The suppression of knowledge and learning which took place in the Middle Ages (500 AD to 1450 AD), which then led to the discovery of inventions. The discovery of inventions changed our world. Inventions were made for the benefit of the people and to develop the world. Inventions made by humans play a significant role in our modern life. There are numerous inventions that were made, some are still in process and others are yet to come. We live in a world of technology and one of the stems of technology is the Internet which is of great significance to humankind. The Internet is defined simply as the wider network that allows networks of electronic devices around the world, operated by various organizations and institutions, to communicate with each other. Today the Internet is seen as a global information mechanism, the first prototype of what is frequently called the National Information Infrastructure. It has brought tremendous value to humankind as it plays numerous roles that signify it as the greatest or rather a significant invention ever to be made.
The discovery of the Internet was in the 1960s, which was a result of creative thinking by Joseph Carl Robnett Licklider. He saw that he can enable electronic devices to share information and have an impact in research and development fields: scientific and military. Licklider was under MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), whereby he proposed the first global network in computers, in 1962. In the late 1962 he moved to DARPA (Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency) to head the work and develop it. His former colleague, Leonard Kleinrock, who was also under MIT and later UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) invented their own theory of packet switching whereby they wanted to form a foundation Internet connection. In 1965 MIT computers were connected to UCLA computers by Lawrence Roberts who then moved to DARPA in 1966 to enhance his plan for ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network). His plans succeeded when the ARPANET launched their first communication which was declared as a node-to-node message from one computer to another. They then came up with a short and simple name for this message which was named ‘login’. This message had an impact as it crashed the fledging ARPANET. Four computers were then connected to the ARPANET when 1969 was coming to an end. The single packet network was multiplying but it was difficult to connect to a single worldwide Internet. Vinton Cerf, a computer scientist came up with a solution at the end of 1970s. He developed a way for computers to communicate with one another on the world’s limited network. He called his development (TCP) Transmission Control Protocol and he added another one called IP (Internet Protocol). The world of the Internet was changed by Vinton. There was an introduction of electronic mail in 1972. In July Roberts improved the application by enabling it to selectively read, forward and reply messages.
The world of the Internet improved as more and more features were added annually. In 1976 SATNET which is a satellite program was developed. It connected the USA to Europe. There was an expansion of the Internet beyond the USA and later Kahn and Vinton decided to call the system ‘Internet’ for the first time.
Due to the development of the Internet, there were numerous aspects added on the Internet network. In 1979 USENET developed the first newsgroup. International Business Machines Corp (IBM) introduced BITNET, which was a network that worked on emails and listserv system. In 1990 Advanced Network and Services developed T3, which was the communication line for higher internet connection speeds. In 1993 there was the launch of the first web browser on the Internet known as Mosaic. Later it became Netscape. The following year Yahoo and the World Bank which was the first virtual bank or rather an online bank were launched on the Internet. Two years later, the ISPs (Internet Service Providers) started to appear namely Sprint and MCI. Nokia released its first cell phone with Internet access. Google was developed in 1998 in Menlo Park, California. In the consecutive year, a wireless network was developed which is commonly known as Wi-fi. In the early 2000s, the Internet expanded more like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Google Chrome were launched on the Internet.
The Internet world was getting better and better annually. The Internet works in a complex way, but to understand this is to know what is the Internet composed of. It has hardware and protocols. Its hardware contains everything from cabled, that transmit all the terabits of information every time, to your electronic device. Examples of this hardware that support the Internet include servers, cell phone towers, satellites, smartphones and other devices. Those components create what is known as a network of networks. There are minor ways in which the Internet change as there are components that join and leave the network. A portion of these components creates a backbone of the Internet. The second component is the most crucial and fundamental aspect in making the Internet work which is protocols. They are a group of rules given to the machines to complete a task. Regardless of how devices are connected, if they do not have a common set of obligations that the Internet must adhere, they will not be to communicate with each other. This means that the devices will not be able to communicate in a meaningful way and they will not understand one another. Therefore, the protocols are a language and a method for electronic devices use to transfer data. The most commonly used protocols are the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP). The information which is known as data travels very fast through the Internet. The data itself is known as a packet. A packet is defined to be the unit of data that is transferred between an origin and destination on the Internet network. Each packet sent includes a destination address, origin address, length, packet number, synchronization and set of rules. Networks on the Internet are connected to multiple other networks thus making the connections to stretch out around the globe. This enables the packets to take multiple paths to get to their destination. In the Internet world, there is one most crucial machine is known as a server. This machine provides other devices with services and it is directly connected to the Internet. There are proxy, email and data servers. It is clear that the work of the Internet is to move one set of computerized information from one place to another.
