21/10/09

What is Internet?


What is Internet?
Is a worldwide platform that uses the digital language to enhance communication of messages and data and storage of information between independent and decentralized computers and therefore among people. It’s usually confused the concept Internet with the concept World Wide Web (WWW) since the second one is the most commonly used Internet service in the world, but they are different concepts. Internet is the main structure where the WWW service can be used.

How does it work?
Thanks to the theory Leonard Kleinrock published in 1960 engineers and scientist developed computers that actually receive information and compress it into small packages that can be send to other computers that decompressed them making it possible to send information through the electric telephonic cable rather than using circuits. As we see, the functioning of Internet is quite simple.

It takes two types of computers to ensure the working of Internet: the server and the client. The first one stores information and data and administrates the coordination and communication between two or more computers or clients that are going to be connected. In this understanding, if you want to contact people or access the information found in China from Sydney, the computer-client connects to the Internet where the system will assign a number, then track the number identifier of the computer-server where the information or contacts in China are and the link is done.

The computer uses the Internet Protocol Suit (TCP/IP) to transform information into bits using the digital language.

What is it for?
Internet is just a bunch of independent computers interconnected. Its main use is to make it easier and faster the communication of people and data. There are a large number of services that are used according to the kind of function expected from the Net. We find the above mentioned WWW, the electronic mailing (SMTP), the online conversations (IRC), the instant messenger, the radio broadcasting and television, telephonic conversations, electronic newsletters, remote access (SSH), etcetera.

PICS

WE RECOMMEND:
JANNET ABBATE, Inventing the Internet (Inside Technology.
JEREMY M. NORMAN, From Gutenberg to the Internet: A Sourcebook on the History of Information Technology.
BRIAN KAHIN and JAMES H. KELLER, Coordinating the Internet.