Web Browsers

Web browsers are the clients making requests of web servers, they allow us to "browse" the web. The web browser interprets a page's html in order to render a rich user experience to the users screen, no matter the device being used.

This rendering process becomes ever more complex as new technologies are implemented and/or extended while increases in device power permit the complex data to be displayed in a timely manner. While these technology improvements continue as a race between developer teams, we are all often too conservative and simply use the web browser provided with our device's operating system e.g. Edge or Internet Explorer for Windows; Safari for Apple etc. or the device manufacturer's own browser e.g. Samsung's Internet app. There are other browsers developed independently such as FireFox and Opera, which have huge followings because of their cross platform, open source heritage. Or even less independently produced browsers such as Google's Chrome browser.

While there are many more browsers than those listed above, its worth pointing out that under the covers most browsers work using one of the following "layout engines" (core component).

Search Engines

The search engine is an integral part of the web. No longer restricted to simple keyword searches today's search engines convert plain english (french, german, spanish etc.) text into search terms by which it can cross reference its database of internet web sites.

Some of the available search engine choices are:

Security

Following links while web browsing and/or reading emails remains one of the easiest ways for hackers to load malware onto your device. A good internet security package together with a virus scanner are key ways to combat this threat but they cannot make up for just being cautious with your web use. If you wouldn't walk down a dark alley in a bad part of town in the real world, what makes you think you are safe doing the equivalent on the web.

Privacy

While a fair exchange of free web content for the opportunity to advertize is essential to today's commerce based web, we must also be sure not to give all our information away. It is important to realise that our privacy is very dependent upon:

You can improve your browsing privacy by using your browsers incognito or private window mode. The private window is isolated from the rest of the browser and on leaving all cookies, cached pages and even browsing history are deleted. This is most effective when buying from the web, sites can adjust their prices based on your previous visits: Oh! too late that offers just gone but this is a great new offer and only slightly more expensive, better buy it quick!

 

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