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Anna Posyniak-Dutka Internet Protocol That Changed the World

What is the internet? Simply speaking, it’s a worldwide networkworldwide networkworldwide network of computers that are connected into one system. Thanks to it, users at various corners of the world can exchange information and cooperate with one another. Do we use the internet in the ways its inventorsinventors (inventor)inventors intendedintended (intend)intended? Not exactly. What has changed since the internet first came into existencecame into existence (come into existence)came into existence?

Back in the 1960s, the US government researchersresearchers (researcher)researchers created a communication system called ARPANET. It was the first network which allowed computers to talk to each other. Here is the first difference between now and then. Originally, the internet was a communication tooltooltool for a small group of people. In the early 90’s the world wide web became available for public useavailable for public useavailable for public use for the first time. Nowadays, according to the BBC, it’s used by over 4.4 billion people all over the world, and communication is only one of its many functions.

The way we connect to the internet has also changed dramatically over the years. In the early days, we needed dial‑up modemsdial‑up modems (dial‑up modem)dial‑up modems to connect to the internet. If you wanted to access the web, you needed to plug a telephone line into your computerplug a telephone line into your computer (plug something into something)plug a telephone line into your computer. It was slow and you were not able to make phone callsmake phone calls (make a phone call)make phone calls while you were online. The appearance of broadband internetbroadband internetbroadband internet in the 1990s and early 2000s changed everything. This type of connection is always on, which means that you don’t have to dial in to connect. Also, it offers much bigger speeds. It can be delivereddelivered (deliver)delivered to your house by means ofby means ofby means of a few different technologies, the newest of which is fibre optic cablesfibre optic cables (fibre optic cable)fibre optic cables. In recent years, we have widely accepted the fact that the internet is available everywhere we go. The internet access on mobile devicesmobile devices (mobile device)mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets is something we take for grantedtake for granted (take something/somebody for granted)take for granted.

Technologies such as Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth, or mobile datamobile datamobile data have entered our lives and our language for goodfor goodfor good. Everybody knows what a browserbrowserbrowser or a search enginesearch enginesearch engine is. Most users, hopefully, can tell the difference between hardwarehardwarehardware, softwaresoftwaresoftware, and malwaremalwaremalware. Cookiescookies (cookie)Cookies are not only a nice treattreattreat you can have with your tea any more. On the less positive side, the internet has made us more impatientimpatientimpatient. On averageon averageOn average, it takes 0.57 sec for a browser to find the information we ask for. If it takes any longer than that, we often become annoyed. The internet, from a local communication device, has become a tool used by more than a half of the global population on a daily basison a daily basison a daily basis. Can you imagine a better way to keep in touch withkeep in touch withkeep in touch with your friends, family and coworkers who live thousands of kilometres away?

Whether or not it was the intention of the internet’s creators, they have changed the world we live in. And they keep changing it as the internet is developing, more and more kinds of devices are connected to it, and it enters and automatesautomates (automate)automates new areas of our existence. Isn’t it exciting to observe it and participate inparticipate in somethingparticipate in it?

1 Źródło: Anna Posyniak-Dutka, licencja: CC BY-SA 3.0.