Imagine the internet as a big party. The party involves large groups (or networks) of people talking to each other. The entire group of people at this party is analogous to what is called the "Internet". When you "connect" to the internet, it's like you are entering the party. So, where are you going to go? Or, more specifically, who are you going to talk to?

For most people (called "users" with regard to computers), a "web-browser" is the method of choice for "navigating" the part of the Internet called the "world wide web". Think of your web-browser as your eyes and ears for speaking and listening at the party. When you're ready to talk to someone (i.e. connect to another computer), you should try and remember the name of the chap you're about to confront. This remembering of the person's name is similar to typing in the "address" of the computer you wish to connect to over the net.

After typing this information into the "address location" area of your web-browser, you'll be able to start looking for your friend in the sea of people at this party. If you know what you're looking for, you shouldn't have any problem finding him (i.e. you know the exact address).

Once you find who you want to talk to (i.e. your computer has made a connection), you can start a conversation. This usually involves some exchange of information ("downloading") from both parties. After this exchange, you'll be able to see your friend in a new light (and on your browser's display screen too). From here you may find different areas of interest for which this person has information to give you, and so you can jump topics and find out all he has to offer (that is, look around the "web-site" by looking at all of the site's "web-pages"); this can also be called "surfing" the net. To change the current topic, you will need to catch this person's attention (click on a "hyperlink"). This will cause the topic of conversation to change (relative to the "link" you followed), interupting whatever your friend was trying to say (don't worry, you won't hurt the other computer's feelings :-). As you begin to talk about a different subject, you will exchange some new information (download a new page).

Ok, so now you're tired of talking to this one person and you're ready for some fresh stimulation. You want to talk to someone different, but you don't know anyone else at this party! What will you do?

I suppose you could just yell out what you wish to talk about into the air and hope somebody out there wants to talk about the same thing (this is analogous to "searching" the internet by using a "search-engine"--with the search-engine, you are able to type in some "key" words that you wish to find more information on, and the search engine looks through the internet [yells into the crowd] to see if there's anything related to the key words that you entered). Once you find someone else willing to talk to you about your new topic, you can walk over to him (follow a hyperlink from the search-engine) and start a new conversation.

When you're ready to leave the party, just walk out the same way you came in (i.e. "disconnect").