We are definitely living in the information age! Have a question? Rather than asking our parents we instinctively ask Google. This post aims to highlight the most important aspects of web browsing.
What is a Web Browser?
Almost everybody knows what a web browser (or just browser) is. It is a software application used to access the material found on the World Wide Web.
In a client/server model, the browser is the client run on a computer or mobile device that contacts the web server and requests information. The web server sends the information back to the browser which displays the results.
A request is led to a unique Uniform Resource Locator (URL) which we normally refer to as a web address. The URL points to a particular resource on a web server for example an image, your news feed, a video, a webpage etc...
Today's Web Browsers
The icons of five of the most common web browsers are shown on the right. The browsers, from left to right are: Chrome; Safari; Opera; Microsoft Edge and Firefox.
Features of Web Browsers
In the following examples we will use Chrome because at the time of writing this post, it is the browser I personally use the most.
Let's take a look at the latest interface...
Cookies 🍪
Cookies have a bad reputation... but it is just a file that is stored on your computer. It does not necessarily cause harm. On the contrary, these small files help you get a really good experience. A cookie stores information in the form of key, value pairs for example, (username, ecam0028). It is just a way for the web browser to remember certain things you use frequently so that you don't have to stay inputting the same data all the time, the information you use constantly can be remembered between one web page and another.
Google Chrome Scavenger Hunt 🔭
A book about Computer Science available for purchase online.
What is the largest living insect in the world?
Browsing history.
Go to https://stedwards.edu.mt/ and find the number of times the word "to" appears on the website.
Bookmark the landing page of your year from this blog, navigate under SEC Computing.
Fore more tips and tricks on how to use Chrome like a pro, watch this video!
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