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The Internet, 4/1/08
Overview:
Over one billion people currently use the internet and it is growing every day. Join us as we tell the story of how the internet was born and how it has grown to become such an important part of life in the 21st century. We will explain what it is, how it works and how it has changed our society—from travel reservations to auctions to social networks, information searches (Google) and more.
Key Lecture Points:
• The Internet is a global collection of networks of computers which represents an agreement between organizations to intercommunicate freely. The Internet is able to operate globally because of a common protocol known as TCP/IP (transmission control protocol/internet protocol).
• The Internet began as a U.S. Defense Department project that expanded to include University researchers and ultimately expanded to include businesses and individual users. As of 2007, it is estimated that 1.3 billion people worldwide have used the Internet.
• The most popular applications used on the Internet are e-mail and searching the World Wide Web for information. Connecting to the Internet usually involves a fee paid to an internet service provider; however, most of the Internet content is free.
• A so-called digital divide exists between people and countries who have access to the Internet and those who do not. Developing countries are the least likely to have Internet access. Within the U.S., African Americans, Hispanics, the poor and those living in rural areas are least likely to have access to the Internet.
• The Internet has the potential to make available the sum total of human knowledge to every individual on the earth. A darker side of the Internet is the availability of web sites with violent, racist and pornographic content.
• Some fear that the Internet has led to increased loneliness and social isolation. Others believe that the Internet has strengthened social contacts between people.
Exploration Questions:
• In what ways is the internet a potential benefit to society? In what ways does the internet pose a challenge to society?
• How has the availability of the internet changed the world?
Reflective Question:
• Do you use the internet? If so, what is the experience like? If not, what are the reasons that you have avoided it?
More to Explore:
• Visual depiction of how internet works: http://hwi.uni.be
• Most popular websites by country: www.alexa.com
• Impact of the Internet on life: www.pewinternet.org
Books For Further Reading:
• Goldsmith, Jack and Wu, Tim. Who Controls the Internet?: Illusions of a Borderless World, 2006. 238 pages. This book looks at the ways that governments exert influence on the Internet. The authors look at several controversies including political censorship and online pornography. Click here to order.
• Tapscott, Don. Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation, 1999. 352 pages. Based on a series of interviews with young people from age 2 – 22, the author hypothesizes how the “Net Generation” will shape the future. Click here to order.
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