The Internet

By Robert Snedden

One of the major inventions of our time is the computer. Computer networks have developed to such a degree that they could hardly be imagined a century ago. The Internet, which joins millions of computers throughout the world, has become part of our modern life. Can you explain what the Internet is? What do you think we can do on the Internet? The following passage will give you some idea of the fascinating Internet.  

    Where on earth is the Internet?

    We often hear or read about people using the Internet, or the "Net" as it is often called. You may even have used it yourself, perhaps at home or at school. If you have, you will know it has something to do with computers, for you will have used your PC (personal computer) to have access to the Internet. But what exactly is the Internet?

    Computers can be linked together in networks which allow them to share information. The Internet is a super-network of networks. It joins millions of computers all over the world. There is no single master computer "running the Internet". No one is in charge of this world-wide network.

    We could say that the Internet is an endless flow of information from place to place and from person to person. Whenever you access the Internet you can be linked to tens of millions of other computer users. Some of them will have things of interest to share with you and will want to hear what you have to say.

    Most of the Internet is about people. It is a world-wide, twenty-four-hour-a-day meeting place where anyone can join in. It does not matter who you are, what you look like, what you wear or where you are. Most often you will find that people are friendly and helpful on the Internet. So you should also be kind and polite to them.

    What exactly is a network? In the world of computers, a network simply means two or more computers linked together in some way. This allows people in different places to communicate with each other and to share data and resources. For example, a school or an office might have a big central computer, called a server. It stores various programs and files. If someone on the network, using another computer, wants to use one of the files on the server, his or her computer would retrieve that file from the server.

    Having important files in a central location allows many different users to have easy access to them. The Internet works in the same way. A Web browser, such as Netscape, is used on the Internet. Netscape is run from your computer to get information from another computer acting as the server. On the Internet you have access to millions of servers all over the world.

    One of the most exciting developments on the Internet is the World Wide Web (WWW or the "Web"). The Web connects thousands of computers and millions of files all over the world. It is made up of a vast collection of sites, which could be businesses, universities, government organizations or individuals.

    In the early 1980s, more and more information was becoming available to the growing number of scientists who had access to the Internet. However, finding the information they wanted was not always an easy task. Tim Berners-Lee, a British computer scientist, wanted to find an easy way for people to get at the information on computer networks. In 1989, he put forward a project which he called the World Wide Web. The World Wide Web program first appeared in December 1990. By the summer of the following year it was available on the Internet. The Web made accessing the Internet easy. Computer users simply need to point and click at things on their screens.

    Exploring the Web is real fun, and it could not be simpler. Sometimes you do not know where you are going to end up from one click to the next. You may begin by getting in touch with a computer in Britain, but the next click could take you to Canada, the USA, Australia, Denmark or who knows where?

    There is no risk of getting lost in the Web. Your browser will remember where you have been. Every time you find a site that you like and would like to come back to, you can keep a record of it using your browser's "bookmark", "hotlist" or "favourites" option, depending on the browser you are using. This lets you keep a list of the addresses of your favourite sites for easy access so you do not have to type the address each time you want to go back there.

    The Internet is changing the way people do business with each other, particularly when that business involves processing information. A lot of office work, for instance, can be done at a distance. It makes no difference whether you connect to the company server from the next room or the next country.

    Many companies already make their goods and services available online and the number can only become bigger as time goes on. It is now possible to check train and plane timetables and book tickets online, to order flowers, books, food and clothes and many more items.

    If you know what you want, then this is a very handy way to order goods without having to visit a shop, although there will always be those who prefer to see and touch something in "real life" before buying it. Using the Internet, people can place an order with a company and pay for the goods using a credit card. The company can take the order without having to employ people to take the call.

    What will the Internet be like in a few years' time? It is hard to say. It is amazing to think that a few years ago only a few people had heard of it.

    It is possible to receive sound broadcasts on the Internet by using a program that turns your computer into a radio. Already, whole pop concerts have been sent over the Internet. It opens up the possibility for other music events, as well as sports events, theatre and talk shows to be broadcast live to the Internet. Computer programs also offer a video link between computers. As long as both you and the person at the other end each have a video camera linked to your computers, you will be able to see each other.

    There can be no doubt that the way we communicate with each other is changing. We now have ready access to more information than at any time in the past. The Internet helps ordinary people to get in touch with others in a way that would never have been thought possible even fifty years ago.

    Perhaps here we should have just a small word of caution. Every month more and more people sign up to the Internet, looking for information and entertainment, or simply because they do not want to be left behind. The Internet can indeed provide a great deal of entertainment and valuable information. It gives us the ability to send our ideas out to thousands, perhaps millions of other people, and it gives them the chance to send their ideas out to us.

    So think about what you are saying before you say it. Think about what you are reading on your screen. All of the personalized filters in the world cannot replace the best information filter you have — your brain.

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