Some web sites require you to fill
out a registration form before you can use the site. Web-based e-mail
sites, social networking sites, shopping sites, and government sites such
as unemployment offices require you to fill out registration forms.
form will mostly be made up of text boxes like the ones you've already
used in this lesson. Remember, to use a text box, click in
it first, then type in the requested information.
Most forms will
ask you to choose a user name. Your user name is a made-up
name that you will use on the web site in order to protect your privacy.
The web site will recognize you by your user name rather than your real
name. No two people can have the same user name and sometimes it's
difficult to find a user name that isn't already being used. Some
people use a nickname, others use a combination of their first name, last
initial, and maybe the last two digits of the year they were born.
Be creative. User names cannot contain periods or spaces. Capitalization
You will also
need to choose a password. Passwords usually have to be between
5 and 15 digits long. You can use letters, numbers, and some punctuation
marks, but no spaces. You can use capital letters in your password,
but remember: If you have a capital letter in your password, you
will have to capitalize it every time you type your password in, or the
password won't work. When you type your password, it will show up
on screen as a series of asterisks (********). This is so no one
can look over your shoulder and read it. The registration form will
require you to type your password twice, to make sure it's spelled the
way you want it.
The form might
also ask you to choose and answer a security question; that is, a question
that only you know the answer to. The security question is for backup;
if you ever forget your password, you can click on a link that says
"I forgot my password!" and access your account by answering the question
Some web sites
won't complete your registration unless you agree to their terms of
clicking on a button that says "I Agree" or something similar.
Click on the arrow
below to learn more about filling out forms.
Glossary of terms
used so far:
browser - A computer program that helps people
use the Internet.
click - To quickly press and release the left
dialog box - A small box that pops up on screen
to give you information. You must respond to a dialog box by clicking
on a button.
drag - To move an onscreen object by putting
the pointer over it, holding the mouse button down, and moving the pointer.
e-mail - Messages sent between computers via
the Internet. "E-mail" is short for "electronic mail."
Google - A popular search engine. Its
URL is www.google.com.
Google Chrome - A browser.
graphics - Pictures.
HTTP - Hypertext Transfer Protocol; the way
computers communicate on the World Wide Web.
highlighted text - Text with a different background
color. This sentence
insertion point - A little blinking line that
shows you where the next letter you type will appear.
Internet Explorer - A browser.
link - A connection to another web page.
Sometimes called a "hyperlink."
location toolbar - The browser toolbar that
contains a text box.
navigation toolbar - The browser toolbar that
contains the "Back" and "Forward" buttons.
Mozilla Firefox - A browser. Firefox
is an updated version of Netscape Navigator.
password - A secret word that lets you access
your private information.
pointer - The little arrow that moves around
the computer screen when the mouse is moved.
Safari - A browser.
scroll - To move a web page up and down on
the computer screen.
scroll bar - A bar that appears at the edge
of the computer screen when a web page is too large to fit on the screen.
search engine - A web site that searches for
other web sites.
slider - Part of a scroll bar; the box that
moves up and down as a web page is scrolled.
you should exhibit when using a web site.
text - Letters and numbers.
text box - A white box that you can type things
toolbar - A group of tools to help you use
the Internet. Toolbars are part of a browser.
URL - The address of a web page. Pronounced
"earl," URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator.
user name - The name by which a web site recognizes
web page - A computer file that looks like
a printed page when viewed with a browser.
web site - A group of related web pages.
World Wide Web - The part of the Internet
that can be viewed with a browser.
Yahoo! - A popular search engine. Its