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About Internet

The Internet is a worldwide, publicly accessible series of interconnected [computer network]s that transmit [data (computing)] by [packet switching] using the standard [Internet Protocol] (IP). It is a "network of networks" that consists of millions of smaller domestic, academic, business, and government networks, which together carry various [information] and services, such as [e-mail], [online chat], [computer file] transfer, and the interlinked Web pages and other documents of the [World Wide Web].

Terminology: Internet vs. World Wide Web The Internet and the [World Wide Web] are not synonymous. The Internet is a collection of interconnected [computer networks], linked by [copper] wires, [optical fiber] cables, [wireless] connections, etc. In contrast, the Web is a collection of interconnected documents and other [Resource (Web)], linked by [hyperlink]s and [Uniform Resource Locator]. The World Wide Web is one of the services accessible via the Internet, along with many others including [e-mail], [file sharing] and others described below.

The [Internet protocol suite] is a collection of standards and protocols organized into layers so that each layer provides the foundation and the services required by the layer above. In this scheme, the Internet consists of the computers and networks that handle [Internet Protocol] (IP) data packets. [Transmission Control Protocol] (TCP) depends on IP and solves problems like data packets arriving out of order or not at all. Next comes [Hypertext Transfer Protocol] (HTTP), which is an application layer protocol. It runs on top of TCP/IP and provides [user agent]s, such as [web browser]s, with access to the files, documents and other resources of the World Wide Web.

History Creation The [Soviet Union]'s launch of [Sputnik] spurred the [United States] to create the Advanced Research Projects Agency, known as ARPA, in February [1958 in science] to regain a technological lead. ARPA created the [Information Processing Technology Office] (IPTO) to further the research of the [Semi Automatic Ground Environment] (SAGE) program, which had networked country-wide [radar] systems together for the first time. [J. C. R. Licklider] was selected to head the IPTO, and saw universal networking as a potential unifying human revolution.

Licklider moved from the Psycho-Acoustic Laboratory at [Harvard University] to [Massachusetts Institute of Technology] in [1950 in science], after becoming interested in [information technology]. At MIT, he served on a committee that established [Lincoln Laboratory] and worked on the SAGE project. In [1957 in science] he became a Vice President at [BBN Technologies], where he bought the first production [PDP-1] computer and conducted the first public demonstration of [time-sharing].

At the IPTO, Licklider recruited [Lawrence Roberts (scientist)] to head a project to implement a network, and Roberts based the technology on the work of [Paul Baran] who had written an exhaustive study for the [United States Air Force] that recommended [packet switching] (as opposed to [circuit switching]) to make a network highly robust and survivable. After much work, the first two nodes of what would become the [ARPANET] were interconnected between [University of California, Los Angeles] and SRI International in Menlo Park, California, on [October 29] [1969]. The ARPANET was one of the "eve" networks of today's Internet. Following on from the demonstration that packet switching worked on the ARPANET, the [General Post Office (United Kingdom)], Telenet, DATAPAC and TRANSPAC collaborated to create the first international packet switched network service. In the UK, this was referred to as the [International Packet Stream Service] (IPSS), in [1978 in science]. The collection of [X.25]-based networks grew from Europe and the US to cover [Canada], [Hong Kong] and [Australia] by 1981. The [X.25] packet switching standard was developed in the CCITT (now called ITU-T) around 1976. X.25 was independent of the TCP/IP protocols that arose from the experimental work of [DARPA] on the ARPANET, Packet Radio Net and Packet Satellite Net during the same time period. Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn developed the first description of the TCP protocols during 1973 and published a paper on the subject in May 1974. Use of the term "Internet" to describe a single global TCP/IP network originated in December 1974 with the publication of RFC 674, the first full specification of TCP that was written by Vinton Cerf, Yogen Dalal and Carl Sunshine then at Stanford University. During the next nine years, work proceeded to refine the protocols and to implement them on a wide range of operating systems.

The first [Internet protocol suite]-wide area network was made operational by [January 1] [1983] when all hosts on the ARPANET were switched over from the older NCP protocols to TCP/IP. In 1985, the United States' [National Science Foundation] (NSF) commissioned the construction of a [university] 56 kilobit/second network backbone using computers called "fuzzballs" by their inventor, David Mills. The following year, NSF sponsored the development of a higher speed 1.5 megabit/second backbone that become the [NSFNet]. A key decision to use the [DARPA] [TCP/IP] protocols was made by Dennis Jennings, then in charge of the Supercomputer program at NSF.

The opening of the network to commercial interests began in 1988. The US Federal Networking Council approved the interconnection of the NSFNET to the commercial MCI Mail system in that year and the link was made in the summer of 1989. Other commercial electronic email services were soon connected, including OnTyme, Telemail and Compuserve. In that same year, three commercial Internet Service Providers were created: UUNET, PSINET and CERFNET. Important, separate networks that offered gateways into, then later merged with the Internet include [Usenet] and [BITNET]. Various other commercial and educational networks, such as Telenet, Tymnet, [Compuserve] and [JANET] were interconnected with the growing Internet. [Telenet] (later called Sprintnet) was a large privately-funded national computer network with free [dial-up access] in cities throughout the U.S. that had been in operation since the 1970s. This network was eventually interconnected with the others in the 1980s as the TCP/IP protocol became increasingly popular. The ability of TCP/IP to work over virtually any pre-existing communication networks allowed for a great ease of growth although the rapid growth of the Internet was due primarily to the availability of commercial routers from companies such as Cisco Systems, Proteon and Juniper, the availability of commercial Ethernet equipment for local area networking and the widespread implementation of TCP/IP on the UNIX operating system.

Growth The network gained a public face in the 1990s. On [August 6] [1991], [CERN], which straddles the border between [France] and [Switzerland], publicized the new [World Wide Web] project, two years after British scientist [Tim Berners-Lee] had begun creating [HTML], [Hypertext Transfer Protocol] and the first few Web pages at CERN.

