Jain Study Center NC Raleigh 1997 11 YJA Regional Convention

Author(s): Jain Study Center NC Raleigh
Publisher: USA Jain Study Center NC Raleigh

Page 12

Jainism on the World Wide Web A Guide to the WEB and Information about Jainism
By Mahesh Varia, Pravin Shah, Kamlesh Shah
Jain Study Center of NC
The Internet is becoming a vast resource of readily accessible information on many topics. This is also true for Jainism and ever increasing number of resources now provide valuable information on many diverse aspects of Jainism and related subjects. In this article we will provide an introduction to some general ideas about the Internet and the World Wide Web (Web), how to get connected to the Web, and an overview of the growing information about Jainism on the Web. It is hoped that this will serve as a helpful introduction for those not so familiar with this exciting use of computer technology and that this article will be of interest to those already using the Internet.
What Is the Internet
If you are using a computer and you want to get information about sports, world news, airline schedule, or practically any other topic including Jainism that is available on another computer somewhere else, how do you do that. The answer is the Internet and the World Wide Web.
Internet is an electronic communication system that permits a computer at home, school or college, library or the office, or even a laptop computer you are carrying while traveling, to be connected to computers anywhere in the world. More powerful than the telephone system, the Internet allows communication of informational material, pictures, graphics, sound, and video from one computer to another. This amazing system is readily becoming affordable and accessible in many parts of the world. One common way to connect a computer at home with the Internet is by using a device called a modem, which is like a telephone/fax machine. Another faster method is direct connections to the Internet that is used by larger institutions like colleges, libraries and businesses.
Internet also makes possible several other things such as the email system to send messages by computers.
What Is the World Wide Web
You can access any one of the thousands of computers through out the world for information on practically any subject using special software from your computer. The World Wide Web or the Web for short is this growing connections of information sources on thousands of computers. The Web is formed by software programs using a special computer language called the HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) that connects the computers. The information is written in another special computer language called HTML (HyperText Markup Language) that makes it possible for other computers to read and display it on their own monitor screens.