10.20417 · Section 10: Communication

Effective use of the internet

Key learnings

Internet vs WWW vs intranet vs extranet
Internet — the public, worldwide network of interconnected networks (the infrastructure). WWW (World Wide Web) — the collection of web pages/websites that runs on the internet, viewed through a browser; email and FTP also travel over the internet but are not part of the WWW. Intranet — a private network inside one organisation, internal members only. Extranet — a private network like an intranet, but with access extended to named external users (suppliers, customers).
Web 2.0: blog, forum, wiki, social networking
Blog — a dated personal/topic journal; posts appear in reverse chronological order. Forum — an online discussion board organised around topics/threads that users reply to, not a single author's posts. Wiki — a website any registered user can create and edit (e.g. Wikipedia), with no single author. Social networking site — users build a profile and connect with a network of friends/followers. Learn the feature that makes each different, not a shared "people post content".
Internet risks and restricting access
Internet risks include exposure to inappropriate or harmful content, contact from strangers, malware, scams/phishing and cyberbullying. Restrict access at three levels: parental control (software on a home device — blocks sites, sets time limits, monitors use); educational/institution control (a school network filter/firewall backed by an acceptable-use policy); and ISP control (the Internet Service Provider filters or blocks sites for every connection it serves).

Common mistakes

Drawn from real examiner reports.

Internet vs intranet vs extranet

Candidates repeatedly write about the internet when the question asks about an intranet. Keep the three scopes distinct: internet = public, worldwide, open to anyone; intranet = private, internal members of one organisation only; extranet = a private network like an intranet but opened to named external users too (suppliers, customers), NOT the general public.

s22 P13 Q10; s23 P11 Q4b; s23 P12 Q4; s23 P13 Q4

The internet is not the WWW

The internet is the infrastructure — the network of networks; the WWW is a service that runs on it, the web pages you view in a browser. Writing "the WWW is the internet" loses the mark. Email and file transfer (FTP) also travel over the internet but are not part of the WWW, which is web pages/websites only.

Browser vs search engine

A web browser locates, retrieves and displays (renders) a page whose address is known. A search engine is a website that finds pages, when the address is not known, by returning results for search terms. Candidates use the terms interchangeably — "the browser searches the internet", or a search engine that "displays" pages. The browser renders; the search engine finds.

s23 P11 Q4a

HTTP vs HTTPS: keep the s

HTTP and HTTPS are different protocols: HTTPS is the secure, encrypted version (using SSL/TLS), HTTP is not encrypted. When the question is specifically about the secure protocol, dropping the "s" scores nothing — HTTP alone means the unencrypted version. Write the field/term exactly, including the "s" in HTTPS.

s22 P12 Q8

Name URL parts exactly

Asked to identify parts of a web address, name the exact part: the filename, the folder (path) and the domain name. A vague "the website bit" or "the address bit" scores nothing. Match each label to the right piece of the URL — protocol, domain name, folder, filename — rather than naming the whole thing "the URL".

s22 P12 Q8

Describe vs explain why WWW is popular

Asked WHY the WWW became popular, candidates just list its qualities ("it has web pages", "it has hyperlinks") instead of explaining what those qualities let the user do — e.g. hyperlinks let you move quickly between related pages, so information is easy to find. A description of a feature is not an explanation; the reason is what earns the mark.

s22 P13 Q10

Reliable vs biased vs valid

Reliable, biased and valid are not interchangeable. Reliable = the source is trustworthy (a reputable, identifiable author/organisation). Biased = it presents a one-sided or commercial viewpoint. Valid = it can be cross-checked against another independent source and confirmed correct. A source can be reliable yet still biased on a particular issue, so name the right criterion.

Exam tips

Answer with the exact term asked
Answer with the exact term the question names. Do not swap internet for intranet, extranet for intranet, or web browser for search engine — even though they are related. Define the one asked for, using its precise two-element mark-scheme meaning.
Name the exact restriction level
If a question says WHERE access is restricted (home, school, or via the connection), name that level: parental control, educational/institution control, or ISP control. A generic "use a filter" does not answer a scenario that specifies the location.
Always justify reliability and bias
Never leave a judgement bare. Reliable because the organisation is reputable; biased because it has a commercial or one-sided interest; valid because it can be cross-checked against another source. Judge search results the same way — on relevance and reliability, not amount.
Write terms in full, no brand names
Write protocol and field names in full and exactly — HTTP, HTTPS (never drop the "s"), FTP, SSL. Never name a specific search engine, ISP or social networking site; brand and trade names earn no credit, so use the generic term instead.

Revision notes