WWW.Cell Biology Education: Using the World Wide Web To Develop a New Teaching Topic

There are two essential ingredients for collecting information from the Internet: 1) a World Wide Web (Web) browser, and 2) an Internet search engine. The two most widely used Web browsers are Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Netscape Communications Corporation's Navigator. There are, however, more than 120 browser software possibilities available. These browsers have been cataloged by Adrian Roselli and may be found at Evolt, a site that supports the exchange of Web design information. Web browsers are like brands of shoes; some fit better than others. By visiting Evolt, whose uniform resource locator (URL) is listed below, one might find a browser that works better. For example, some Internet users prefer Firefox (Figure 1) and Safari, because Web browsers have different efficiencies in displaying Internet information on different computer platforms. Figure 1 Search page from the Web browser known as Firefox. Image used with permission of Mozilla, parent of Firefox. For a free copy of Firefox, which operates on either Apple or IBM compatibles, visit http://www.mozilla.org. Evolt http://browsers.evolt.org/ As is the case with Web browsers, there are a number of Internet search engines. Each search engine has a variety of features that address different objectives for finding information from the Internet. The State University of New York at Albany has organized an excellent list of Internet search engines.