An early popular [web browser] was [ViolaWWW] based upon [HyperCard]. It was eventually replaced in popularity by the [Mosaic (web browser)] web browser. In 1993 the [National Center for Supercomputing Applications] at the [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign] released version 1.0 of Mosaic, and by late 1994 there was growing public interest in the previously academic/technical Internet. By 1996 usage of the word "Internet" had become commonplace, and consequently, so had its misusage as a reference to the [World Wide Web].

Meanwhile, over the course of the decade, the Internet successfully accommodated the majority of previously existing public computer networks (although some networks, such as [FidoNet], have remained separate) During the 1990s, it was estimated that the Internet grew by 100% per year, with a brief period of explosive growth in 1996 and 1997. This growth is often attributed to the lack of central administration, which allows organic growth of the network, as well as the non-proprietary open nature of the Internet protocols, which encourages vendor interoperability and prevents any one company from exerting too much control over the network.

Today's Internet Aside from the complex physical connections that make up its infrastructure, the Internet is facilitated by bi- or multi-lateral commercial contracts (e.g., [peering agreement]s), and by technical specifications or [communications protocol]s that describe how to exchange [data] over the network. Indeed, the Internet is essentially defined by its interconnections and routing policies.

As of [September 30] [2007], 1.244 billion people use the Internet according to Internet World Stats. Writing in the Harvard International Review, philosopher N.J.Slabbert, a writer on policy issues for the Washington DC-based Urban Land Institute, has asserted that the Internet is fast becoming a basic feature of global civilization, so that what has traditionally been called "[civil society]" is now becoming identical with information technology society as defined by Internet use. Slabbert,N.J. The Technologies of Peace, Harvard International Review, June 2006.

Internet protocols In this context, there are three layers of protocols:

At the lower level (OSI layer 3) is [Internet Protocol] (Internet Protocol), which defines the datagrams or [packet]s that carry blocks of data from one node to another. The vast majority of today's Internet uses version four of the IP protocol (i.e. [IPv4]), and although [IPv6] is standardized, it exists only as "islands" of connectivity, and there are many ISPs without any IPv6 connectivity. . [Internet Control Message Protocol] (Internet Control Message Protocol) also exists at this level. ICMP is connectionless; it is used for control, signaling, and error reporting purposes.

[Transmission Control Protocol] (Transmission Control Protocol) and [User Datagram Protocol] (User Datagram Protocol) exist at the next layer up (OSI layer 4); these are the protocols by which data is transmitted. TCP makes a virtual 'connection', which gives some level of guarantee of reliability. UDP is a best-effort, connectionless transport, in which data packets that are lost in transit will not be re-sent.

The [Application layer] sit on top of TCP and UDP and occupy layers 5, 6, and 7 of the OSI model. These define the specific messages and data formats sent and understood by the applications running at each end of the communication. Examples of these protocols are HTTP, FTP, and SMTP.

Internet structure There have been many analyses of the Internet and its structure. For example, it has been determined that the Internet IP routing structure and hypertext links of the World Wide Web are examples of [scale-free network]s.

Similar to the way the commercial Internet providers connect via [Internet exchange point]s, research networks tend to interconnect into large subnetworks such as:

[GEANT]
[GLORIAD]
The [Internet2] Network (formally known as the [Abilene Network])
[JANET] (the UK's [national research and education network])

These in turn are built around relatively smaller networks. See also the list of [:Category:Academic computer network organizations]

In [network diagram]s, the Internet is often represented by a cloud symbol, into and out of which network communications can pass.

ICANN The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is the authority that coordinates the assignment of unique identifiers on the Internet, including [domain name]s, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, and protocol port and parameter numbers. A globally unified namespace (i.e., a system of names in which there is one and only one holder of each name) is essential for the Internet to function. ICANN is headquartered in [Marina del Rey, California], but is overseen by an international board of directors drawn from across the Internet technical, business, academic, and non-commercial communities. The US government continues to have the primary role in approving changes to the [DNS root zone] file that lies at the heart of the domain name system. Because the Internet is a distributed network comprising many voluntarily interconnected networks, the Internet, as such, has no governing body. ICANN's role in coordinating the assignment of unique identifiers distinguishes it as perhaps the only central coordinating body on the global Internet, but the scope of its authority extends only to the Internet's systems of domain names, [IP address]es, and protocol port and parameter numbers.

On [November 16] [2005], the [World Summit on the Information Society], held in [Tunis], established the [Internet Governance Forum] (IGF) to discuss Internet-related issues.

Language The prevalent language for communication on the Internet is [English language]. This may be a result of the Internet's origins, as well as English's role as the [lingua franca]. It may also be related to the poor capability of early computers, largely originating in the [United States], to handle characters other than those in the English variant of the [Latin alphabet].

After English (30% of Web visitors) the most-requested languages on the [World Wide Web] are [Chinese language] 14%, [Spanish language] 8%, [Japanese language] 8%, [German language] 5%, [French language] 5%, [Portuguese language] 3.5%, [Korean language] 3%, [Italian language] 3% and [Arabic language] 2.5% (from Internet World Stats, updated January 11, 2007).

By continent, 36% of the world's Internet users are based in [Asia], 29% in [Europe], and 21% in [North America] ( updated January 11, 2007).

The Internet's technologies have developed enough in recent years, especially in the use of [Unicode], that good facilities are available for development and communication in most widely used languages. However, some glitches such as [mojibake] (incorrect display of foreign language characters, also known as kryakozyabry) still remain.

Internet and the workplace The Internet is allowing greater flexibility in working hours and location, especially with the spread of unmetered high-speed connections and [Web application]s.

The Internet Viewed on Mobile Devices The Internet can now be accessed virtually anywhere by numerous means. [Mobile phone]s, [datacard]s, [handheld] [game console]s and [cellular router]s allow users to connect to the Internet from anywhere there is a cellular network supporting that device's technology.

