Internet Master
Session 7 - Net Conferencing and Plug-Ins for Browsers

References :  "The Whole Internet" by Kiersten Conner-Sax & Ed Krol

Review: Web Pages

Net Conferencing

Reading:
"The Whole Internet" - Chapter 10

Microsoft NetMeeting - Demonstration

  • Changing Information (Tools, Options)
    • General
    • My Information
    • Calling
    • Audio
    • Video
    • Protocols
  • View
    • Tool Bar
    • Status Bar
    • Navigation Icon
    • Folder list
  • Call, New Call
    • NetMeeting Directory Server
    • TCP/IP Address
  • Accepting a Call
    • Ignore
    • Do Not Disturb
  • Using Audio and Video
    • Adjusting Sound and Video
  • Hang Up
  • Chat
    • Without Collaboration
    • With Collaboration
    • With everyone in Chat
    • Private Chat within a call
  • White board
    • Without Collaboration
    • With Collaboration
  • Sharing an Application
    • Collaboration and taking control
  • Hosting a Meeting

Plug-ins and Helper Apps

Reading:
"The Whole Internet" - Chapter 10

Web Sites:

Netscape
http://home.netscape.com/comprod/products/navigator/version_2.0/plugins/index.html
http://www.ncn.com/nwmall/software/plugins.html

Explorer
http://microsoft.com/ie/

Browserwatch Plug-In Site
http://browserwatch.iworld.com/plug-in.html

Do a search on your favorite search engine for updates on plug-ins and helper apps.

Plug-in

A plug-in is a special program that extends the capabilities of your browser. You can add plug-ins that enable you to visit virtual reality Web sites to listen to live radio broadcasts over the Net or to carry on a near-to-live "conversation".

Plug-ins can work in one of three ways:

  1. Embedded in a Web page frame
  2. Expanded to fill the whole Netscape window.
  3. Hidden from view or in full window mode

You don't have to learn any special commands to use the plug-in, once you install it, the plug-in's capabilities become a part of the browser.

Your browser will view some types of files.
For example: Netscape will display

Text
In-line graphics
GIF
JPEG

To display other types of files, you will have to have viewers for these files installed on your computer. After you have installed these viewers and when your browser knows where to find the viewer and what type of file they display, the browser will automatically start the correct viewer when you click on the hyperlink for the file of a recognized type.

Multimedia File Types Recognized by Browsers:

Medium File Type
Audio WAV, MIDI
Image JPEG, GIF, TIFF
Video MPEG, AVI, MOV
Formatted text PS, RTF, DOC

Helper Applications:

A helper application is like a plug-in, in that it extends the capabilities of the browser. A helper goes about it in a different way.

A helper works independently of the browser. A helper application specializes in handling specific file types, such as ZIP or WAV files. When the browser encounters one of these file types, it launches the appropriate helper app and lets it display what's in the file. The helper app then deciphers and displays the contents of the file inside its own window--not within the browser window.

Because a helper application runs in its own window, it can be used separately from the browser.

Sites Where You Can View Files:

Real Audio

http://www.realaudio.com/

Shockwave

http://www.macromedia.com/Tools/Shockwave/Vanguard/index.html

Adobe Products

http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/main.html

Offline Browsing
Shopping and selling on the Internet
Internet Banking
Getting connected
Evaluating a provider

Keep us posted - worksheet

Home | What Is I-M? | Course Schedule | Handouts & Homework | Students & Graduates | Regional Sites | Volunteers | WWW Resources | Trainer Resources
For more information, contact:
Don Day - daydr@missouri.edu
Mark Stewart - stewartm@missouri.edu
Revised 09/30/99