48 The media: internet and email

A

B The pros and cons of internet use

Here are some possible advantages (pros) and disadvantages (cons) of the internet.

pros email, instant messaging1 , chat rooms2 , newsgroups3 , social networking sites4 , webinars5 e-commerce6 (e.g. internet banking, travel booking), e-books, e-learning accessing vast amounts of useful information, fun of just browsing7 and surfing the web8 ability to transfer graphic images9 and sound files ability to send files as attachments10 , usefulness of file-sharing11 gaming – you can play video games with anyone in the world

1 a kind of email where both people are online at the same time 2 an online conversation between a group of people on topics chosen by them, where you can enter or leave the ‘room’ at any time 3 a website where people with shared interests can get news and information 4 websites that enable you to connect with other people, make new friends, exchange photographs, keep up with people’s personal news, etc. 5 online seminars 6 all kinds of business done on the internet 7 looking at different websites, with no particular goal 8 moving from one website or web page to another, usually looking for something 9 technical term for pictures, icons, diagrams, etc. 10 files you send with email messages 11 the practice of sharing computer data or space on a network

12 (pronounced I-S-P) Internet Service Provider: a company that offers users access to the internet and services such as news, email, shopping sites, etc., usually for a monthly fee 13 someone may access it illegally 14 bringing files to your computer from the internet 15 sending files from your computer to the internet or to another internet user 16 unwanted advertisements and other material sent to you by email from companies 17 another term for spam 18 something you cannot stop doing, which has become out of your control 19 pieces of software that are sent from the internet to your computer, which can follow and record what you do, which websites you visit, etc. 20 material such as pornography, or extreme political views, or material that encourages hate and violence against people 21 ability of parents to control which websites their children can visit

cons ISP12 charges can be high for heavy users, people you’ve never met may get your contact details, your account may be hacked13 download14 and upload15 times can be slow, e-books don’t feel the same as real books, e-learners may miss a ‘live’ teacher spam16 and junk mail17 can be annoying can become addictive18 cookies19 track your activities on the web many sites contain offensive material20 , parental control21 may be necessary for children

Email and internet communications

I’ve bookmarked the CNN home page, as I use it regularly to get the latest news. [put it in a list of

websites I can access immediately] If you subscribe to newsgroups, you often get hundreds of messages. [become a member of] Some ISPs allow you to screen out / filter out unwanted mail. [prevent from reaching you] Our server at work was down yesterday, so I didn’t get your message till today. [central computer that

distributes email and other services to a group of users] [not working] Do you have good anti-virus software? It’s worth updating it frequently. [protection against

computer viruses] She must have changed her email address – the email I sent her bounced. [came back to me] She often posts ridiculous details about her life on social networking sites. [adds them]

See also Unit 56.

48.1

48.2

48.3

48.4

Match the words in the box with the explanations.

attachment cookie spam chat room ISP webinar

1 website where people with common interests can email each other online 2 a sort of class held live on the web 3 company that gives you access to the internet and offers news pages, shopping, etc. 4 program sent to your computer from the internet, used to follow your activities 5 file sent at the same time as an email message 6 unwanted material (e.g. advertisements) sent to you via the internet Some of these pairs of opposites exist in the language of internet/computer

communications, others do not. Tick the box for ‘exists’ or ‘doesn’t exist’. Use a search engine to find the answer on the web if you’re not sure.

word

opposite exists delete undelete download upload update downdate inbox outbox online offline install uninstall doesn’t exist

Use the correct words from the table above to fill the gaps in these sentences. You are given a paraphrase of the meaning in brackets.

1 I sent a photo of my house by email to a friend in Canada, but it took ages to (transfer from here to there) and I spent nearly five minutes (connected to the internet) just waiting for it to go. 2 I’ve had your message in my (a place where unread emails are stored) for two days, but haven’t had time to read it yet. 3 I had a lot of trouble trying to (add to the programs already on my computer) that new software I bought. 4 How do I (restore something accidentally erased) on this computer? 5 I edit my pictures (while disconnected from the internet) and then connect to send them. 6 This is an old version of the software. You can (get a new version) it online for free.

In your own words, say what the words in bold mean in these sentences.

1 A new law has given e-signatures the same legal status as handwritten ones. 2 E-learning will become more and more common as an alternative to traditional learning. 3 We have e-enabled everything you need to study on the internet. 4 E-books are selling faster than traditional books. 5 The dotcom economy has attracted hundreds of new businesses hoping to make a fortune. 6 With this smartphone, you’ll never need a tablet or a laptop! 7 Parental controls provided by ISPs are vital these days. 8 I send about 40 texts per day. It’s very addictive.