The Internet Essay -- Technology Computers Essays

The Internet The Internet and World Wide Web are commonly used words among people today. As a college student especially, the Web and Internet play a huge part of life. What is sometimes tough to realize though is the newness of the Internet and the Web. Because the two have become such a huge part of life, it is shocking to consider that the Internet itself has only been in existence for the past thirty years or so. It is important to understand the history of the Internet and the creation of the Web to better prepare for the future of the two and to ensure that the use of the resources is maximized, focused, and beneficial to all mankind. The History The roots of the internet can be traced to the year 1957. 1957 was a year dedicated to atmospheric research and was the year in which the USSR launched a small orbiting satellite into the Earth’s atmosphere. Shortly after the satellite was launched, the United States created the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) within the Ministry of Defense. This agency was created to number one, protect the U.S. against the threat of technological advances made by other countries and number two, to ensure the United States was keeping on top of state-of-the-art technology. Initially the focus of ARPA was on space, missiles, and nuclear tests. Several scientists worked within the agency along with several sub-contractors to create the latest technology. Even though computing was not the main priority of the agency, directors of the agency had a vision to create a direct link between the computers of the ARPA headquarters and all of its subcontractors. In 1962, John Licklider, an MIT scientist, was appointed by ARPA to lead a computer research development program.... ...22 October 2004. . Internet2. 22 October 2004. . Kristula, Dave. â€Å"The History of the Internet.† March 1997. 21 October 2004. . Leiner, Barry M. and Vinton G. Cerf. â€Å"A Brief History of the Internet.† Internet Society (ISOC). 22 October 2004. . â€Å"Next generation research networks†. Library and Archives Canada. 3 March 2004. 22 October 2004. < http://www.collectionscanada.ca/pubs/netnotes/notes42.htm>. â€Å"Usage and Population Statistics.† Internet World Stats. 22 October 2004. . Webopedia. 23 October 2004. . World Wide Web Consortium. 22 October 2004. .