Blog Post #2: Response to "History of the Internet" Video

It is so interesting that the internet really began as a military tool (ARPA NET). I can’t believe that it developed into what it is today (no radio waves used) because of fear of nuclear attacks. It seems that once the phone companies developed the X.25 protocol, and started charging people for access through their servers, is really when the internet took off (1990). Today, it completely shapes our world. The sharing of information on a global scale is simply remarkable.

When the video discussed the development of the internet through the French concept it said, “during communication between sender and receiver the computers were not to intervene anymore, but simply serve as a transfer node.” What is a node?

Also, the video discusses compatibility between networks. however, I am confused as to they did so. Was it through TCP-IP protocol? And if so, what is that in lamens terms?

I think that the opportunities the internet gives individuals is liberating. It has given the individual, and the consumer significant power. For instance, before the internet became widely used, someone looking for a dentist would look in the yellow pages or call 1-800 dentist. Today, most people would use a search engine like Google or Yahoo and type in something along the lines of “Dentist in Chicago land area”. Sites such as yelp would instantly pop up and people can read reviews of all the different dentists. While this is helpful to the consumer, it is also somewhat dangerous to businesses. The internet is highly deregulated. Posting slanderous comments and even untruths is not illegal. The internet has become an enormous part of the worlds culture, and I think the US is behind in providing regulation and laws regarding the world wide web.