Common uses of the Internet E-mail The concept of sending electronic text messages between parties in a way analogous to mailing letters or memos predates the creation of the Internet. Even today it can be important to distinguish between Internet and internal e-mail systems. Internet e-mail may travel and be stored unencrypted on many other networks and machines out of both the sender's and the recipient's control. During this time it is quite possible for the content to be read and even tampered with by third parties, if anyone considers it important enough. Purely internal or intranet mail systems, where the information never leaves the corporate or organization's network, are much more secure, although in any organization there will be [information technology] and other personnel whose job may involve monitoring, and occasionally accessing, the email of other employees not addressed to them.

The World Wide Web , representing some of the [hyperlink]s

Many people use the terms Internet and World Wide Web (or just the Web) interchangeably, but, as discussed above, the two terms are not synonymous.

The World Wide Web is a huge set of interlinked documents, images and other resources, linked by [hyperlink]s and [URL]s. These hyperlinks and URLs allow the web-servers and other machines that store originals, and cached copies, of these resources to deliver them as required using [HTTP]. HTTP is only one of the communication protocols used on the Internet.

[Web service]s also use HTTP to allow software systems to communicate in order to share and exchange business logic and data.

Software products that can access the resources of the Web are correctly termed [user agent]s. In normal use, Web [browsers], such as Internet Explorer and Firefox access Web pages and allow users to navigate from one to another via hyperlinks. Web documents may contain almost any combination of computer data including photographs, graphics, sounds, text, video, multimedia and interactive content including games, office applications and scientific demonstrations.

Through [keyword (Internet search)]-driven [Internet research] using [search engine]s, like [Yahoo! Search], and [Google (search engine)], millions of people worldwide have easy, instant access to a vast and diverse amount of online information. Compared to [encyclopedia]s and traditional [library], the World Wide Web has enabled a sudden and extreme decentralization of information and data.

It is also easier using the Web than ever before for individuals and organisations to publish ideas and information to an extremely large audience. Anyone can find ways to publish a web page or build a website for very little initial cost. Publishing and maintaining large, professional websites full of attractive, diverse and up-to-date information is still a difficult and expensive proposition, however.

Many individuals and some companies and groups use "Web logs" or [blog]s, which are largely used as easily-updatable online diaries. Some commercial organizations encourage staff to fill them with advice on their areas of specialization in the hope that visitors will be impressed by the expert knowledge and free information, and be attracted to the corporation as a result. One example of this practice is [Microsoft], whose product [software developer] publish their personal blogs in order to pique the public's interest in their work.

Collections of personal Web pages published by large service providers remain popular, and have become increasingly sophisticated. Whereas operations such as [Angelfire] and [GeoCities] have existed since the early days of the Web, newer offerings from, for example, [Facebook] and [MySpace] currently have large followings. These operations often brand themselves as [social network service]s rather than simply as Web page hosts.

[Advertising] on popular Web pages can be lucrative, and [e-commerce] or the sale of products and services directly via the Web continues to grow.

In the early days, Web pages were usually created as sets of complete and isolated [HTML] text files stored on a Web server. More recently, Web sites are more often created using [content management system] (CMS) software with, initially, very little content. Users of the CMS, who may be paid staff, members of a club or other organisation, or even members of the public, fill the CMS database with content using editing pages designed for that purpose, while casual visitors view and read this content in its final HTML form. There may or may not be editorial, approval and security systems built into the process of taking newly entered content and making it available to the target visitors.

Remote access The Internet allows computer users to connect to other computers and information stores easily, wherever they may be across the world. They may do this with or without the use of [Computer security], authentication and encryption technologies, depending on the requirements.

This is encouraging new ways of working from home, collaboration and information sharing in many industries. An [accountancy] sitting at home can [audit] the books of a company based in another country, on a [server (computing)] situated in a third country that is remotely maintained by IT specialists in a fourth. These accounts could have been created by home-working book-keepers, in other remote locations, based on information e-mailed to them from offices all over the world. Some of these things were possible before the widespread use of the Internet, but the cost of private, [leased line]s would have made many of them infeasible in practice.

An office worker away from his desk, perhaps the other side of the world on a business trip or a holiday, can open a [Remote Desktop Protocol] session into their normal office PC using a secure [Virtual Private Network] (VPN) connection via the Internet. This gives the worker complete access to all of their normal files and data, including e-mail and other applications, while away from the office.

This concept is also referred to by some network security people as the Virtual Private Nightmare, because it extends the secure perimeter of a corporate network into its employees' homes; this has been the source of some notable security breaches, but also provides security for the workers.

Collaboration The low cost and nearly instantaneous sharing of ideas, knowledge, and skills has made [collaboration] work dramatically easier. Not only can a group cheaply communicate and test, but the wide reach of the Internet allows such groups to easily form in the first place, even among niche interests. An example of this is the [free software movement] in software development which produced [GNU] and [Linux] from scratch and has taken over development of [Mozilla] and [OpenOffice.org] (formerly known as [Netscape Communicator] and [StarOffice]).

Internet 'chat', whether in the form of [IRC] 'chat rooms' or channels, or via [instant messaging] systems allow colleagues to stay in touch in a very convenient way when working at their computers during the day. Messages can be sent and viewed even more quickly and conveniently than via e-mail. Extension to these systems may allow files to be exchanged, 'whiteboard' drawings to be shared as well as voice and video contact between team members.

[Version control] systems allow collaborating teams to work on shared sets of documents without either accidentally overwriting each other's work or having members wait until they get 'sent' documents to be able to add their thoughts and changes.

File sharing A [computer file] can be [Electronic mail] to customers, colleagues and friends as an [E-mail attachment]. It can be uploaded to a [Web site] or [File Transfer Protocol] server for easy download by others. It can be put into a "shared location" or onto a [file server] for instant use by colleagues. The load of bulk downloads to many users can be eased by the use of "[mirror (computing)]" servers or [peer-to-peer] networks.

