7
The web
www
2.
FINDING INFORMATION
The most common sources of online information are web pages and news feeds
(RSS).
2.1.
Web pages
A
web page
is a collection of documents that can include text, audio, video,
images and hypertext links to other web pages. A
browser
is a program that
locates a web page by its address and lets users access the content.
Nowadays, the success of a web page often depends on the level of interactivity
that it offers. For example, YouTube and Daily Motion allow users to upload videos,
create their own channels and subscribe to the channels of other users.
A
search engine
is a web page with a database of information about other
web pages and their content.
Web browser logos: Chrome,
Explorer, Opera, Safari and Firefox
The most popular search engine
News feed programs
Apply
4.
Visit YouTube and subscribe
to a channel that interests
you.
5.
Subscribe to a news feed
about entertainment, sports
or any other topic that
interests you.
Understand
6.
In your notebook, make
a list of the web pages or
programs that you use to
find information online.
There is an enormous amount of content on the Internet, with millions of files in
millions of computers around the world. As a result, it is almost impossible to find a
specific piece of information if you don’t know exactly where to look. To solve this
problem, a variety of search engines have been designed.
When we look for information online, it is very important to consult the web
pages of companies, corporations or associations that we know and trust. We
should also analyse the information to decide if it is true or complete.
2.2.
News feeds: Rich Site Summary (RSS)
Rich Site Summary (RSS) is a subscription service that provides users with frequent
updates from media websites, blogs and other sources of information. In this way,
people can keep up with current issues that interest them.
RSS news feeds
are convenient and time-saving. Since subscribers receive the
news automatically, they do not have to visit so many websites. People can
subscribe in two ways:
❚❚
directly from the web page, by clicking on a ‘subscribe’ icon.
❚❚
through a news aggregator program (online or downloadable), such as Old
Reader, RSS Reader or Netvibes. More modern programs, such as Feedly, can be
downloaded to smartphones with Android or iOS operating systems.
Key structure
Verbs + object + infinitive
(with or without to)
A browser
lets people access
web content.
YouTube
allows users to
upload
videos.
Key concept
❚❚
RSS technology automatically
sends you information about
subjects that interest you so
that you don’t have to look for
this information online.
ADVANCE EDITION
