You may well not know (or care) which web browser you use. The organisations that provide web browsers do care however, and it's a good idea to ask yourself why this might be.
Used and supported at Bath Spa:
Internet Explorer. You'll find it on all Windows machines, therefore it's the one that most people use. To improve its security settings somewhat, see the following.
Firefox. Partly responsible for 'Keeping Internet Explorer honest', and has won a large enough market share to influence web site design too.
Safari - you'll meet this on Apple computers (though there's a Windows version too). If you're using 'Liquid Office' with Safari, check that you're using an up-to-date version, as Safari's a young browser and earlier versions don't behave as well as a current version of Safari.
Other web browsers include:
'Google Chrome'. Here's Google's notoriousfamous information-rich cartoon that explains Chrome. Also useful: information on 'Chrome' for web developers. Google Chrome can allow web developers to take more advantages of an included set of javascript-based tools - software called 'Google Gears' - also available for other browsers as an add-on. 'Chrome' uses the open source 'Webkit' rendering engine to display web pages.
Opera - developed in Europe, not to be overlooked, often the first to innovate, often to be found in mobile devices.
Web browsers - what the software does:
Renders web pages - so you can read the page, or perhaps hear the contents read to you. Web browser software was originally developed to allow information to move as web pages between different computer systems, and to present information to people in a form useful to them, and of course to allow people to find information across computer systems.
Gives you the tools to move between web pages - navigation buttons - forward, back, reload page.
Allows you to remember pages with 'Bookmarks', so you can build an index of pages you find useful
Other things besides ...
Web browser bookmarks - taking a backup
Web browsers tend to save your bookmarks in your user profile - and for various reasons they are vulnerable. Here's how to take a backup:
Internet Explorer
Use the menu 'File/Import and export. Select 'Export' and then 'Next'. Select 'Favorites' and then 'next'. Save the 'bookmarks.htm' file somewhere sensible.
Firefox
Use the menu 'Bookmarks/Organise bookmarks'. This will produce the bookmarks organiser tool. Use its menu 'Backup/restore' to save a copy of your bookmarks and save the backup somewhere sensible.
For further information on the web, say on how to search, try the Web Help section.