In any of these cases, access to the file may be controlled by user [authentication]; the transit of the file over the Internet may be obscured by [encryption] and money may change hands before or after access to the file is given. The price can be paid by the remote charging of funds from, for example a [credit card] whose details are also passed—hopefully fully encrypted—across the Internet. The origin and authenticity of the file received may be checked by [digital signature]s or by [MD5] or other message digests.

These simple features of the Internet, over a world-wide basis, are changing the basis for the production, sale, and distribution of anything that can be reduced to a computer file for transmission. This includes all manner of print publications, software products, news, music, film, video, photography, graphics and the other arts. This in turn has caused seismic shifts in each of the existing industries that previously controlled the production and distribution of these products in that country.

Internet collaboration technology enables business and project teams to share documents, calendars and other information. Such collaboration occurs in a wide variety of areas including scientific research, software development, conference planning, political activism and creative writing.

Streaming media Many existing radio and television broadcasters provide Internet 'feeds' of their live audio and video streams (for example, the [BBC#Internet] and Rush Limbaugh). They may also allow time-shift viewing or listening such as Preview, Classic Clips and Listen Again features. These providers have been joined by a range of pure Internet 'broadcasters' who never had on-air licenses. This means that an Internet-connected device, such as a computer or something more specific, can be used to access on-line media in much the same way as was previously possible only with a [television] or [radio] receiver. The range of material is much wider, from [pornography] to highly specialized technical Web-casts. [Podcast]ing is a variation on this theme, where—usually audio—material is first downloaded in full and then may be played back on a computer or shifted to a [digital audio player] to be listened to on the move. These techniques using simple equipment allow anybody, with little censorship or licensing control, to broadcast audio-visual material on a worldwide basis.

[Webcam]s can be seen as an even lower-budget extension of this phenomenon. While some webcams can give full frame rate video, the picture is usually either small or updates slowly. Internet users can watch animals around an African waterhole, ships in the [Panama Canal], the traffic at a local roundabout or their own premises, live and in real time. Video [chat rooms], [video conferencing], and remote controllable webcams are also popular. Many uses can be found for personal webcams in and around the home, with and without two-way sound.

Voice telephony (VoIP) VoIP stands for Voice over IP, where [Internet Protocol] refers to the Internet Protocol that underlies all Internet communication. This phenomenon began as an optional two-way voice extension to some of the [Instant Messaging] systems that took off around the year 2000. In recent years many VoIP systems have become as easy to use and as convenient as a normal telephone. The benefit is that, as the Internet carries the actual voice traffic, VoIP can be free or cost much less than a normal telephone call, especially over long distances and especially for those with always-on Internet connections such as [Cable modem] or [ADSL].

Thus VoIP is maturing into a viable alternative to traditional telephones. Interoperability between different providers has improved and the ability to call or receive a call from a traditional telephone is available. Simple inexpensive VoIP modems are now available that eliminate the need for a PC.

Voice quality can still vary from call to call but is often equal to and can even exceed that of traditional calls.

Remaining problems for VoIP include [emergency telephone number] dialling and reliability. Currently a few VoIP providers provide an emergency service but it is not universally available. Traditional phones are line powered and operate during a power failure, VoIP does not do so without a [uninterruptible power supply] for the electronics.

Most VoIP providers offer unlimited national calling but the direction in VoIP is clearly toward global coverage with unlimited minutes for a low monthly fee.

VoIP has also become increasingly popular within the gaming world, as a form of communication between players. Popular gaming VoIP clients include [Ventrilo] and [Teamspeak], and there are others available also.

Censorship Some governments, such as those of [Cuba], [Iran], [North Korea], the [People's Republic of China] and [Saudi Arabia], restrict what people in their countries can access on the Internet, especially political and religious content. This is accomplished through software that filters domains and content so that they may not be easily accessed or obtained without elaborate circumvention.

In [Norway], [Finland] and [Sweden], major Internet service providers have voluntarily (possibly to avoid such an arrangement being turned into law) agreed to restrict access to sites listed by police. While this list of forbidden URLs is only supposed to contain addresses of known child pornography sites, the content of the list is secret.

Many countries have enacted laws making the possession or distribution of certain material, such as [child pornography], illegal, but do not use filtering software.

There are many free and commercially available software programs with which a user can choose to block offensive Web sites on individual computers or networks, such as to limit a child's access to pornography or violence. See [Content-control software].

==Internet access==Common methods of home access include [dial-up access], landline [Broadband Internet access] (over coaxial cable, [fiber optic] or copper wires), [Wi-Fi], [Satellite Internet] and technology [3G] [mobile phone].

[Public place]s to use the Internet include libraries and [Internet cafe]s, where computers with Internet connections are available. There are also Internet access points in many public places such as airport halls and coffee shops, in some cases just for brief use while standing. Various terms are used, such as "public Internet kiosk", "public access terminal", and "Web [payphone]". Many hotels now also have public terminals, though these are usually fee-based.

Wi-Fi provides wireless access to computer networks, and therefore can do so to the Internet itself. [Hotspot (Wi-Fi)] providing such access include [Wi-Fi#Commercial Wi-Fi], where a would-be user needs to bring their own wireless-enabled devices such as a [laptop] or [Personal Digital Assistant]. These services may be free to all, free to customers only, or fee-based. A hotspot need not be limited to a confined location. The whole campus or park, or even the entire city can be enabled. [Grassroots] efforts have led to [wireless community network]s. Commercial WiFi services covering large city areas are in place in [London], [Vienna], [Toronto], [San Francisco], [Philadelphia], [Chicago] and [Pittsburgh]. The Internet can then be accessed from such places as a park bench. "Toronto Hydro to Install Wireless Network in Downtown Toronto". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 19-Mar-2006.

Apart from Wi-Fi, there have been experiments with proprietary mobile wireless networks like [Ricochet (internet service)], various high-speed data services over cellular phone networks, and fixed wireless services.

