The Internet is the main tool people use to connect computers to each other to share information. Originally, the only thing that could be shared over the Internet was text (words, numbers, and symbols). Eventually, people developed ways to convert pictures (and later, videos) to bits and bytes so that they, too, could be shared over the Internet.
The most common use of the Internet is to view Web pages, which are files stored on other people's computers. To view Web pages, you need a Web browser (such as Internet Explorer, featured earlier, or Safari, Firefox, or Chrome), which can send and receive information to and from other computers. Browsers also convert Web pages from the programming language used on the Internet to words, pictures, and videos that make sense to the average person (i.e. you).
The Internet is also used to send files to specific people through e-mail (short for "electronic mail"). Modern email can send text as well as other files such as picture and video files.
Finally, within the last decade, the Internet has developed the ability to let people watch videos without sending the entire file (often consisting of millions of bytes) to their computers at the same time. This lets people watch full TV shows without having to worry about running out of space to store the files on their computers.
There is only one Internet, but many large businesses (and government agencies) have an "intranet," which is the same technology as the Internet (connecting computers), but available only to people who work at the company.
Examples
One Web page (also "webpage") is the one you are reading right now: Technology in English. Another more popular webpage is Google, which allows you to search for other webpages.
Popular email services include GMail (by Google), Hotmail and Windows Live Mail (by Microsoft), Yahoo! Mail (by Yahoo!), and AOL Mail (by America Online).
You can watch videos online on YouTube or Hulu.
Tomorrow: The File Menu
