History of the Internet

The Internet was not developed by Al Gore – this you already know. But what you might not know is that the Internet has been around, in one form or another, for a long time. People have always understood that in order to find information and to communication, you need to have a large network of resources. Whether these resources are people, carrier pigeons, or just shouting across a valley, the interconnectedness and the need for communication is something that began long before a few guys at MIT decided to get technical about it.

Dial Up Beginnings

J.C.R. Licklider of MIT came up with the idea of a global network of computers, one that could connect with others to talk, to share information, and to download applications (well, not that last bit). Lawrence Roberts was the one that first connected computers via a dial up telephone line, which started the process of the ‘real’ Internet. Of course, even back then, they realized that the dial up method was too slow. So, instead, they decided to work on a packet switching theory (whatever that means) and created something called the ARPANET. This was the fledgling Internet, designed to create connections between four major universities.

Scary Enough for You?

Want to know the real purpose behind the design of the Internet? With the many different routes a message could take, this is a system that was designed to work even if the country suffered a nuclear attack. A message about the coming enemy could be sent over many different routes, allowing the message to go through, no matter what was happening at the time. And you thought the Internet was created for your pleasure.

The Future of the Internet

But the Internet has come a long way baby, in changing the way that world works and wants to work. No matter what you need to know, there’s probably a website for that. If you want to talk to someone on the other side of the world, then you would have no troubles doing that (assuming you don’t have dial up). You can use the Internet for research, for shopping, for talking, or just for browsing. In the future, the Internet seems poised to change the world even more. Since people can now talk via webcams and messages can be sent instantly, people are no longer chained to a desk to get their work done. This is a world that can work, no matter where we are. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, only time will tell.

The Internet is an opportunity to create a world that is open for business, 24/7. Business can continue to run so long as there is an Internet connection and something to say. People are available during every time zone, so nothing needs to stop. That sounds great when you want to buy something and have it delivered in five minutes, but when you want a day off…not so much.