High-end mobile phones such as [smartphone]s generally come with Internet access through the phone network. Web browsers such as [Opera (browser)] are available on these advanced handsets, which can also run a wide variety of other Internet software. More mobile phones have Internet access than PCs, though this is not as widely used. An Internet access provider and protocol matrix differentiates the methods used to get online.

Leisure The Internet has been a major source of leisure since before the World Wide Web, with entertaining social experiments such as [MUD]s and [MOO]s being conducted on university servers, and humor-related [Usenet] groups receiving much of the main traffic. Today, many [Internet forum]s have sections devoted to games and funny videos; short cartoons in the form of [Flash animation] are also popular. Over 6 million people use blogs or message boards as a means of communication and for the sharing of ideas.

The [pornography] and [gambling] industries have both taken full advantage of the World Wide Web, and often provide a significant source of advertising revenue for other Web sites. Although many governments have attempted to put restrictions on both industries' use of the Internet, this has generally failed to stop their widespread popularity. A song in the [Broadway theatre] show [Avenue Q] is titled "[The Internet is for Porn]" and refers to the popularity of this aspect of the Internet.

One main area of leisure on the Internet is [multiplayer gaming]. This form of leisure creates communities, bringing people of all ages and origins to enjoy the fast-paced world of multiplayer games. These range from [MMORPG] to [first-person shooter]s, from [computer role-playing game] to [online gambling]. This has revolutionized the way many people interact and spend their free time on the Internet.

While online gaming has been around since the 1970s, modern modes of online gaming began with services such as [GameSpy Arcade] and [MPlayer.com], which players of games would typically subscribe to. Non-subscribers were limited to certain types of gameplay or certain games.

Many use the Internet to access and download music, movies and other works for their enjoyment and relaxation. As discussed above, there are paid and unpaid sources for all of these, using centralized servers and distributed peer-to-peer technologies. Discretion is needed as some of these sources take more care over the original artists' rights and over copyright laws than others.

Many use the World Wide Web to access news, weather and sports reports, to plan and book holidays and to find out more about their random ideas and casual interests.

People use [Internet Relay Chat], [instant messaging] and email to make and stay in touch with friends worldwide, sometimes in the same way as some previously had [pen pal]s. [Social networking] Web sites like [Friends Reunited] and many others like them also put and keep people in contact for their enjoyment.

The Internet has seen a growing amount of [Internet operating system]s, where users can access their files, folders, and settings via the Internet. An example of an [opensource] webOS is [Eyeos].

[Cyberslacking] has become a serious drain on corporate resources; the average UK employee spends 57 minutes a day surfing the Web at work, according to a study by [Peninsula Business Services] .

Complex architecture Many computer scientists see the Internet as a "prime example of a large-scale, highly engineered, yet highly [complex system]".Walter Willinger, Ramesh Govindan, Sugih Jamin, Vern Paxson, and Scott Shenker (2002). Scaling phenomena in the Internet. In Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 99, suppl. 1, 2573–2580. The Internet is extremely heterogeneous. (For instance, [data transfer rate]s and physical characteristics of connections vary widely.) The Internet exhibits [Emergence] that depend on its large-scale organization. For example, data transfer rates exhibit temporal [self-similarity]. Further adding to the complexity of the Internet is the ability of more than one computer to use the Internet through only one node, thus creating the possibility for a very deep and hierarchal based sub-network that can theoretically be extended infinitely (disregarding the programmatic limitations of the IPv4 protocol). However, since principles of this architecture date back to the 1960s, it might not be a solution best suited to modern needs, and thus the possibility of developing alternative structures is currently being looked into. Thanks to studies done in the [Hebrew] [University] in [Jerusalem], it has been shown that the internet is in the shape of a [sphere] or [medusa jellyfish]. There are 3 sections of this sphere. The core of the internet is made up of around a 100 of the most tightly connected subnetworks, such as [Google]. "Internet Makeover? Some argue it's time". The Seattle Times, April 16, 2007.

Marketing The Internet has also become a large market for companies; some of the biggest companies today have grown by taking advantage of the efficient nature of low-cost [advertising] and [commerce] through the Internet; also known as [e-commerce]. It is the fastest way to spread information to a vast amount of people simultaneously. The Internet has also subsequently revolutionized [shopping]—for example; a person can order a [Compact disc] online and receive it in the [mail] within a couple of days, or [download] it directly in some cases. The Internet has also greatly facilitated [personalized marketing] which allows a company to market a product to a specific person or a specific group of people more so than any other advertising medium.

Examples of personalized marketing include online communities such as [MySpace], [Friendster], [Orkut], [Facebook] and others which thousands of Internet users join to advertise themselves and make friends online. Many of these users are young teens and adolescents ranging from 13 to 25 years old. In turn, when they advertise themselves they advertise interests and hobbies, which online marketing companies can use as information as to what those users will purchase online, and advertise their own companies' products to those users.

The name Internet Internet is traditionally written with a [majuscule] first letter, as it is a [proper noun]. The [Internet Society], the [Internet Engineering Task Force], the [ICANN], the [World Wide Web Consortium], and several other Internet-related organizations use this convention in their publications.

Many newspapers, newswires, periodicals, and technical journals capitalize the term (Internet). Examples include [The New York Times], the [Associated Press], [Time (magazine)], [The Times of India], [Hindustan Times], and [Communications of the ACM].

Others assert that the first letter should be in [minuscule] (internet), and that the specific article “the” is sufficient to distinguish “the internet” from other internets. A significant number of publications use this form, including [The Economist], the [Canadian Broadcasting Corporation], the [Financial Times], [The Guardian], [The Times], and [The Sydney Morning Herald]. As of 2005, many publications using internet appear to be located outside of [North America]—although one U.S. news source, [Wired News], has adopted the lower-case spelling.

