Internet

Surfing 101

In previous lessons, we focused on the Link as the main way to travel from place to place on the web. Links will always be an important way for you to navigate from place to place, but they aren’t always the best choice. In this lesson, we will talk about different navigation tools to move around the World Wide Web.

Typing a Web Address

The quickest way to get to a web page is to type the address directly into your browser's address box. The address box is located at near the top of your browser. It shows the address of the web page you are currently viewing. If you know the address of where you want to go, you can type over the current address and the browser will connect you to the new site.

What's a URL?

Spell it out; don't say, "Earl." URL stands for Universal Resource Locator. It's computerese meaning "web address." Feel free to use either term.

HOW TO DO IT

1. Click once anywhere in the address box. This will highlight the entire line in blue.

2.     Start typing the new web address. If the old address was highlighted, it will disappear and the
       only thing you'll see is what you are typing. If the old address didn’t disappear, you will need
       to delete it using BACKSPACE and DELETE keys on your keyboard before moving on to the
       next step.

5. Type the entire address and then hit the RETURN key. The new page will load.

Shortcuts to Typing Addresses

Do I Have to Type http://?

No. Most web addresses begin with these letters. Your browser is smart enough to know this, so it automatically assumes that you meant to type these letters.

What About www? Do I Have to Type That?

Most of the time. Many web sites will automatically fill this information in for you. But not always. You can try typing in an address without the www. If it doesn't work, try typing it again, this time with the www.

Can I Leave Off the .com?

Usually. Not all addresses end in .com. Your browser will try all of the possible endings while trying to connect to a site. This won't always give you the results you're looking for. But if you want to try some shortcuts, this will work often enough to make it worthwhile.

When I Start Typing in Netscape, The Browser Types For Me.

Netscape will try to guess the address that you are typing based on sites that you have visited in the past. If Netscape guesses correctly, you can stop typing and hit the ENTER key. If not, keep typing the entire address.

When I start Typing in Explorer, a Box Drops Down.

This is Explorer's way of trying to guess what you are going to type. The box will list sites that match what you've typed so far. If you see the site that you want to visit, position the pointer over the site and click. If not, keep typing the entire address.