New to the Internet?

Are you new to the Internet? Welcome! You've just discovered an exciting world. To help you navigate through this world, below are a few tips.

1. A web browser is a software program that helps you navigate through the Web. Popular browsers include Firefox and Internet Explorer.

2. URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. This is the "address" of a Web page. You can type an URL in the box titled "Location" or "Address" near the top of your web browser.

3. If you move your cursor around the page, and it changes from an arrow to a hand, that means you can click on wherever your cursor is. Also, when you see a word that is in blue and underlined, that often means you can click on that word. Usually, if you click on a word or graphic that is clickable, it will take you to someplace else on the Web. You are being linked from one page to another.

4. Pages change on the Web all the time, and you are usually not told that a page has been updated. When a page doesn't look the way you might expect, a troubleshooting tip is to refresh or reload the page. You do this by clicking on the "Refresh" or "Reload" button near the top of your web browser. On some browsers, you need to hold down the "Shift" key on your keyboard when you click "Refresh" or "Reload."

5. If you are on a page, and then you go to another page, you can go back to the previous page by clicking "Back" on your web browser. This can be really helpful and help you get around to where you want to go.