The Internet

Question 1

Advantage of broadband?

Answer 1

1. Fast downloads - ideal for large music/media files
2. Can use telephone while surfing
3. Play games online in real-time due to the speed of data transferred
4. Continual connection - no time wasted to connect or dial
5. Can use webcams for video conferencing due to real- time connection
6. Can make cheap phone calls using broadband connection

Question 2

Disadvantages of broadband?

Answer 2

1. Expensive money subscriptions for service
2. Possible to reach customers around the world (global market)
3. Varies from one part of the country to the other - some areas faster than others

Question 3

Define the Internet

Answer 3

• the Internet is a network of networks, millions of computer systems connected together

Question 4

Advantages of mobile access?

Answer 4

1. Access emails and the Internet from anywhere
2. Can do more work - more productive
3. Work from anywhere - office, home, on the move
4. Can make changes to plans on the go - meeting times / appointments

Question 5

Disadvantages of mobile access

Answer 5

1. Security problems - data transferred over Internet
2. Theft - more of a target for mugging
3. Very expensive - purchase + contracts
4. Some black spots - no access to internet

Question 6

Requirements of e commerce?

Answer 6

1. Website - display products, be easily navigated with good search facilities
2. Electronic catalogue or database - stock
3. Specialist staff - trained to maintain website, update prices and stock
4. Database of customer orders - keep details of history - help with marketing + targeting customers
5. Shopping trolley + methods of secure payment - customers concerned with card fraud - PayPal

Question 7

Ways to search the Internet?

Answer 7

1. Typing in the URL (uniform resource locator)
2. Following hyperlinks - hotspots
3. Use search engines - Boolean searches - ‘AND’ ‘OR’ ‘NOT’
4. Web crawler (web browser)

Question 8

Explain FTP?

Answer 8

• transfer any type of data e.g computer programmes, graphic files, music or media files,text files
• data to be sent is arranged in a package
• when received automatically scanned to ensure no errors have been created during transmission
• if it’s been received correctly message sent to sender
• used by large businesses to transfer large amounts of data with each other + their customers
• no limit to file size

Question 9

Advantages of e commerce to customer?

Answer 9

1. Can order goods 24/7
2. Disabled can do their own shopping without leaving the house
3. Cheaper goods - savings made by companies are passed on to customers
4. Good for environment - no need to travel to pick up goods
5. Many products have independent reviews to help customer make decisions about buying
6. Can compare prices from other retailers much easier

Question 10

Disadvantages of e commerce to the customer

Answer 10

1. Can’t try out the products - clothes for fitting
2. People are worried about fraudulent sites
3. Can’t pick or hold items, fresh food or clothes
4. Customers worried about card security on line
5. Hidden costs of postage
6. Less social enjoyment of shopping
7. Trouble in returning goods
8. Can’t pay with cash or cheque you must have a credit / debit card

Question 11

Disadvantages of e commerce to business?

Answer 11

1. Delivery can make products more expensive
2. Expensive to set up initially
3. Rely on other companies for delivery, customers can blame company for an issue that Is not there fault
4. Only access customers who have Internet connection
5. More competition from abroad for cheaper products

Question 12

Advantages of e commerce to business

Answer 12

1. Electronic catalogues can be updated much quicker - no need to print new versions
2. Fewer staff needed to run business
3. Open for business 24/7
4. Easy to change price daily
5. Possible to reach customers around the world (global market)
6. Cheaper no need to pay higher rates *
7. Wider customer base *
8. Takes pressure off staff *
9. Offer wider choice due to just in time *

Question 13

Advantages of distributed computing?

Answer 13

1. Reduces cost because an expensive powerful computer such as a supercomputer is not needed
2. Can pass work to computers anywhere in the world using the Internet
3. Improved performance as each computer can work on part of the data

Question 14

Disadvantages of distributed computing?

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Examples of using distributed computing?

Answer 15

SETI- search for extraterrestrial intelligence

Project used to search for intelligent alien life forms in outer space.
Radio telescopes used to collect data, data shared around hundreds of thousands of home computers on the Internet processing the data.

Popular power project - research in developing a vaccine for the influenza virus (flu)
Thousands home users part of project, completing tasks and logging data on symptoms and issues concerned with the virus. - doctors and scientists can analyse information

Question 16

Explain what is meant by distributed computing?