Historically, Internet and internet have had different meanings, with internet meaning “an interconnected set of distinct networks,” and Internet referring to the world-wide, publicly-available [Internet Protocol] internet. Under this distinction, "the Internet" is the familiar network via which [website]s exist, however "an internet" can exist between any two remote locations. What is the Internet? Any group of distinct networks connected together is an internet; each of these networks may or may not be part of the Internet. The distinction was evident in many [Request for Comments], books, and articles from the 1980s and early 1990s (some of which, such as RFC 1918, refer to "internets" in the plural), but has recently fallen into disuse. Instead, the term [intranet] is generally used for private networks. See also: [extranet].

Some people use the lower-case term as a medium (like radio or newspaper, e.g. I've found it on the internet), and first letter capitalized as the global network.

See also Major aspects and issues

[Internet democracy]
[History of the Internet]
[Net neutrality]
[Internet privacy]

Functions

[E-mail]
[File-sharing]
[Instant messaging]
[Internet fax]
[World Wide Web]
[Voice over IP]

Underlying infrastructure

[Internet Protocol] (IP)
[Internet Service Provider] (ISP)
[Series of tubes]

Regulatory bodies

[Internet Assigned Numbers Authority] (IANA)
[Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers] ([ICANN])

Notes References

Media Freedom Internet Cookbook by the [OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media] Vienna, 2004
Living Internet—Internet history and related information, including information from many creators of the Internet
First Monday peer-reviewed journal on the Internet
How Much Does The Internet Weigh? by Stephen Cass, [Discover (magazine)] 2007

Rehmeyer, Julie J. 2007. Mapping a medusa: The Internet spreads its tentacles. Science News 171(June 23):387-388. Available at http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070623/fob2.asp .Sohn, Emily. 2006. Internet generation. Science News for Kids (Oct. 25). Available at http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20061025/Feature1.asp .

External links

"10 Years that changed the world"—WiReD looks back at the evolution of the Internet over last 10 years
Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard
A comprehensive history with people, concepts and quotations
CBC Digital Archives—Inventing the Internet Age
How the Internet Came to Be
Internet Explained
Global Internet Traffic Report
The Internet Society History Page
RFC 801, planning the TCP/IP switchover
Archive CBC Video Circa 1990 about the Internet
"The beginners guide to the internet."

Information Reference: Wikipedia.org

Internet

Questions and Answers

internet?????

Q) im with bt for my internet supplier, im thinking of changing to someone else...if i do this can i still keep my bt internet email address

A) Generally with isp provided email there is an element of security as they can see you attached to your own line. If you use an smtp client like Outlook Express they may well refuse to accept your emails this way when you change. Also many isps include the email only as part of your broadband contract.

What are the different mobile phone internet connections, and what speeds are they?

Q) I know of WAP and GPRS, and I think WAP is 9.6 kbps, but I don't know what speed GPRS is, or what other mobile internet services there are. I'm also interested in what each of these can view - WAP, and I think GPRS, can only be used to view WML pages. Are there any mobile internet services which can access all of the internet, not just specially written pages? If you have any questions about my question, please message me before answering.

A) Well there's: GSM as used by WAP services connecting at approx 9.6kb/s GPRS as used by WAP and some HTML sites depending on browser, phone, network service etc, connecting at approx 56kb/s CDMA2000 1xRTT as used in many Asian countries connecting at approx 144kb/s EDGE connects at approx 236 kb/s UMTS which is handles all of the above plus more again dependent on specifications. This connects at approx 384kb/s HSDPA which currently maxes out at approx 14Mb/s but recent developments have seen this rise to over 40Mb/s. There are many others but these are some of the more well known. FYI: WAP is the name of the addressing protocol used to connect internet servers to the earlier mobile phones or those that can only use 2G (GSM) technologies. It's a bit like WWW but for old phones. It's not actually a data services like the above examples. Hope this helps.

How do I connect an internet connection to a second computor ?

Q) I have recently got Sky internet on my computor downstairs. I would like to connect the internet to the computor upstairs also. When I try to do it, it says the network is security locked. How do I connect it ?

A) There are some Tutorials here: http://www.custom-computerz.com/forums/networking.html

Where on the internet can I buy replacement earpieces for my in-ear headphones?

Q) I have a pair of Philips in-ear headphones but have lost earpieves that go on the end you ear. Does anyone know anywhere on the internet I can buy these? Tried ebay but they all sell as heaphones not the earpieces

A) here is a good website, I had dealt with many times!!! http://www.hellodirect.com/hellodirect/Shop?PCR=1:1:5:15 there have everything...you also can call them...

How do I make my wireless internet encrypted?

Q) When I go on internet properties it says connection : not encrypted. I don't know if it's meant to be like that or if thats why y internet pages won't show up?

