Useful Gifts for the Elderly: Adaptive gadgets, tools, and more!, Getting More From Books

WEB 2.0

webmail

Web-based or webmail is email that is accessed through the web and stays on the web. The main benefit is that the user can access their mail at any location with a computer that has a internet connection. The first webmail service was Hotmail and is still one of the most popular.

Discussion boards

replacing newsgroups, a discussion board is an online bulletin board where you can read and leave messages for the public or members of that site. The first discussion boards were available on bulletin board systems.

IM

Instant Messaging - Anyone on a given e-mail system can send a message and have it pop up instantly on the screen of anyone else logged onto that system. examples of instant messaging systems are AOL, MSN and Yahoo
PROS: allows a faster way of communication than email, and can reduce long distance bills CONS: lack of privacy, many IM products don't communicate with another, and can destroy concentration when working.

Blog

A blog (short for weblog) is a personal online journal that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption. Blogs are defined by their format: a series of entries posted to a single page in reverse-chronological order.Blogs generally represent the personality of the author or reflect the purpose of the Web site that hosts the blog. Topics sometimes include brief philosophical musings, commentary on Internet and other social issues, and links to other sites the author favors, especially those that support a point being made on a post.
Before blogging became popular, digital communities took many forms, including Usenet, commercial online services such as GEnie, BiX and the early CompuServe, e-mail lists and Bulletin Board Systems (BBS).

VoIP

Voice Over Internet Protocol is a type of internet telephony in which the net is used to make phone calls, either one on one or for audio-conferencing. You can make long distance phone calls that are surprisingly cheap or even free.
Skype is one of the most popular program that use VoIP, and is currently expanding into the wireless cellular division. The expansion of the WiMax network will dramatically change the current market of cellular technology.

Webcast

Webcasting is where customized text, video, and audio samples are sent to you automatically on a regular basis. You choose the categories or channels of websites that will automatically send you updated information. It saves time because you don't have to search for the information.

INTERNET CONTROL

ICANN

ICANN was established to regulate human friendly internet domain names. It stands for Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. ICANN is a non-profit organization formed to manage and assign domain names and IP addresses. It works closely with the United States government with boards consisting of members from all continents to ensure internationalized goals.
It has been argued that since this company is controlled by the US, the US is gaining too much information and perhaps an international corporation would be a better solution.

W3C

W3C is a group of various companies whose interests are in creating standards and recommendations to improve internet quality. They also engage in education and outreach, developing software and serving as an open forum for discussion about the Web.

The W3C had 144 members as of March 2007