The Internet is an international network consisting of individual computers and computer networks that are all interconnected by many paths. Now, that's a pretty big defintion, so let's take it one part at a time. First, it must be emphasized that the Internet is indeed international. It is not run by one particular goverment or commercial agency. Instead, it is a combined effort of every organization that has a computer connected to the Internet. Second, it is a network. A network is simply an organization of several computers that can all communicate with each other. In the case of the Internet, the network consists of thousands of computers.
Finally, each of the computers that make up the Internet network are interconnected by many paths. In other words, if a piece of data sent from Computer A to Computer B doesn't make it to Computer B using Route 1, Computer A has thousands of "detour" routes that it can take to get the data to Computer B. Each computer on the Internet serves as a "station" that directs data along the various routes on the Internet. Now, that's obviously an over-simplified definition, but it will do for now. If you're wondering why such an emphasis is made on the fact that there are so many routes on the Internet, continue reading and you will find the reasoning behind this "multiple route plan" when you learn the history of the Internet.
The History of the Internet
The Internet was created on January 2, 1969 when United States computer scientists began researching computer networking. This research was funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), which gave the Internet its first name, the ARPANET. The ARPANET was used to test the use of packet-switched networks, which are computer networks that transfer information in the form of little packets that move independent of each other through various networks until they reach their final destination.
The Department of Defense immediately saw this network as an ideal communications weapon. For example, if one set of communications lines was destroyed (in a nuclear attack, for example), the little packets of information could continue to find other lines. If one of the packets fails to reach its goal, the sending computer could simply send another packet.
Despite its military background, the ARPANET eventually became primarily a means of instant communications between computer researchers across the nation. In 1983, the ARPANET was reserved for civilian use, while MILNET was created for military use. Communications between the two networks was possible, and this network became known as the Internet.
The Internet: Modern Developments
As the Internet grew during the 1980's, more networks were formed in order to serve various communities and organizations, such as BITNET (Because It's Time Network) and CSNET (Computer Science Network), among many others. In 1986, the National Science Foundation (NSF) again connected researchers and organizations with the NSFNET, which consisted of five supercomputer systems. It was during this time that many other nations began developing their own versions of the NSFNET. All of these networks are now interconnected to form the significantly more powerful Internet that we know today.
Who Pays for the Internet?
During the early 1990's, the National Science Foundation paid for most fo the Internet. Since then, the Internet has experienced explosive growth, and is no longer used solely by educational institutes and the military. Such dramatic growth has also increased the cost of keeping up the Internet. Because of these factors, the government is trying to shift most of the costs to the private sector.
Who Owns the Internet?
One of the things that makes the Internet so interesting is the fact that it is not really "owned" by anyone. There is no single government or commercial organization running the Internet, and there are no official rules that govern its use. Instead, the Internet is kept up and running by the collective efforts of every organization with computer or network connected to the Internet, each forming a vital part of the Internet infrastructure.
What does the Internet Offer?
The Internet offers different things to each individual. One has to experience the Internet for themselves to determine its value. There are some common things that the Internet does offer that most Internet users do use frequently. Electronic Mail (E-Mail) is a feature of the Internet that allows people to send information to each other instantaneously. Usually, this information is simply a letter. It can also be a picture, an audio file, or an executable binary. E-Mail provides a faster and cheaper alternative to using the Postal Service (which Internet users often refer to as "Snail Mail").
Another service is Usenet. Usenet is a system of approximately six thousand newsgroups that are each dedicated to a specific topic of interest. People worldwide can post and read messages to UseNet newsgroups almost instantaneously. UseNet is often filled with valuable information and has many users that are often quite knowledgable in the subjects they discuss. The Internet can also be used to receive real-time information such as the weather (from NOAA), sports scores, traffic updates, airport conditions, and so on.
The World Wide Web allows the Internet user to explore the Internet with the click of a mouse. Internet users from anywhere in the world can talk in real-time either in a group, or one-on-one, with no long distance charges! The Web and Gopherspace can be used as virtual libraries that can bring thousands of documents on just about any subject to the monitor of any Internet user within seconds. This is just a sample of what the Internet offers! In fact, because of the extraordinary variety of the Internet, we urge everybody to try the Internet for a while and personally decide what possibilities it has in store for them.