Answer 16

A series of computers are networked together each working on solving the same problem. Each computer shares data processing, storage and bandwidth in order to solve a single problem.

Question 17

Moral issues of the Internet?

Answer 17

1. Setting up websites with incorrect information to mislead people
2. Spreading rumours using social network sites. Can cause distress to people.
3. Bullying - using chat rooms, social websites, e mails
4. Inappropriate material - able to view websites linked to racism, violence or pornography

Question 18

Ethical issues to do with the Internet?

Answer 18

1. Plagiarism - copying someone else’s work and claiming it as your own
2. Spreading rumours using social network sites. Can cause distress to people
3. Sending spam and wasting the time of millions of workers daily having to open and delete these emails.
4. Monitoring people’s use of the Internet, some companies will check the content of the workers e mails.
5. Adjusting or creating digital images of people using photo editing software. Can we believe what we see in magazines etc?

Question 19

Social issues of the Internet?

Answer 19

1. Privacy issues - data being collected when people use the Internet, websites visited, shopping patterns etc.
2. Gambling addictive online, easily accessible without having to move out of the house
3. Obesity - lot of people don’t need to move from the house because of the Internet. Lack of fitness
4. Online shopping - local shops close due to lack of business and not being able to compete
5. Social skills - people only interact with a machine therefore loosing essential social skills
6. Companies can move call centres abroad for cheaper labour, people here are made redundant.

Question 20

Positive effects on communities?

Answer 20

1. People stuck in their homes - elderly or disabled can still interact with other people through social network sites and emails
2. Better chances of getting work - advertisements on websites
3. Blogs or forums can be set up to discuss local issues rather than have a public meeting

Question 21

Negative effects on communities?

Answer 21

1. On line shopping - local shops close due to lack of business and not be able to compete
2. Lack of social skills - people only interact with a machine therefore loosing essential social skills

Question 22

Ownership and control of the Internet

Answer 22

• no one owns the Internet
• no control of what’s posted or created
• countries have different laws so difficult to control
• information not checked - may not be accurate
• pornographic images + videos easily accessed legal in some countries
• young children can access inappropriate material
• special software can be purchased to filter out unwanted or offensive material, but cannot be guaranteed to filter out all offensive material.
• use of Internet by paedophiles to distribute offensive material + lure young children to meetings using social networking sites
• video clip of a public beheading offensive to most people but not all

Question 23

Censorship

Answer 23

• some countries control how media work and regulate what people read in newspapers/magazines/books/see on tele.
• also monitor the Internet to give them more control of what the people living in the country see + read

Question 24

Describe in detail what is meant by FTP

Answer 24

Is a standard set of rules, that have been established to allow the exchange of large files over the Internet.

Question 25

Advantage of FTP to the company and an example of its use

Answer 25

You are not limited to the file size unlike with email attachments, greater security in transfer of information. E.g used for uploading a database of sales from one branch of the organisation to the head office.

Question 26

Define and explain how URL can be used to access information

Answer 26

The web address of a site, you simply type it in/ click on it to go directly to the website you want.

Question 27

Define and explain how a web crawler can be used to access information

Answer 27

A program that automatically browses all web pages (in a systematic manner) 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 28

Define and explain how a Boolean search can be used to access information

Answer 28

A Boolean search is a search using the operators AND, OR, NOT. A Boolean search allows you to combine words and phrases using the words AND, OR, NOT and NEAR to limit, widen or define your search

Question 29

Explain by giving an example how online databases can be used by the organisation?

Answer 29

Product, customer and order information is readily available to the company from anywhere and customers can place their orders over the Internet.

Question 30

Define the term intranet and describe a benefit of using this intranet

Answer 30

An intranet is network set up entirely within a LAN and can only be accessed internally. E.g internal email for users, Storage and access of draft internal council papers

Question 31

Discuss two applications which use wireless technology

Answer 31

Wireless pda's used by doctors at the scene of an accident can accessing patient records A delivery driver using a hand held device to confirm deliveries with a central database.

Question 32

Describe how distributed databases can be beneficial to an organisation

Answer 32

Allows the local processor to be used to share processing when not being used for other activities Data used locally can be stored locally and network traffic kept to a minimum.