A) It is a bit of a palaver actually, but I managed it and I am a real entry-level anorak! My computer is running Mac OS X operating system, but the basic procedure will be the same. Wireless encryption is just a way by which you can prevent other people from using (stealing) your bandwidth - you have to access it with a password. On a Mac, the password is remembered for you by the computer in an application called Keychain (if you click "yes" to it's request to remember it for you during the set-up process, or later!) Encryption also allows you to easily identify your own network, because you give it its own special name. So if your router is, say, a Netgear and there are three other Netgear routers in range that you always see when you switch on your Wi Fi, after you have set it up, yours will always identify itself by the name you have given it: eg: Mickey Mouse! (Called the SSID on mine, possibly standing for: Secure Station Identity???) You need to know which kind of security method your operating system can use (eg: WEP, that's "Wired Equivalent Privacy", or WPA-PSK, which stands for "Wi-Fi Protected Access Pre-Shared Key"!) This is most important. Your internet provider will tell you which one to use so long as you tell them the operating system and the router model. In fact, probably only the former! And they should be able to send you an email with specific instructions. With WEP, you enter a 13 character passphrase to generate a much longer WEP key, automatically. Make a note of it!! With WPA-PSK you enter your own hexadecimal number using any combination of 0123456789ABCDEF up to something like sixty four characters in length. Letters MUST BE UPPER CASE (use caps lock here). But I was advised by my, extremely helpful, ISP techy, not to go above about thirty two! (Even computers get confused sometimes, using long numbers!) After I successfully completed the task, I compiled the following document, for future reference - because the one my ISP emailed me was for WEP, and my Mac uses WPA-PSK! Which you are welcome to read. Don't forget that it is for WPA-PSK, which is what my computer uses. Your operating system may not. But the set-up will be very similar. (By the way, the first answerer- "The Boss" - is quite correct about entering the funny number on the back of the router as a URL, and indeed the password and username. You can change these latter two to your own preferred ones while you are on the router's set-up site.) So here we go . . . . . . . Setting Up Wireless Network Security For Mac OS X Checklist: 1) The router is powered on. 2) An Ethernet connection (wired connection) has been set up between the computer and the router. (Airport is best turned off). Set Up Your Router's Wireless Security: 1) Enter the URL for the router in the browser (eg: Safari) and go to. 2) Enter the Username and Password for the router "configourator" and click OK. 3) In Router Config. select Wireless Settings from the side menu bar. 4) Enter a new SSID (Network Name). This can be anything; something that distinguishes it from other networks that are within range and which will be personally familiar. 5) In Security Options enable (check-circle) WPA-PSK (Wi-Fi Protected Access Pre-Shared Key). [Most Important] 6) Select Caps Lock on the computer keyboard. In the text-field insert an Encryption code (Min.8 / Max.63 characters - though maximum recommended is 32) using any combination of 0123456789ABCDEF only. Click Accept. 7) Take a note of this code (Use left-arrow/right-arrow to scroll in the text field if your key is longer) and Log Out. 8) Remove Ethernet Cable. 9) Switch on Airport Extreme and select your Wireless Network, as named above. 10) On the prompt, enter the Encryption Code. (You can check the box to "show password" to avoid errors, and you can check the box to save in this computer's keychain so you do not have to enter the encryption key each time you connect to this Wireless network). Click OK. Airport should connect to this network. It is advisable also to open Internet Connect and ensure that you have given permission for it to use access to this keychain 'always' etc. Also, that Airport and this Wireless Network are your preferred settings, in Network settings, in Apple, System Preferences. 11) Open Safari and check that your internet connection is working. 12) De-Select Caps Lock. Current Username: Current Password: Current Encryption Code: _____________________________ Hope this is not too daunting. As I say, your ISP technical help department will either send you an email on how to do it for your OS, or talk you through on the 'phone - or both. And, by the way, the use of the ethernet cable (the yellow one) is to convert your router into a normal in-line modem so that any sharp-eared eavesdroppers can't tune in to your wireless station and see what your encryption code is while you are choosing it. Clever stuff! The cable will have been included with your router pack and it connects the router directly to the computer without the need for wireless, for security during the sensitive operation. Leave your computer's Wi-Fi (called "Airport" on a Mac) switched off throughout the process. Note: 'Safari' is the name of the internet browser on a Mac. You might use 'Internet Explorer' etc. Good luck.

Norton Internet security 2006 How do I allow limewire to connect to the internet?

Q) Can someone give me instructions on how to allow limewire to connect the internet with norton internet security.

A) Norton is crap!!! Limewire is awsome!!! reinstall computer as suggested on website below and you shall never again have problems at all!!! http://computersguide.blogspot.com/2007/01/install-computers.html

How do you connect a PS3 to the internet?

Q) I want to know how to connect a PS3 to the internet. I know you can connect it through a netgear box which i own, but my mother will not let me use it because she things it will weck the computer. I do have in my room a wirless network stick which allows me to go on the internet on my computer. Is there anyway of using that to get my PS3 on the internet?

A) go on the ps3 website ull find all u need there

What are the best internet stores where i can buy holiday clothing?

Q) im goin on holiday to spain, and want some clothes that i can mix and match in the day, and some striking pieces for the evening. Id like to take some spending money though so i dont want it to cost a fortune, are there any internet sites you could recommend?

A) Try this web site. It has clothing, shoes etc. www.quixtar.com

How do I switch to a different internet provider?

Q) I've got Internet connection with Virgin, but it's not wireless. So now I would like to switch to another internet provider which preferably can give me also a wireless modem for free. (and which is fairly cheap - I'm paying about 15 £ a month at the moment.) What's the best way? I've been told I need a MAC code from my internet provider to switch to the other...

A) Cancel your subcribtion with Virgin and call the internet service provider that you want and switch. As simple as that.

How does internet wireless work with regards to the internet provider?

Q) I sort of know how it all works but I just don't get who you have to pay to get the wireless internet. For instance, I currently have a standard broadband internet package with Tiscalli. If I wanted to use my laptop away from home and get on the internet by wireless, who do I pay. If I went half way across the country e.g UK and got connected, surely the person/company that is providing that wireless internet has nothing to do with my tiscali account at home. So I guess I'm wondering whether or not I would need to have two internet providers. One for home and one for the internet wireless.

A) The first time you access a wireless site you will receive a logon page. At that point you make the decision of how to pay. You can pay by the hour, day, week, or month. You receive an id and password that can be used the next time. There are many providers. If you sign up for a long term plan it is only good with the specific provider. It is up to the store providing the service which company they use. You may end up with 2 internet providers. This is all referring to WiFi service. There is also cellular internet service that has a much wider range and must be set up ahead of time with a service provider.

Table './infoservice/infoservice' is marked as crashed and should be repaired

.....Internet?

Q) Hard Drive?

A) And now for the question.

How to limit internet access to just a few websites?

Q) I need to restrict internet access to just a few websites at ~20 locations. The locations are retail stores that need internet access to HR websites and company websites, but I don't want them surfing the internet. The stores have connections back to one point (a sonicwall firewall/router) which is where they gain their internet access. I would like to keep from having to travel to each store to change settings on each computer. Is there anyway we could limit internet access in this way.

A) Use your firewall to restrict them. How long have you been administrating this?

What is an internet relationship and why do get close to internet relation much faster than in real?

