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The Gargunnock Web Site is designed to be used by the whole community. We appreciated therefore that not everyong will be familiar with the World Wide Web, and how it works. This page will hopefully help explain what the Web is, how it can be used and how it might benefit our own community.
Table of Contents
Simply put, the internet is thousands of computers all linked together via cables, electronically communicating in a common language.
Around 18 years ago, a group of Swiss technicians decided that it would be nice to share information in a common way over the internet. So they developed something called a browser (which is what you are using to see this page) and a common language (html) that these browsers could communicate with. More recently, the Universities found this technology and decided to add things like sounds, pictures and email etc. etc.
E-Mail, which is short for electronic mail, is essentially any document sent from one person's computer to another. E-Mail can take on the form of a letter, a large document, or a file (such as a graphic or computer program). There are several benefits to using e-mail in lieu of your local postal service. For starters, there is no cost for sending an e-mail message (excluding any fees for Internet access). This holds true even for international e-mail. Compared to long-distance telephone charges, e-mail can provide an attractive alternative to the telephone for keeping in touch with far-away friends or associates.
Another advantage to e-mail is the fact that you can send and receive your e-mail from anywhere in the world. You simply have to have a computer and a telephone connection, and you can dial up your e-mail provider and download all of your e-mail in just a couple of minutes. This feature can provide people who travel often with a permanent address. Another obvious feature of e-mail is that it can cut down on the amount of paper used. Not only does this save trees, but it also can keep your important documents better organized.
There are many email programs. The best Internet Email package, as of Jan 2000, is Outlook Express which comes free with Internet Explorer. Version 5 is best.
The WWW is similar to Television. To start with, there were sceptics - “it will never replace the wireless’”. and it took some time before the pictures improved and the reception became widespread. . Now, it is difficult to imagine life without television.
However, television can be viewed as a terrible thing. How many of us sit in front of it and don’t move or interact for hours on end. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was an interactive version of television. - Well, it has already begun. Digital television is the first step, with limited interaction. Next will be Web TV with complete capabilities to control what you do and see around the globe. For now, if I want to access the Web, I need to go through to my Home office and switch the computer on, and wait till it does all the stuff that computers do. With WebTV, switch it on and you’re away ! WebTV’s are already for sale in the US.
Shopping is a simple example. Because of loyality cards, supermarkets already know, precisely which products you purchase on a weekly basis. Many of us purchase 70% of the same things every time we visit the Supermarket.. With interactive internet shopping it will be possible to ‘virtually’ stroll down the ailse chosing your special purchases, lift products off the shelves, keep track of the prices, have the calories counted up automatically and for your chosen shopping to be delivered to your door within hours. Money would simply be transferred electronically either from your credit cards, or, from your bank.
If we place a notice on the local notice board. How many people actually get a chance to read it. 200, 300 ?. With the Web, anyone with access can read it. It is as easy to reach from Australia, as it is from Main Street.
It was only when we started discussing our local community, that we realised just how many different groups and organisations are actually active in Gargunnock. Imagine you are not involved in a certain activity and you wished to learn more about. Who do you speak to ? How do you learn more about it. With a simple entry in a Web page, anyone can see what a group does, who to contact, when the next meeting is, what the previous minutes were etc. It ‘opens the door’ to the whole community to join in, not just those that know one another.
There are countless reasons. Let’s imagine I have a Lawn Mower, and it breaks down. Who do I phone up for parts ? The Yellow pages only seems to have a couple of local service firms. I want the parts. If you go onto the internet, and use what’s called a ‘Search Engine’ you can look anywhere in the world, for anything you like. We have a search engine called Google on the home page of this site. If you want, try entering “flymo” in to it. You will notice that it goes off, and finds every reference to the word Flymo anywhere in the world. (1029 when I tried it)
In our example, this is too many to help, there are just too many to look through. If you changed the search to Flymo Parts, you will find all sites that contain the words Flymo and Parts, (275 when I tried), obviously narrowing it done somewhat.
Now all this is a very simple example. This global reach is also important for other businesses. B&B’s are perfect for the Web, especially in Scotland. Americans love the Web. 60% of households have Web access. If an American wishes to visit the Trossach’s, Scotland and stay in B&B’s, then they will very often do a search for ‘Scotland and B&B and Trossachs’ If you’re site comes up in the list, and your pages describe your establishment well, then you have business.
These are now very common in the US. Generally, families put together information about themselves, photos and links to things that interest them. My wife for example is very interested in Genealogy. She’s busy putting together our home page with all the links that she has come across so that they might benefit other people of a similar persuasion.
History is also something to consider. You’d be surprised just how many folk around the world have ancestors who came from Gargunnock. Stuart Ogg related a (true) story recently about a how a large stretched limousine stopped next to Leckie (?) Burn. Two men stepped out dressed in cowboy boots and stetsons and proceeded to carry a casket containing the cremated remains of their mother (or Grandmother - Stuart ?) down to the burn.
What we will do is either include personal home pages somewhere within the Web Site, or, more likely, set up a page containing links to all Gargunnock Personal Home Pages. Something like a family picture followed by your name and the URL address of your page (like www.yourpage.com) . If you need any assistance, let us know.
When you start up your computer, and go into your Internet Browser (normally Internet Explorer or Netscape), the first page that normally appears is the page that was defined by the company that supplied the browser (or computer). For example, if you have tesco.net, then you will be taken to the Tesco Net pages. This is typically called a ‘Portal’. These portals are often how these companies make revenue - through advertising. If you want to change this home page to the Gargunnock Home Page, then follow these instructions (don’t worry, we won’t break anything !)
For Microsoft Internet Explorer v4/5
Start MS Explorer and chose the menu option Tools...... Internet Options
In the Home Page Box, under Address: change the entry to www.gargunnock.com
Select OK.
Next time you start up the Browser and access the Web, you will go straight to Gargunnock Home Page. (If you make a spelling mistake, you will receive a ‘Not Found’ error message. If you do, simply go back into Internet options and correct the entry).
For Netscape v4
Start Netscape and chose the menu option Edit...... Preferences
In the Home Page Box, under Location: change the entry to www.gargunnock.com
Select OK.
How do I put information on this Site ?
Easy. All you need to do is type up what you want, and sent it via e-mail to the , by clicking on the link. If you don’t have email, or are not keen to use it, then simply put something down on paper. Typical information we need is ;
- Who you are
- What you would like to promote
- Where you would like to appear in the Website (optional)
- Any pictures you might have - glossies ok, Photo CD better.
- How you would like people to find you. (for example key words such as B&B, Scotland, quality etc).
- When you would like it posted
Don’t worry if you are not sure what to include, we can discuss before anything appears.
For those of you more advanced, you can also produce your own pages. The pages you see just now are developed using a package called Net Objects Fusion, but you can just as well use MS FrontPage Express, Netscape or even MS Word. Either stick the files on a floppy, or email your pages.
Site Rules:
- All names appear with permission, or as public records.
- Telephone Nos are not listed on this site, with the exception of local businesses. Their details are posted Free of Charge and with permission.
- Addresses are not listed, unless specifically requested by their occupants.
This all depends on what the local Community want ! The more support the better.
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