Q. I’ve been using the Internet for about a year, but I’m still not clear about something: Are the Internet and the World Wide Web the same thing? Fridays wouldn’t be the same without your newsletter, Mr. M. Thanks for being there for lunkheads like me.

A. That’s an excellent question and one that hasn’t come up in awhile so it’s well worth revisiting. The Internet and the World Wide Web or WWW are not the same, though many people use the terms (incorrectly) interchangeably. The Internet is the global network of connected computers that communicate or "talk" to each other through existing communication routes, such as telephone lines and cable networks.

The Web, on the other hand, uses the capabilities of the Internet to link and provide access to hundreds of millions of Web sites located on computers (hosts) worldwide. In other words, the Web is just one portion of the greater Internet. Other components of the Internet include email, newsgroups, chat, and FTP (file transfer protocol) locations, among others.

Q. I’m using Internet Explorer and I’ve been trying to figure out how to use its Content Advisor for my small children, but I don’t understand how it works. Can you help, Mr. M?

A. The Internet provides access to an unlimited amount of information, but most users know that not all information is suitable for everyone. Once you enable the Content Advisor, only rated content that meets or exceeds your criteria can be viewed.

By default, the Content Advisor is set to the most conservative (least likely to offend) settings when you first turn it on, but you can adjust these settings to match your own preferences. To configure the Content Advisor in IE, click Tools > Internet Options > Content tab > Enable.

In the Content Advisor dialog box, click each category (Language, Nudity, Sex, Violence) and use the slider bar to specify Levels 0 through 4, with Level 0 being the most conservative, and Level 4 being the “Stay-away-from-me-you-pervert”setting.

If there are sites you’re comfortable letting the kiddos view, or sites that you’d sooner throw your body in front of to block their view, click the “Approved Sites” tab and enter the Web addresses accordingly. After entering an address, click the appropriate “Always” or “Never” button.

Lastly, click the General tab and create a password for the Content Advisor settings to prevent anyone from changing your preferences.

Q. How can I check to be sure I'm using the most current version of a program?

A. You can check the version of any Windows program by going to the top toolbar and clicking Help > About. The information displayed will include the program’s specific version number. You can then visit a program’s Web site to determine what the most current version of the program is that’s available.

Mr. Modem's Sites of the Week:

Cheap Cooking
If you’re interested in lowering your food bills, without lowering the quality of your edibles, this site is full of culinary-related advice, recipes, and other useful information that focuses on great food on a tight budget. After browsing the articles and recipes, check out the tips for kitchen organization -- an oxymoron, if ever there was one.
www.cheapcooking.com

World Airport Guide
Links to official airport Web sites, airlines, and travel services in more than 200 countries, from Austria to Zimbabwe. Information is available in English, French, German, Spanish. Additional information is accessible by clicking tabs for Countries, Cities, Cruises, Tourist Attractions, Tours, plus a gallery of photographic images.
www.worldairportguide.com

For plain-English answers to your questions by email, plus useful PC tips, subscribe to Mr. Modem’s Weekly Newsletter. For information, visit www.MrModem.com.