Q) What is an internet friendship? How close can we go with an opposite sex having internet friendship? What is the difference of dating in real person and internet dating? Why do we feel close with internet friends more than anything else and feel like meeting him / her again and again in person?

A) I think people move in relationships faster online because there is no fear of not being able to say what you actually feel, and you are able to openly express yourself. Also so many people change themselves online to have a personality that you would like, and those people find out little things about you and incorporate it into who they "are" to make you like them more. And the fact that you can either lie about your personality is scary, because what if you do meet the person? And then you may never know who you can trust and may not meet real friendly people. My advise is that less people should indulge on online RELATIONSHIPS and stick with FRIENDSHIP. :) have a fantastic day and watch out for online predators !

How can broadband internet connection is made to both the computers which are in networking?

Q) I have two systems in networking by LAN, one system is Windows 98 and other is Windows XP. Now, I have connected Broadband internet connection with system of windows XP through USB. The system of Windows XP is connected with internet but I am not able to surf internet at system with Windows 98. Kindly instruct as to how the internet connection can be achieved at both the systems. I am layman in this field. Kindly let me have complete manual in this regard.

A) Its really easy. First you have to share the broadband connection, to do that you have to go to the properties of My Networking Places, then go to the properties of the dial up which connects broadband, go to the Advance tab and click on share. After sharing your LAN card address will autometically assign to 192.168.0.1, when ask for that click on yes. Now go to the second PC. Then properties of My networking places then propoerties of Local area connection double click on "Internet Protocol(TCP/IP)" asgine IP Address=192.168.0.2 Subnet Mask= 255.255.255.0 Gateway=192.168.0.1 DNS= 192.168.0.1 And you are done.

How does internet pricing work when looking to buy a new car?

Q) I'm looking into buying a new Nissan Versa and am looking at local dealerships websites. One I found show the MSRP price as well as an internet price for all the Versas listed. All the internet prices all $2,500 to $3,000 cheaper than the MSRP price they have listed. So I wanted to know what does the internet pricing price tag mean and how does it work and can if I can really get the car that much cheaper how do I go about the process? Thanks.

A) go to consumer reports and they have a $12 new car lookup and they'll give you the lowest of the car and go from there. they have good articles there too.

How do I get internet on a nokia 770 internet tablet?

Q) I recently bought a nokia 770 internet tablet, it says that I access the internet through wifi or cellphone. Can someone give me the information on wifi? What is it? How do you use/activate it and are there any fees? Do I need services like an internet provider with monthly fees? Are there any other things that I may need to purchase?

A) You can go online 3 different ways with your new tablet. You can go online the same way you would with a laptop. You can use Bluetooth or you can pair it with a phone. The first link I put is a pdf file. If you go to page 20 it will show you the 3 different ways to go online. The second link is a interactive demonstrations which can help you go online also. Go to "Managing Connections" under "Feature Demos".

How do you feel about internet or cable based classes while attending a traditional university?

Q) I am planning out my class schedule for next semester, and I could take two of my 5 classes via the internet. So, I'd only have to go to campus for tests. This would be very convenient, as parking is a hassle, and I work full-time so going down for anything is annoying. The classes are also offered in a traditional lecture format, with night classes that would work with my schedule, but I would have to take the extra time to go, park, etc which would certainly be tempting to skip, whereas the internet I could do whenever. What are your experiences/thoughts with internet based or otherwise remote classes? It seems like it would be a lot more work, cause you'd have to read everything instead of just absorbing lecture material. P.S. I am a fairly good student, I got a 3.8 last semester and stand to do about a 3.5x this semester. So I wouldn't just blow off the classes, internet or otherwise. Thanks for your thoughts

A) It really depends on how important the lecture material is to you. For example, when I was in college I went to almost every class so I wouldn't have to read too much from the book. Also, the Prof. would give hints as to what would be on the test or what was really important on projects. However, if you are a person that can learn easily from reading the book all on your own, then by all means make your life easy and take the class over the Internet. I also think taking classes over the Internet is easier. My sister teaches all her college classes that way and doesn't give much homework, mainly a few projects and one exam.

I want to start an internet store for nail polish using yahoo. Any advice?

Q) I intend to sell professional salon use nail polishes such as OPI and ESSIE. Yahoo looks to have an easy and low cost system for starters. But as this is my first time, I would appreciate any advice or information from experienced internet store owners/employees. What kind of problems do you encounter the most as an internet store? What are the risks and the perks? Do people really buy from and trust new internet stores? What kind of sales is typical of a small internet store in its first month of opening? I have read many books on the topic but I would love some REAL feedback. Thank you everyone for your help!

A) Before you sign up with Yahoo, consider checking out Site Build It, which is easy to find on Google. They provide you everything you need for building you site and marketing it to others. There is an annual fee for signing up, but the cost will be less than Yahoo in the long run. I wish you the best in all your business ventures.

What other internet forums do you visit for questions and discussions?

Q) When you want to ask (or answer) questions on the internet, which forums do you go to besides Yahoo Answers? I'm trying to identify good forums on the internet. Feel free to list as many forums as you want. Thanks for your help!

A) I have never visited any forums besides Yahoo Answers except software troubleshooting forums.

How do I connect my laptopt to the internet in a Wifi hotspot?

Q) I just bought an HP Omnibook 900 with an Airlink 101 Wireless card. The previous owner said that he used the wireless to connect to the internet without any problems. So here is the question. This is my first time using a laptop with wireless, so If I am in a hotspot offering wifi (such as a bookstore), what do I need to do to connect to the internet. Should it be as simple as clicking on the internet explorer and it will automatically detect the signal and pull up , or do I have to select something on the control panel ? Right now the laptop is running Windows ME, I plan to change it to XP in the future so I can run off wireless from my home home internet provider (comcast). Can someone please tell me what I need to do to connect to the internet. Thanks.

A) go start and choose connetct to... then if its not there then scann and double click it and it wil start connecting.. and your done