History of Computers - The Internet
Page created by William Brown
The introduction of the Internet has revolutionized global information exchange. The Internet has had such an impact on the world that some people consider it a way of life. Started during the cold war as ARPANET, a means of communication that could not be halted by the destruction of a single route[1], the internet has since grown to be nearly omnipresent since Tim Berners Lee invented HTML (History of Computers - HyperText Markup Language (HTML)), making the internet more easily usable.
Contents
Overview
The most important aspect of the internet is that there is no central location of the internet; rather, it is a network of of other computer networks linked together. [2] In this way, all computers connected to the internet are part of the internet. Computers accessing the internet can be grouped into either clients, computers requesting information, or servers, computers that receive information requests and supply said information. [2] Such a system allows for instant access to information from all around the world, a concept that was unheard of when DARPA first launched. The developers of the internet were greatly influenced by Norbert Wiener(History of Computers - Norbert Wiener) a mathematician who developed the study of cybernetics.
Significance
Partial map of the internet.
The internet has opened the doors to information for everyone. Its effects are far reaching, both culturally and technologically. Internet technology has allowed for new possibilities of interaction and communication, from video conferencing calls to long distance surgery. [3] This groundbreaking procedure allows people, no matter where they are, access to skilled surgeons. The internet's cultural impacts are wide reaching. Its effects have resulted in the creation of internet subculture in the forms of websites like 4chan, and its worldwide accessibility has led to the westernization of cultures around the world. It has also enabled new and different concepts of computers which use less power and are incredibly cheap by allowing the user to store information normally stored on the hard drive on the internet. [4] The internet has also allowed for instant updating of information, such as stock quotes. All in all, the internet has changed the world we live in.
