Meaning of Internet
It is no longer news or a topic for debate that the Internet has become a household name across the world and a niche for accessing diverse categories of resources. As a matter of fact, hardly will you come across a building (a group of persons in a particular location) without a particular level of knowledge about the Internet. This age has all been declared the Internet age empowered with it features to drive resources to a larger populace. The Internet is therefore that a virtual hub or platform encompassed by the interconnection of millions of distinct communication systems (such as computers, PDAs, etc.) for creating, storing, sharing, retrieving and transmitting resources. Resources transmitted include images, audio, video, text, graphs, applications and lots more.
Think of the Internet as a group of four children who decide to tie ropes on themselves to the other three members such that each member can be dragged separately without dragging another. It is an interconnection of several Local Area Networks, LANs.
The pioneering of the Internet is not attributed to the effort of one man. It has evolved over years by the contributions of several scientist looking for a means of enhancing communication. However, records hold that the Internet started in the United States of America during the cold war.
In 1969, the US Department of Defense started a project to allow researchers and military personnel to communicate with each other in an emergency. The project was called ARPAnet and it is the foundation of the Internet. Throughout the 1970's, what would later become the Internet was developed. While mostly military personnel and scientists used it in its early days, the advent of the World Wide Web in the early 1990's changed all that. Today, the Internet is not owned or operated by any one entity.
Though the objectives of modern day Internet are far greater than what it was like then, it however scrapes the ideas of the past. The modern day Internet is like a telescope that zooms you to a substantial ‘information reservoir” which would take thousands of years to access if you were to rely on other methods. It is indeed one of the biggest accomplishments in the concept of technology: applying scientific knowledge to development platforms (such as the internet) that ease and enhance human activities towards boosting productivity, increasing speed and ensuring convenience. Click this link to read more on how the internet came into existence. History of the Internet
Connecting to the Internet
In case you
are new to the internet and are curious of how to immediately use the resource
loaded hub, you will need to know what it takes to access the internet.
An internet accessing device
There are several devices now that can be used to surf the net for resources. These include computers, mobile phones, game consoles, Personal Digital Assistants and many others. The commonest, however, is personal computer. A PC, as is it shortly called, has several functionalities and features that make it easier and better to surf the net. Some of these are: wider view, speed, readability of contents and a stronger surfing console.
Modem
The next
item you will need is a modem. A modem is a digital device that transmit data
between your computer and whatever ISP you have chosen. Note that modem may not
be needed if you are accessing the net with a mobile phone or other PDAs. Think
of a as the Subscriber identification Module, SIM, card in your phone that
allows you to make paid subscriptions in return for data or call credit. A
modem modulates and demodulates transmissions.
Internet service Provider (ISP)
An Internet
Service is the term used to describe a firm, profit or non-profit, that is able
to provide users access to the internet, normally with computing devices. No
matter the profiling of your computer in terms of HD space, RAM size, processor
speed and screen resolution, without an ISP you cannot access the internet with
that computer. So, an ISP is that link between your computer and the internet.
Most services provided are based on subscriptions over a given period and
services differ according to the type of service providers and subscription
packages. Three basic services are offered by ISPs. Dial Up connection,
Broadband and Digital Line subscriber. Dial up connection is almost non-existent
as new better technologies have been invented. Common examples of internet service
providers are; MSN, AOL, Cable One, EarthLink, Comcast, AT&T, Verizon,
Frontier and CenturyLink.
An Internet Browser
This is a
software installed in your digital devices that enables the device to go
through the pages of a website. Computers with the Windows Operating System
come with a preinstalled browser, Internet Explorer (IE). There are several
other browsers, the commonest of which are listed below. You can download any
for use from the links provided.
Mozilla Firefox
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Google Chrome
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Opera
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Internet Explorer
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Netscape Navigator
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Avast SafeZone
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Benefits of the Internet
The
importance and role that the Internet plays in the current information age
cannot be overempahised. Its application cuts across all fields of human
endeavours, Education, business, sports, transportation, journalism, etc. Given
below are a grouped view of what the Internet offers.
Resource Sharing
One common
benefit you will derive from using the Internet is to access resources from
others, just like you are doing now if you are reading this post from our website.
Several resources are uploaded every day for sharing. While some of
these resources are restricted to specific users, others are made public, just like
this one, meaning that anybody can access it without permission. The Internet ‘houses’
resources such as data, information, pictures, images, graphs, analysis,
diagrams, research, video files, audio files, documentaries, tutorials and
recipes on diverse matters. If you are a Facebook, WhatsApp, 2go, Instagram,
Twitter or BBM user, your would have been familiar with uploading pictures,
videos or songs and making written comments for your friends and followers to
view, listen to and read. That is just it. You have used the Internet as a
means for making available to others (sharing) what you have, which is a
resource. This could be a song, tutorial, video, directives, etc. The good side of it
is that you don’t need to travel miles to deliver your picture to a friend of
yours leaving somewhere else.
Ease of Communication
As humans,
were are meant to communicate ideas, beliefs, insights, viewpoints, feelings
and discoveries to others. Using methods like oral, written (in hardcopy),
visual or even audio techniques will only make the message limited to a
geographical location. Also, the speed of disseminating resources via this method is
quite slow. Think of a friend of yours living overseas whom you desire to
communicate to audio visually. How will you achieve that? Either you or your
friend will have to travel to the necessary location for such to happen. With the Internet, that is easily harnessed. With modern technologies like skype,
videoconferencing and many others, you can easily connect with your friends and
discuss as if you were in the same location. That’s is really great! What do
you think?
