Internet services
The Internet is a huge network of connected computers. A service is a job that a computer on the network does for you.
Client and server
Your phone or laptop is the client. It sends a request. The computer that does the job is the server. It sends back an answer.
Common services
- World Wide Web: pages you open in a browser.
- E-mail: letters and files between people.
- Search: finds pages for your words.
- Maps: routes and places.
- Video calls and messengers: talk with sound, picture and text.
- Streaming: videos and music without saving them first.
Every service needs an address. A web address (URL) such as learn.codingmarble.com is easier to remember than the number address of the server.
Public e-services
A public e-service is an official service of the state or city that you use through the Internet.
Examples
- Apply for or renew a document.
- Book a doctor or a school place.
- Pay taxes, fines and bills.
- Keep digital copies of certificates (for example DigiLocker in India).
- Check results and certificates.
Why they help
They save time and travel. They work at night and on holidays. You can see the status of your request.
Stay safe
- Type the official address yourself. Do not click links from strangers.
- Look for the lock sign and https in the address.
- Use a strong password and a second step (code on your phone).
- Never give your login code to anyone, even to someone who says they are from the office.
Cloud storage
Cloud storage means your files are kept on big computers in data centres, and you reach them through the Internet. The cloud is not magic. It is somebody's computers.
What it gives you
- Access anywhere: the same file on phone, tablet and laptop.
- Backup: if the phone is lost, the file is still safe.
- Sharing: send a link instead of a heavy file.
- Sync: change a file on one device and the others update.
What to watch
- You need the Internet to upload or open new files.
- Free space is limited.
- If your password is stolen, your files can be seen. Use a strong password and the second step.
- A shared link can be passed on. Choose who may view, comment or edit.
A good habit: keep important files in two places, for example the cloud and a pen drive.
Online office
An online office gives you a text editor, spreadsheet and slides inside the browser. The document lives in the cloud.
What is special
- Many authors at once: each person has a coloured cursor.
- Auto-save: no "Save" button to forget.
- Version history: go back to yesterday's text.
- Comments and suggestions: talk about a line without changing it.
- Permissions: owner, editor, commenter, viewer.
Good team habits
- Give every file a clear name.
- Split the work: each person owns one part.
- Do not delete another person's text. Suggest a change.
Try it
- In the 3D press Ask a service four times. Which service gets the request each time?
- Press Upload a file. Then switch the Internet off and press it again. What changes?
- At home: make a shared document with a friend. Write one line each at the same time and open the version history.
- Write down three services you used today and say whether each needs the Internet.
Key formulas and definitions
- Client sends REQUEST, server sends ANSWER
- Cloud = your files on remote servers, reached online
- Share rights: view < comment < edit
Worked examples
1. You save a photo on your phone and it also appears on your laptop a minute later. Which service is working, and what must be on?
Cloud storage with sync. The Internet must be on, and both devices must be signed in to the same account.
2. A form online takes 10 minutes. A visit to the office takes 3 hours with travel and queue. How much time does the e-service save, and for 4 such tasks in a year?
One task saves 3 hours minus 10 minutes, which is 2 hours 50 minutes. For 4 tasks: 4 × 2 h 50 min = 11 h 20 min.
3. Three friends write a group project in one online document. One friend deletes a paragraph by mistake. How can the team get it back?
Open the version history. Choose an earlier version from before the deletion and restore it, or copy the paragraph from it. Nothing is lost because each change is saved.
Common mistakes
- Thinking the cloud is a place inside the Internet with no computers. It is real computers in data centres.
- Believing a file in the cloud is private after sharing a link that anyone can open. Check who can open the link.
- Typing an official portal address from a link in a message. Scammers copy portals. Type the address yourself.
- Keeping the only copy of an important file in one place, even in the cloud. Keep a second backup.