The Internet Mr. Ellsworth

The Internet What is it? You tell me! The Internet is a collection of interconnected computer networks. That sounds like jargon. I know. Let’s step back a bit...

Networks A network is the physical connection of computers and other devices so that they can exchange information. A simplified network is the one that exists between your computer, your monitor, and your printer. A larger network, called a local-area network (LAN), might link all the computer workstations in a building so that all could share a single piece of software.

internets Where does this school have a network of computers - a Local-Area Network (LAN)? In this room. If we were to take this room’s LAN (also called an intranet) and connect it to a LAN in another building, we know have, what is technically known as, an internet. “LAN” and “intranet” are synonymous. Connecting LANs or intranets together gives us an internet. Do not confuse this “internet” with the “Internet.” Confused? Don’t worry. It will make sense.

“internet” and “Internet”: What’s the difference? First, one of them has a capital “I.” An “internet” is the connection of LANs or intranets. The Internet, with a capital “I,” represents an internet on a world-wide scale.

The Internet, with a capital "I," represents an internet on a worldwide scale. Computers and networks from around the globe are linked together so that they can share information. Nearly every country on Earth is connected to the Internet, so there is a great diversity of information available.

We have access to a wide array of types of information and many ways to get to it. Example: If you would like to check the online catalog of a university in Spain or want to send a message to a colleague in New Jersey, you can do it via the Internet. The Internet, for the individual user - you and me - is simply a means to an end. You do not need to understand the technical setup completely to use this medium - nobody does - but it helps to have a little background. Think of the Internet as an ever-growing organism composed of interconnected networks from around the world.

Internet History In the late 1960s, the U.S. Department of Defense came up with an idea for connecting universities and laboratories that were doing similar types of research. They wanted a system that would let researchers communicate with each other and share research results to increase productivity and end duplication of effort.

In 1969, four computers in distant parts of the U.S. were linked together in a network called ARPANET. Before long, other computers were added and the network grew rapidly. Over the ensuing twenty-five years, an increased demand for electronic communications caused the formation of other networks. ARPANET itself ceased to exist in 1990 as these other networks took over its duties. Eventually, beginning around 1992 or 1993, you have our current situation, which can be described by discussing four characteristics of the Internet.

The Internet The Four Characteristics of the Internet 1. H ighly expanded access. 2. A sustained rate of growth. 3. F ree access to information. 4. N o established ownership.

Highly Expanded Access Initially, only researchers in certain fields could use the Internet. Now, users of the Internet come from all disciplines and are drawn from beyond the academic world. The public can now gain access through a variety of service providers and have already established a strong presence on the Internet.

Sustained Rate of Growth Just to give you some sense of this growth, let me mention a few numbers on the increase in networks and hosts on the Internet. In July of 1988 there was a total of 217 networks in existence in the world, only nine of which were not located in the U.S. In July of 1994, there were 36,153 total networks with 15,362 located outside this country.

These numbers show us two things. First, exponential growth is occurring on the Internet and has shown no signs of slowing. Second, more networks and hosts mean more people out there and more places to go. This contributes to the potential for information overload.

Free Access to Information As the Internet became accessible to a larger and larger user population, this growth was accompanied by a desire to make existing resources freely available to all. Anyone could participate in discussions, or roam around the host sites, or view electronic documents as they wished.

While this culture of free information and free access still predominates on the Internet, there is some fear that limitations are on the horizon. One reason for this is that there are thousands of companies registered on the Internet, many of whom are selling access to various online services. Although many of these “for-pay” sites currently allow free access to entice users, this clearly cannot continue indefinitely.

Generally speaking, the Internet depends on free access principles that will continue to dominate despite the increase of commercial use. In other words: Even though many companies require paid subscriptions for their information, the principle of “free access of information” will always prevail.

No Established Ownership When you think about it, nobody or corporation actually “owns” the Internet. While government has footed the bill for much of the Internet infrastructure, there is no outright owner who can make rules and make sure everyone follows them.

No Established Ownership A hodgepodge of public and private organizations own parts of the Internet and enforce their own policies within their own networks. As you might imagine, it's very hard to get tens of thousands of network groups to agree on a joint policy or to hand over their powers to a single authority. So, it's far more true to say that no one owns the Internet. Someone gets paid to provide institutions and companies with access, but these providers lack central authority and control.

The Internet The Internet is the first global forum developed to spread information widely using an electronic medium. Its very purpose causes it to be prone to anarchy. If you dislike this, you're not alone, but there is generally little to fear from the Internet. When problems arise, the community as a whole usually takes steps to address it (such as network security issues). As well, there are groups such as the Internet Society working to create usage guidelines and some general policies of what is and is not acceptable.

With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility So, with all of that said. Who does own the Internet? The real answer to the question of who owns the Internet is that you do. Anyone with an account and enough knowledge to find their way around owns the Internet as much as the National Science Foundation or IBM or Uncle Sam does. So, claim your share... and your responsibility! So, with all of that said. Who does own the Internet? The real answer to the question of who owns the Internet is that you do. Anyone with an account and enough knowledge to find their way around owns the Internet as much as the National Science Foundation or IBM or Uncle Sam does. So, claim your share... and your responsibility!

A Common Misconception Is the Internet the World Wide Web? NO! The World Wide Web (WWW) is one of many activities which takes place on the Internet, but it is not the Internet. We will discuss how the WWW was invented in another lesson, but suffice it to say that the WWW is different from the Internet in the same way that the car is different from the road.