Computer Concepts - Communication on Internet

We shall discuss how communication happens through the use of Internet in this section −

Email

Electronic mail or email is one of the key parts of e-revolution which is specially designed for communication purpose. Once you have an email account, you can start sending electronic messages to anyone if you have the recipient’s email address. The format of an email address is "username, @ symbol, domain name (yahoo.com, gmail.com, etc.)". For example: name@yahoo.com.

Internet Relay Chat (IRC)

IRC is a form of real-time internet chat or synchronous conferencing. It is mainly used for group communication in discussion forums called channels, also allows one-to-one communication via private message, and both chats and data transfers via Direct Client-to-Client protocol.

IRC client software is available for every operating system.

Video Conference

A video conference is a telecommunication technology, which permits two or more people in different locations to interact via mutual video or audio transmission simultaneously. It is also called visual collaboration and is a type of groupware. Video conferencing uses telecommunication technology to bring people at different sites together for a meeting/conversation. This can be as simple as a conversation between two people in private offices, or involves several sites with more than two people. It can also be used to share documents, computer displayed information, whiteboards, etc.

Voice Over Telephony (VOIP)

VOIP stands for voice over IP, where IP refers to the Internet Protocol which is a base for all internet communications. This phenomenon began as an optional mutual voice extension to some of the instant messaging systems that took off around the year 2000. In recent years, VOIP systems are easy to use and as convenient as a traditional telephone. Voice quality can still differ from call to call but is often equal to and can even beat the traditional calls.

Instant Messaging

Instant Messaging (IM) is a process of transferring real-time messages between users. It facilitates private chat room atmosphere. IM alerts users when some of their peers are online, so the users can start chatting with them.

Chat

Online conversations in which you are immediately able to send messages back and forth to one another is called "chat".

Remote access

Internet permits computer users to connect to other computers across the world and to store information effortlessly. This can be done with or without any security, authentication and encryption technologies depending on the requirements which encourages work from home culture.

Collaboration

Low cost and rapid sharing of ideas, knowledge and skills has made collaborative work easy. It is a convenient way to stay in touch with colleagues through group chat or private messaging. Email is also an easy way to communicate. Collaboration helps voice and video chat between team members and to work with shared set of documents.

File Sharing

• A file or document can be e-mailed to anyone as an attachment.

• It can be uploaded to a website or FTP server, for users to download content easily.

• It can be put into a shared location or onto a cloud for instant use by colleagues.

Streaming media

Many existing radio and television presenters provide internet "feeds" of their live audio and video streams. An internet-connected device, such as a computer or something more specific, can be used to access on-line media in much the same way, as television or radio receiver.

File Transfer Protocol

File Transfer Protocol is a network protocol which is used to transfer data from one computer to another over any TCP/IP based network. It helps to manipulate files on another computer regardless of the operating system involved.

Telnet

TELNET means TELecommunication NETwork. It is a network protocol used on the internet or LAN connections. It helps to provide text oriented mutual communication using virtual terminal connection.

Newsgroups

A forum on the Usenet service for the discussion of a particular topic. Newsreader software is used to read newsgroups.