The Internet
By Beau

What in the World Wide Web is the Internet?

The Internet is a worldwide network that links billions of smaller computer networks to one another. It allows billions of people to communicate with each other. In fact, right now I’m communicating with you on the Internet by telling you about the Internet.

The Internet is hooked up in a variety of ways. For instance, the Internet can be connected to your computer by dial-up or broadband (DSL or cable modem). Another way of connecting to the Internet is by satellite. This allows people to use wireless Internet communication. That way if you don’t have land based communication lines, like cable or telephone lines, you can use satellites. The Internet is not maintained by one person or by a certain company. In a way, it is maintained by everyone who uses it.

E-mail Mail (Electronic Mail)

E-mail is a way of sending people mail over the Internet. People like e-mail because it’s immediate. Some people are calling the postal service snail mail because it’s a lot slower than the Internet. It is estimated that e-mail is the most popular use of the Internet. Instant messaging is another use of the Internet that allows people to talk directly to one another if both people are on the Internet. E-mail also allows for multiple mailings that work well for both individuals and large organizations.

E-Commerce

If you’re sick of going to the store to buy a really cool toy you heard about on the radio, then the Internet is for you. Internet workers have created a way to buy things on Internet from your own home. Electronic commerce, or e-commerce, is when people buy, sell, and/or market products or services over the Internet. This is very useful for people with disabilities who may have difficulty going to stores. There are many popular e-commerce sites around the world.

Research

Many people use the Internet for research. To locate information on the Internet, people use search engines. If you don’t know how to do a search, I’ll explain it. Let’s say you need information for a report. You go to a search engine (such as Yahooligans or Google) and type in the subject of your report. Next, you press search or go and there should be a list of websites on your topic listed on the screen. People like to research on the Internet because it gives them information on things that might otherwise take hours to find in a library. However, people must check to make sure the website they are using is created by a reputable source and that the information is correct.

History of the Internet

The history of the Internet all began with President Eisenhower. He created the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) in 1958. President Eisenhower was afraid that the United States was falling behind the Soviet Union. In 1962, ARPA was still developing when an MIT graduate student named Leonard Kleinrock invented the technology of the Internet. Then in 1966 ARPA quickly got back into the action and formed the ARPAnet. This became the start of the Internet.

The technological innovations that were to follow are mind boggling, but here are some important highlights. Even though the main participants in the network were universities and research organizations, other educational groups and commercial organizations wanted to participate as well. In 1973, Ray Tomlinson’s efforts produced e-mail. In 1989, Tim Berners–Lee (a scientist) proposed the World Wide Web Project. Not too much later a browser called Mosaic was created by a group of University of Illinois students led by Marc Andreessen in 1993. Netscape and Microsoft followed with their own browsers. Now just about anyone can surf the Internet.

How You Can be Safe on the Internet

Even though it’s fun to look up things, talk to friends, and do other things like that, you still have to be SAFE! Here are some websites to learn more about how YOU can be safe on the Internet.

This website can help you learn about dangerous things on the Internet. This website will help you know how to be safe. There is even a safety quiz.	The Safe Kids Website
This site tells you about appropriate and entertaining websites. It also includes some links to good sites.	The GetNetWise Website

Citations

Online Sources

Ferrell, Keith. "Internet." World Book Online Reference Center. 2005. World Book, Inc. 18 February 2005. <http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar279620>.

"13. Internet." Greatest Achievements – 13. Internet. National Academy of Engineering, 2000. 16 February 2005 <http://www.greatachievements.org/greatachievements/ga_13_2p.html>.

Laliberte, Michelle. “Cyber Safety.” Child Life. July/August 2004: pp. 16-17. SIRS Discoverer on the Web. ProQuest Information and Learning Company. 15 February 2005 <http://discoverer.sirs.com/cgi-bin/dis-article-display?id=DW12377-0-90&artno=0000205611>.

Images

Permission to use chart of Wikipedia Internet web is granted under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page>.

Copyrighted clip art images and globe from "Microsoft Office Online" <http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/default.aspx?lc=en-us&cag=1> (October-March, 2004-2005). Clip art available only to licensed users for non-commercial purposes.