Essay on Technologies Before the Internet

Before the internet, electronic communication included the radio, motion pictures, televisions, and telephones.

Digital VS analog technology

Analog technology is that which is natural to humans and information is translated using electric pulses whereas digital technology is natural to computing devices and the data is handled in the form of bits and bytes.

Digital photography

Cameras use semiconductor chips instead of plain films. Pictures are then converted into bits and bytes.

The Victorian Internet

It was invented in the 1840s and comprised of the telegraph. It was wired internet and signals were sent through the same. The signs consisted of dots and dashes and were mainly used by the United States.

Origins of the Internet

Began as a research project of connecting computers. Internet was developed and funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), a department in the Defense Force.

Major steps in the development of the Internet

1969 Development of first host software

1972 Development of Telnet to connect computers. The introduction of email.

1973- Establishment of File Transfer Protocol

Social media

Social media provides a platform through which the community can share information and communicate to enhance collaboration and cooperation. Social media helps distant people keep in touch and makes friends from strangers. Many friendships have been generated from social media, and some of the lucky few have gotten their spouses though the same. Social media has also been used to market products and services hence promoting business.

Produced VS emergent

These are the two classes of web genre. Whereas the reproduced type involves substantial secondary sources material such as scholarly articles, books, reports, and newspapers, the emergent genre is purely based on the web.

Familiar/reconfigured/emergent

Familiar aspects are patterns that have existed on the web since the 1990s to the present date. Examples include web communication such as writing and hyperlinks.

Reconfigured aspects are new patterns that have been forged from technological changes. They include modifications such as personal statuses, quoting, and last seen on social media applications.

Emergent aspects are patterns that are entirely new to the social media but have found high acceptance such as image texting and video chatting.

Web1/web2/web 3

Web 1.0 are mostly read-only websites and can support around 250,000 sites. It also has the least number of global users.

Web 2.0 are wildly read-write websites and can support up to 80 million sites. It has a relatively higher number of international users than Web 1.0.

Web 3.0 is the most advanced website. It is wildly write-read and can support up to 800 million sites. It has the most number of global users.

Define Internet governance.

Internet governance is the process of regulating the use of Internet through shared principles, rules, norms, and monitoring programs that ensure that the proper use of the web as well as shaping its evolution.

Why is it important/ necessary?

It ensures the smooth functioning of the internet and enhances the cooperation of the several stakeholders.

Steps in the development of internet governance

Telecommunication provides the development of technical infrastructure.

Computer science focuses on the development of standards and applications.

Law regulates the jurisdiction and resolving disputes.

Politics enhances the proper use of the internet and curbs internet threats.

Domain name systems

This is the system that tracks and controls internet domain names. It also converts internet addresses into IP numbers.

What is Internet neutrality?

The principle that ensures all like Internet content is treated the same and moves at a similar speed over the network.

Internet governance approaches

Whereas the broad approach goes beyond the infrastructural issues, the narrow approach is limited to the web infrastructure.