 | email: email was one of the first applications of the Internet, and in
many cases is still the best way to communicate. Basic email can be enhanced by mailing
list software which automates distribution to a group. Email is also used as a component
of more complex systems such as online conferences and distributed workgroup systems. |
| discussion forums: a range of email and web based technologies can be
used to allow discussion either within a closed group or as a public forum. Typical
discussion forums provide an archive of messages which can be searched, or viewed in
different ways (eg by subject or author). |
| online conferencing: Online conferences move beyond discussion forums
by adding features such as the ability to display information about participants, publish
conference papers and allow participant to upload files for access by others. |
| web publishing: Originally web pages consisted of text and graphics.
What made the web a distinctive form of publishing was the use of hyperlinks, which allow
the reader to jump from one page to any other publicly accessible web page. |
| database driven websites: Many web sites have now moved well beyond
basic publishing to provide interactive applications, including the ability for
transactions such as ordering. These web sites, instead of simply consisting of
‘static’ pages (ie with fixed content) provide a ‘front end’ or way of
accessing complex computer programs. Typically part of this will be access to one or more
databases from which information is drawn according to user input on a web page. Examples
include web directories and search engines, searchable product catalogues and interfaces
to library catalogues. |
| audio and video: these can be broadcast live across the Internet, audio
and video material can also be stored and accessed at any time by users. |
