What is the Internet?
By U Khin Maung (A retired diplomat)
1. The Internet is the world’s largest computer network. It is not a piece of software or hardware. It is a huge collection of computers, cables and peoples. When people talk about the Internet, they generally are not thinking of the physical computers, wires, routers, and other gadgets that compose the network, but of the collection of people, software, and tools that they see online.
Owing to the global coronavirus pandemic on Covid-19 crisis, there are social distancing or restrictions on social contacts we have such phrases as social distancing, and videocon-ference.
2. In tackling this question, I think, we should first define some phrases which are directly or indirectly connected with the Internet. These phrases and their definitions are as follows: -
(A) Internet shopping/online shopping/cyberstore/ e-commerce
All these phrases are used to mention shopping and commercial businesses done through the Internet.
(B) Global literacy
Global literacy is the ability of the people (of a nation, or employees of a company) to access and converse with the rest of the world with Information Technology tools such as computers, the Internet and the mastery of English as the international lingua franca.
(C) Global economy
With the progress and advance in science and technology, particularly Information Technology or IT, the world seems to become smaller so much so that we are calling it a “global village”. Accordingly, the economies of all nations also become interactive and interdependent. Hence, the global economy or globalization of the economy.
(D) Digital divide
“Digital divide” simply means the divide between those who have the access to Internet resources and those who don’t. In other words, it is the divide between “information rich” and “information poor”.
(E) Crypto currency = crypto = secret, crypto communist
(F) Digital currency is electronic money that can be passed between individuals without the use of traditional money or banking transfer. Digital currency is also known as bitcoins.
3. Now, let’s deal with the question, “why should we know something about the Internet? The obvious reasons, though not exhaustive, are mentioned below: -
(1) “Today, the Internet is being used by all sorts of organizations, newspapers, publishers, TV stations, people and organizations, newspapers, publishers, TV stations, celebrities, teachers, librarians, and business people for a variety of purposes, from communicating with one another to accessing valuable services and resources.
(2) The significance of the Internet’s growth and popularity may be compared to the proliferation of fax machines in the late 1980s. Then gradually we come to have a worldwide fax system. So also, the significance of the Internet’s growth and popularity is gaining momentum with each passing day, every single day.
(3) Stand-alone computers are useful, but their potential is limited by isolated applications — word processors and spreadsheets, for example. But a direct (full-time) or dial-up connection to the worldwide Internet gives you access to more info-goods, services and, people than you will ever find on your own isolated computer or local-area network.
(4) The Internet is already the largest computer network in the world, and in terms of connected networks, people and resources, it is getting larger, and therefore more “valuable” literally by the minute.
4. These are just some of the reasons why we should know something about the Internet. In fact, if we are computer-illiterate and have no access to the Internet, we shall really be side-lined and become irrelevant in this knowledge-explosion age. And of all the possible developments in science and technology in the 21st century, the one with the potential to make the biggest impact on our lives is the Internet.
Explanation
(1) Interactive = acting on one another, reciprocally active.
(2) Exhaustive = leaving nothing out, covering every possible detail
(3) Proliferate = increase rapidly in numbers, etc
Sources-
(1) Internet companion, by Tracy Laquey
(2) Your Internet Consultant, by Kevin Savetz
(3) Channel News Asia, TV Programme