The Internet is a significant tool that helps and satisfies people with distinct services related to various fields. The Internet has introduced development in technology and it is incredibly playing a vital role in the education field. The Internet enhances the lessons as teachers can be able to provide learners with resources from the Internet and interactive games to help them understand the lesson which was taught. Learners are able to do researches, take online classes and watch online educational videos on the Internet. In addition, computer intelligence is of great importance for some high profiled jobs and career prosperity. Children who have Internet access tend to have a greater advantage for later achievements. The Internet has had a strong impact on how people communicate. It does not provide them with a tool for communication, but it enables them to express their feelings and opinions to a wider audience. The Internet has brought the world closer by making communication across long distances faster and easier. Emails and instant messages have made online communication possible. The Internet enables businesses to build societies for people that have similar interests regarding their products and services. This then enables them to adequately use media to target a more people to have interest in their products and services. Accessibility of information on the Internet has made research easier rather than having to go to the library. People conduct research for various reasons namely: for nourishment and exercise of the mind, a mechanism for constructing knowledge, simplifying learning, understanding distinct issues and raising social consciousness. Through the usage of the Internet, one can have more information not only by searching for it rather by conducting an online survey. This will result in having reliable results. It is clear that the Internet has an impact on researchers. According to research, it was found that the Internet is playing a huge and vital role in the health department. There are online surveys that are conducted which allow enable scientists to estimate the presence of disease, have a clearer understanding of the threat the disease may pose and to prepare for the spread of the disease in a particular location. Clinics and hospitals have been able to pass on knowledge regarding healthcare and diseases through the usage of the Internet. There are different campaigns that use the Internet to spread information regarding health issues. This helps to prevent the spread of a disease. The spread of AIDS is prevented through condom campaigns that are available on the Internet. Entrepreneurs have been considered the Internet as a tool for business development. Entrepreneurs use the Internet to construct marketing infrastructure based on the client’s data and information. Business prosperity it is extremely unfeasible without the Internet. It is because it provides considerable data administration for businesses to launch their products and services to customers. Online broadcasting is a big industry and the competition is high that is why the worth of Internet advertising is more adequate than TV advertising, newspaper and magazine adverts. One of the most effective tools for job seeking is the Internet. It was found that 54% of USA adults have gone online to seek for job information. There is 45% that has applied for a job on the Internet. There are over hundreds of job vacancies on the Internet that are posted every year. Social media has played a role in decreasing unemployment as companies now have social media accounts on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and they use YouTube to post more about their companies and jobs available. Job search is now easier through the usage of the Internet. Due to the accessibility of the Internet in every place, unemployment is no longer an issue. People can post their CVs on the Internet making them accessible to any company of interest.
The Internet is a robust medium that has changed how we live and communicate. This will prevail to change in the future. The Internet has significantly served billions of people around the world. It has helped with the development of many countries due to its accessibility in such a way that it provides global information that enables them to see how developed countries sustain their status. This helps them to see the best possible ways to develop and sustain their status to compete with leading countries. The world would have never been what is it presently if it was not of the Internet. Mr. Licklider saw that his invention will be the most powerful tool that is of great significance in helping develop the world and make it a better site for everyone. The Internet is not a designated tool as it has the capability of impacting multi fields thus making it the greatest invention amongst other inventions.