you can buy books (called directories) or buy one of the popular Internet magazines
that contain them

Question 11

ways of accessing information on the internet: hyperlinks

explain how a URL would be used to find a website on the internet

Answer 11

-click on a link to move from one area of interest

to another

Question 12

ways of accessing information on the internet: web crawler

define and explain how a web crawler would be used to find a website on the internet

Answer 12

A web crawler is:
- a program that automatically browses all web pages (in a systematic manner).
OR
-one type of software agent, or bot which (automatically) visits a list of URLs.

-Provides data about web pages in order to produce an index (database/list) which can be used by
a search engine to enable fast searches.

Question 13

ways of accessing information on the internet: boolean

define and explain how a boolean would be used to find a website on the internet

Answer 13

A boolean search is a search using the operators AND, OR or NOT.

and
NEAR to limit, widen, or define your search.
(2 marks)

Question 14

discuss an online database

Answer 14

-online databases contain products, customers and order details

• users can access the same database
• data is constantly modified and updated
• electronic data interchange (ED) is used by large retailers for ordering, checking and making payments to suppliers

Question 15

explain what is meant by distributed computing

Answer 15

• this is where a series of computers are networked together and they each work on solving the same problem
• each computer shares processing, storage and bandwidth

Question 16

describe applications that use distributed computing

Answer 16

SETI:
-The purpose of the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence)/project is to search for intelligent life outside the Earth (1) -and to do this a radio telescope is used. (1)

The popular power project:

• the popular power project is a non profit making research project to help develop an influenza vaccine
• the system is made of a computer model which models the human immune system and simulations are performed to see how a different vaccine might perform.

Question 17

what are the advantages of distributed computing?

Answer 17

• Reduces cost because an expensive powerful computer such as a supercomputer is not needed.
• Can pass work to computers anywhere in the world (using the Internet).
• Improved performance as each computer can work on part of the data.
• To get more processing power you just need to add more PCs.

Question 18

what are the disadvantages of distributed computing?

Answer 18

• Issues with the security of data spread out on so many different computers.
• Heavy reliance on networks and communications which may not always be reliable.
• Increased costs owing to the use of expensive communication lines.

Question 19

give the advantages and disadvantages of using dial up

Answer 19

ADV:

• can be used anywhere there is a phone line
• very good for light users e.g small company without an e-commerce site so may be cheaper as you only have to pay when you are using it

DIS:

• very slow e.g could take up to 12 hours to connect to it
• can’t use you phone whilst you are connecting to it

Question 20

give the advantages and disadvantages of using broadband

Answer 20

ADV:

• more secure as it keeps anti-virus etc up to date automatically
• makes videoconferencing possible
• It is always on so you don’t have to waste time connecting to the internet
• faster streaming(faster download time) means that you can use it to listen or watch films or music, less need for buffering

DIS:

• not available everywhere (black spots)
• you pay a monthly subscription so more expensive whether you it or not

Question 21

what are the advantages of mobile access the to access the internet?

Answer 21

• Can access e-mail, surf the internet from wherever you are (on the move).
• can work more productively because you can do things at once, without having to go back to the office.
• Can easily modify your plans – flights, trains, hotels.
• Increase in real time collaborative working with video conferencing.
• Can work anywhere in the home or office (teleworking)

Question 22

what are the disadvantages of mobile access the to access the internet?

Answer 22

• Affects home/work balance.
• Can be very expensive if use a mobile phone for the access. the cost of data roaming could run up your phone bill
• Many black spots / poor connectivity.
• Increased security problems from hacking.
• Battery life on mobile devices can easily be exhausted so you may not be able to use it for long periods compared to a laptop or computer
• Some attachments cannot be opened / worked on because they are not compatible with the software on mobile so hinders/delays progress on work
• Work progress hampered by distractions.

Question 23

“The growth in social networking sites and other entertainment sites has led to many
concerns about the privacy, security and abuse of personal data on the Internet.” Describe using suitable different examples, some of these concerns. 18 marks

basically: issues and advantages of social media

Answer 23

Issues and concerns that occur on personal data on the Internet are:

Data issues:
-Data has to be given to setup homepage on social networking site. (1)
-Data such as dob, Mother’s maiden name, address, phone number etc are given and can be abused (1)
-The access to personal data is, in itself, morally questionable. (1)
-People tend to share more data than they should as it is their best friend. (1)
questionable.

Privacy and Security:

• Examples in newspapers of people being refused employment, sacked because their social networking sites show them engaging in ‘questionable behaviour’. (1)
• Some people will say that this is a valid use of freely available information; (1)
• others may say that this is an invasion of privacy and that what you do in your private life is of no interest to your employer. (1)

Abuse/ Crime issues:

• Information can also be used for identity theft (1)
• such as creating false passports / driving licences (1)
• This info can be used to order goods and services in your name and could contain enough information to answer your secret question. (1)

Uses/advantages of social networking:

• Useful for keeping in contact with family and friends if you live far apart. (1)
• Useful for short written communication, sharing of photos, videos. (1)
• Allows people who have similar interests to get together. (1)
• Enthusiasts believe that it is the easiest and quickest way possible to make friends and widen it across the world. (1)

Question 24

Parents are concerned about the lack of control of the Internet. Discuss, using suitable
examples, their likely concerns.

Answer 24

-little control over the people who can access the material on the internet.
the lack of policing on the internet also means that the info is not checked to make sure that is accurate, very hard for children to be able to check the accuracy of information. Not monitored
-children could accidentally access illicit material
-this means that unless special software (net nanny) is used, children can easily gain access to pornographic or violet images
fortunately to prevent this you can set your security settings on high
-however even with a software filter it is hard to sure material is excluded, if a site is banned it could make it more popular
-Increased risk of stalking / grooming / paedophiles. Real worry is that paedophiles use the Internet for distributing pornographic pictures of young children and they also can use it to lure children into meetings with them after they have spoken to them in chat rooms. (2)
-Increased risk of cyberbullying trolling / misuse of social media / etc. Can lead to lack of confidence, children skipping school, depression, suicide, etc. ISPs / social networking sites are refusing to give prominence to
‘reporting’ button. (2)

Question 25

The use of the internet causes major moral, social and ethical issues. Discuss using
appropriate examples these issues and the effect that they are having on modern
society. (18)

Answer 25

MORAL ISSUES:
accuracy: deliberately setting up websites containing incorrect information- people may rely on and use this info thinking its correct - it is therefore up to the users of the internet to check the material’s accuracy

Bullying: in chat rooms, by email, by text is a problem for youths

Inappropriate websites: people are able to view inappropriate material such as
pornography, racism, violent videos, how to make explosives, etc. there are laws covering the production and distribution of this material but as much of this material comes from other countries, where the material is perfectly legal, there is not much that can be done to stop it.

ETHICAL ISSUES

• Plagiarism: copying material without attributing or referencing the source of info, this could involve using websites which sell essays or coursework International laws may go some way to address misuse of the internet but this is still a long way to go
• Sending Spam: (i.e the same advertising email to millions of people) - people waste time deleting spam if the spam filter allows it to go through
• Using photo editing software to distort reality; by using photo/video editing software you can distort reality and you can no longer believe what you see on the media.

SOCIAL ISSUES:
Privacy issues: social networking sites, e-commerce sites, monitoring at work etc. all erodes a users privacy
Obesity: due to being able to sit at home on the internet all day, limits the amount of exercise people do having an effect on people’s health leading to problems such as obesity
-call centres moving abroad: as the labour is cheaper abroad in countries like india