Technology's impact on modern life: benefits and drawbacks

Technology

"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway." Tim May

Perhaps one of the most enticing aspects of the internet that, today, the internet is not owned by anybody. Instead it is a global collection of both big and small networks connecting users. The networks connect in a myriad of ways to form what we know as the singular Internet; hence the name. Many people point out that a more proper name might be Internets. The Internet was founded in 1969, when it was a mere four host computer systems. Although many people mistake it as being a private invention, the truth of the matter, just like computers, the project was a public initiative. Nowadays, it is composed of tens of millions host computer systems, enabling users to access much information. The non-profit group, The Internet Society, regulates policy formation for the Internet.

Many persons have referred to the Internet as something akin to a global brain, and the New York Times, in a recent article, used this image on the right as a metaphor for the Internet. This same article called for stricter regulations of the Internet, citing security concerns. Is fundamentally altering the free Internet a smart choice? While the Internet most certainly is brain-like, our brains filter information for us. One problem on the Internet is that there always exists the risk of shoddy information. It is up to users to filter through the pollution on the information super highway, but the same goes for print and television news.

The network is made up of each computer connected to the Internet. In order to connect to the Internet, one needs a modem and to connect to an Intenet Service Provider (ISP). Sometimes it is possible to connect to a Local Area Network (LAN), such as in a public location, like a park or coffee shop or it a company office. Companies in regions have a Point of Presence, which is a place for local users to access the network of the company. There is no traditional network apex, but, rather, a number of high-level networks connecting through Network Access Points of NAPs.

When information is sent across the Internet, the Transmission Control Protocol must break it up into packets. These packets are then sent to your local ISP, where after they pass through many levels of networks, computers and communications lines. Hardware analyzes the packets of information and routes them to the destination. The hardware responsible for processing the data is the glue that holds together the Internet. There are hubs, which are important for linking groups of computers; Bridges connect local area networks; gateways function as bridges for the internet; repeaters solve the problem information connections weakening over long distances by amplifying the data at certain intervals. (Gralla)

The Internet is important because of its ability to transmit information to most individuals on the planet at lightning speed. Still, many people desire to restructure the architecture of the internet, citing security concerns. Few people understand how a new Internet might appear, however analogies have been made to a "gated community," according the New York Times. Anonymity would be restricted on the Internet, as people would be required to have a registration key to access the Nets.