Business Transaction
Yet another
gift the Internet has presented to us. With just a click, you can make
financial transactions from your bedroom and get deliveries or applicable
replies without stress. Gone are the days when you would go to malls or shops
before shopping, and would queue in banking halls to make financial
transactions. You can order for goods far and near, pay bills, transfer money
and set up a financial conglomerate or world such as forex, bitcoins and MMM.
Online Learning and Certification
Do you
desire to attend schools outside your country but having challenges to secure
travel documents and the needed cash? You can study in that same school from
your place of abode via the Internet. Many schools offer online programmes that
allow applicants to get involved with academic dealings from anywhere in the
world. You can listen to or watch lectures, join Q&A sessions,
interact with your tutor, sit for examinations and obtain valid and recognised Certificates
on the course you have studied abroad from anywhere in globe. Isn’t that
fantastic? I think it is. It allows for flexible as you can have a say on the
length of the course and lecture periods. Also, you can be working and attending
school at the same time, making it easy for you to keep up with financial obligations
and academic necessities.
Most
academic institutions have their schools hosted over the Internet from where
students access lots of resources, submit assignments, check results, discuss
in a virtual forums and control so much of their studies in a better and
meaningful way. The Internet is really a step up to this generation.
Internet Seminars
Have you
heard of seminars, symposiums, trainings and AGMs before? Yes I hope. What if
the prospective participant is impeded by transport challenges and is a key
player? Would the seminar, which has been so much invested upon, just become a disappointment?
Yes without the Internet, but no with the Internet. You can partake in seminars
from your bedroom and make your contributions as if you were there.
Management and Administration
With the Internet, administrators can monitor and make decisions on the go to their
companies on activities from anywhere; in the car, on the bed, at a party or
wherever. Duties can be allocated, orders given, guidelines laid and proper
tracking done. This is how vast the Internet can be. With the administrative
potentials offered by the Internet, managers, CEOs, Directors and Chairmen don’t
need to worry much when on vacation, career improvement training or a lay off
from their places of work. They can control it all from where they are. So the Internet adds more flexibility to management and administrative performance.
Dangers of the Internet
Though the Internet presents excellent opportunities for advancement, it is not completely
without demerits. Many have misused it and coined means of harming others. So,
don’t just jump in, consider some of the dangers and negative effects that the Internet poses.
Fraud
With many efforts made to make it safe for people to use the Internet, reaching safety is still a question and problem to address. There are Internet frauds from all angles such as hacking. Online Bank
accounts are hacked and money stolen from such accounts. Confidential information,
e.g. password, usernames, pins and identity codes, are illegally accessed by
these hackers who use the information to carry out odious plans.
With the Internet, an impostor can easily deceive supposed clients and lure them to finance a
business that never exist. This they do by supplying wrong documents, images and information that seem to be authentic. At the end, the clients are maneuvered.
It encourages pornographic activities
Lots of
websites abound in the net that are specifically developed to give access to
pornographic contents such as magazines, images, animations and videos. That
captures lots of the attention of children and teenagers who enjoy visiting
these sites while ignoring their studies. In addition to ignoring their studies,
most of them give in to the sexual urge that comes from viewing some of these
resources. To some points, it results to social vices such as sexual abuse,
rape and harassment. I think you would not like to be abused or someone you
love to be abused. But that is the truth. The Internet has and is encouraging this.
Launching of Artilleries
The Internet is used as a means for launching Weapons of Mass Destruction. Most
countries have these weapons controlled by confidential networks and can be
launched by anyone who has accessed to the network. If destroying lives and
structures is what the Internet has brought to us, I think we should consider
it use. But that is not so. It is humans that have abused its use in the name of
national security and protection.
Access to wrong Information
Not every
information or data you come across on the Internet is actually what it is. Sometimes,
these information are presented by people with hideous intentions such as
blackmailing, demoralising, popularity, and so on. Since anybody can just put
up something on the Internet (even you can do it), it is easier to post what is not real. Go to your Facebook front
page and publish any information you feel like publishing, it’s on the air and
would be shared across the Internet for others to see even when it is not real.
So the Internet is not just completely a
danger free zone!
It encourages laziness
The days
when students would sit at the library and make intensive and lasting research
about some topics are all but gone. Just with the click of your mouse, your
research topic is done and dusted. This is really appealing to students who
have fallen victims of this 'hidden destroyer'. Intensive study is no longer a consideration
because anytime any moment, the answer can just be copied and pasted from a
website that presents the right information. This has made thinking research
and intellectual ability of not just students alone, but top research personnel
in some organisations to dwindle.
It encourages separatist- living
These days,
you see some people deeply searching the Internet for hours without considering
other things. Some are so addicted that they prefer getting answers from the Internet rather than from their family members or friends. They tend to live a
separated life where the Internet is a family member and an answer to most of
their questions. To the married, this has caused a lot of problems in their
marriages as spouses are ignored in favour of the net. The younger ones
miss out from first hand parental teachings. Don’t you think that the Internet
is scattering some families and setting the wrong future for the future
leaders?
In spite of
these, the Internet still remains a great technological outbreak in this
generation as it has addressed several questions of the past.
Internet vs World Wide Web
Often
times, people interchangeably use the terms Internet and the World Wide Web
(also known as web) to mean the same thing. That is far from it. The Internet
is completely different from the web.
While the Internet is a massive interconnection of networks of which mobile phones,
computers, PDAs are part of, the Web is just a means for accessing the vast
contents of the Internet. This does not imply that the web is the means for
accessing resources on the Internet, it is the commonest and most popular
means. Others means for accessing and using the Internet include messaging
(SMS, MMS and EMS), instant message, email and telecommunication.
As a matter
of fact, the World Wide Web is just a part of the Internet.
Hello, my name is Jack Sparrow. I'm a 50 year old self-employed Pirate from the Caribbean.
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