a brief history of the internet

One thing that needs to be kept in mind ... the Internet is still in its infancy. Most 'surfers' can remember when there was no Internet. And doesn't it make you wonder where will it be in ten years time?

What it was

In the beginning the Internet was designed to be a failsafe network to enable computing power to continue if the atom bomb was dropped on America. This was in the late sixties. Later, the Internet became a convenient way for the Defence Department to spread research information. Later still, the Universities became involved in the same way.

What it is

Now, the Internet has become public. It is a worldwide network of computers. How many? No one really knows. However, the number of pages accessible on the Internet exceeds two billion.

The Internet is not organised, there is no central governing organisation. There are, basically, no laws controlling its use, other than the laws of the country of the user. The Internet permits users to communicate with anybody else on the Internet. This means that users can communicate with someone (an individual) on the other side of the world. Or, they can communicate with someone in the house next door. Or they can communicate with a group of people spread worldwide.

Communication can mean sending mail or a news item or a file or a picture or video or … Of course communication can also mean just gossiping, chewing the fat, passing time … who said information has to be important? Of course, the Internet has become a source of entertainment as well.