Social Interneting Intro Part IV: What is The Internet?

Intro Part IV: What is this “Internet” you speak of?

Millions of People Use the Internet Everyday
There is no getting around the idea that the internet is an important part of life
People are using more and more online technologies everyday to increase the productivity of their lives
Most of the general populace does not understand or is interested in knowing how the technology works
As Business Owners wanting to increase profits, the idea of using a tool that you have little understanding is unnerving
We need to have a basic level of understanding in order get the best out of the systems we use
Social Interneting Part II: The Internet

Social Interneting Identifies 6 “Keys of Understanding” about the Internet
1/3 of Social Interneting

Web Technologies: How the Internet Works
Conceptually “Web Technologies” are simple in design:
From your computer you REQUEST an item from a server
The server PROCESSES the request
The Server sends a RESPONSE back to your computer
Your computer TRANSFORMS the response so you can understand the information

Some Web Technologies are simple to understand
HTML, the language that drives the internet, can be easy to understand by knowing simple rules:
HTML is a tag based language. Anything important to communicate is done inside a <open> and </closing> tag.
Abbreviations are made to make the language compact to send & receive
A translation to readable format is needed to have end users understand what the information says
Learning some basics will give a big boost when talking with developers about what is needed for your business

Why does knowing about Web Technologies Important?

Distribution Technologies : Providing Information Connectivity
Utilizing “Distribution Technologies” gives end-users the ability to interact with your information on their terms.

Distribution Technologies are “Web Technologies” standardized by a standards organization
The most used Distribution Technology is the RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Feed
Distribution Technologies are used primarily in Blogs and Article systems, but Distribution Technologies can be used anywhere information needs to be retrieved
Most “web enabled” devices have a way of reading Distribution Technologies, including computers, PDA’s, cell phones, mp3 players, etc

Why is knowing about Distribution Technologies are important?

GUI Technologies: How do End Users Interact on Your Website?
GUI ( Graphical User Interface) technologies is about how an end user interacts with information on your website.
Standard web controls, like a textbox, will prompt for user interaction while an image or video may just display information.
GUI technologies that work well in an application, such as tree lists, may not work the same in a web application.
Creating custom controls can allow the end user a new way to interact with your information
Creative GUI Technologies push the use of the internet forward (Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Flash, etc.)

WARNING: A website is not a desktop application
Just because an item works well in a desktop application does not mean that it will work well in a web application
Desktop applications can have a dynamic way of moving through a process (jumping from forms to forms), the web is a very static means of moving through a process (web page)
If the control of the means of process flow breaks the end user may not be able to complete tasks as effectively as designed
Make sure to implement ideas that are fluid and achieve the final process instead of what is found in normal applications. Every control used properly will enhance the user experience, while every control improperly will create a negative experience.

Why is knowing about GUI Technologies are important?

Development Technologies: The Man behind the curtain
Most “Development Technologies” are created for Technical individuals. However, understanding a couple key ideas can impact how information is used in two important areas
Apart from Server Technologies that process the request from an end user, Development Technologies can help transform that information on the end user browser for a more in-depth experience
Creating a plan to implement Development Technologies through an online API may give an edge over your competitors to distribute and interact with information

A quick thought about API
There is something powerful in the act of giving access to functionality only your business possesses to the development community at large.
Certain businesses would never have exploded if it wasn’t for the joint community development efforts created by an exposed API
There is HUGE power in giving the community the ability to utilize your information in any way they can imagine
If you control how the information is used then the full potential of what can be accomplished may never be seen
Many new “points of profit” have been achieved through the collaborative effort of API Development

Why is knowing about Development Technologies are important?

Browsers: Not Everyone Sees the Same Way
The ways to transform the information from web sites is as varied as the people who use the internet.
Not all browsers interact with information the same way.
Certain browser types will render the presentation to the end user differently. This means that even though a website may look perfect in Mozilla’s FireFox, the presentation may look completely different in Apples’ Safari.
Understanding that there are differences to the browsers will let the development of websites be uniform.

Why is knowing about Browsers is important?

Buzzwords: The driving force behind confusion and misunderstanding
The technologies behind the internet have not really changed since the late 90’s. However … Much “news” and “buzz” has been created around terms thought to be new.
Podcasts, blogs, social networks and other terms have been around since early 90’s, but have taken on new life because of buzzwords.
Understanding the truth behind the buzzwords allows business owners the understanding on how to effectively build websites incorporating those terms
Make sure to learn about Buzzwords that are being told “You Need to Implement”. Most modern websites already include the ideas inside of them

Why is knowing about Buzzwords are important?

Understanding the Internet Means Understanding Technology
By learning about the “Key Points of Understanding” outlined in Social Interneting any individual can create a powerful comprehension of the Internet world at large.
To become an expert in all of these areas means dedication of a HUGE amount of time and energy. This is not needed to be functional in the online world, but …
Understanding how these technologies interact with your business will take your business to the next level in customer experience, lead generation and end product sales.
Let the experts deal with the intricacies, just learn to speak their language.
The Technology

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