Week 2 What is the Internet?

WEEK 2

Topic 1.1 What is the Internet?

Introduction

The Internet is, in essence, merely a big computer network.

Part One - Networking Basics

In the most basic terms of hardware, the Internet is a collection (or network) of computers connected over cables, phone lines, powerlines, radio or satellite links. The network works something like this: each individual user’s computer is linked, either directly or indirectly, to a server. Servers, which can be commercial or public (e.g. university) machines, connect to one or more other servers thereby forming another network, encompassing all machines in effect within the one network. When every such network is connected with the other networks, you get an internet.
A Little Bit of History
We are all familiar with the story of the Internet's foundations as a network designed to withstand a nuclear attack. The following animation (Duration: 8 Mins.) gives a little more context for this myth and begins to lay out the shifts in technology that allowed the development of the Net:

History of the Internet

Part Two - Activities

Activity One - Routing in Action!

When you make a request to another computer on the Internet, that request passes through a number of other computers on its way to the host

I enjoyed finding out about the Proxy and Host Trace page - interesting to think they travel that far!!!

Response to Activity One - Routing in Action!

I did this activity and have gone back a few times to check different websites that I come across, but I don't really get what it's really about or what it is for!

Is it checking the trace from my computer via the Trace company's computer to the destination of the web page I am looking for? Or is it just checking the route that my computer takes to get to my destination's computer?

Activity Two - Who Owns What?

All domain names are registered either to a business or an individual. Now, we're going to use that knowledge to do a little snooping!

And the whois page - I looked up my new domains that I bought thru free website hosts and saw who owns them:

My Wordpress ones  are owned by WildWest Domains and the Weebly one is owned by Register.com

Reflection to: Activity Two - Who Owns What?

As I own several Domain names, whois lookup is not new to me although I perhaps accessed the 'whois' from a different platform or webpage previously (many different times and places). I still did the exercise so that I could follow the activity through and try and keep up with the class. I am falling behind a bit with the discussion board -just too many posts to handle as well as watching the iLectures, keeping up with the readings, etc.

DB ENTRIES FOR WEEK 2:

Author: Deepti Azariah

Date: Friday, March 4, 2011 2:50:24 PM WST

Subject: Official Thread: Thinking Back

Hello everyone,

This week we’re discussing the technologies of the Internet as well as little bit of history

What was your first experience of the Internet? Has it changed over time?

Share your answers, comments, and thoughts under this thread.

In answer to Deepti's questions on ''Thinking Back"

[I know, this is way out of context time-wise, but i was just thinking about this and trying to remember when was the first time i came across the internet....] 

Thinking Back...

In one way I can't imagine there was ever a time without internet, but i know that is not true, but that is how it feels, or more precisely how could we imagine a time without internet. and on the other hand, i remember always wanting everything before i could have it, like i knew about computers long before any of my friends and just had to have one, picking up a second-hand one that did the job, i thought it was at least a way to learn! Then about 1993? a friend had internet and i couldn't get around there quick enough! and the only reason they had it was they worked in IT, so had all the latest gear. I had to wait a while before i could manage myself, and eventually got online when i was living overseas, around 1999 - it nearly killed me not having it, but again, most of my friends had still never heard of it! Then as they say i never looked back... i have never been in the position financially to always have the latest or the greatest, but have managed over the years to always be connected.

Has it changed over time? 

In summary, the internet has always featured in my life since it became commercially available, and i now have a PC, a laptop, a netbook, and a HTC smart phone so can be mobile whenever i need. So it has changed in the sense that the delivery of it has become more mobile.

Where is the internet now?

At the moment, it is much easier to access the Internet, with prices of computers falling, broadband becoming faster and cheaper makes it more viable for more people. I can't really imagine what the future may bring, but at a guess we'll probably have some way of connecting our minds directly to eliminate the need for a keyboard, and perhaps the technology will be small enough to fit on a chip that can be implanted or inserted into either our bodies or at the least our jewellery and screens could be superimposed anywhere like on a bench or a book or the bonnet of your car...

 [other DB entries of an advisory/help nature helping other students find things or explaining how to access iLectures, etc.]

susi b)

Pasted from <http://lms.curtin.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_35129_1&conf_id=51093&forum_id=192659&thread_id=_2245856_1&message_id=_2245856_1&nav=discussion_board_entry> 

References:
Leaver, T. (2010). Module 1: What is the internet? [Course notes]. Retrieved from http://lms.curtin.edu.au

Video: Bilgil, M. (2009). History of the Internet. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hIQjrMHTv4. Accessed March 7th, 2011.