The History of the Internet

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The Z1 Computer, designed and built by Konrad Zuse in 1936, was the first freely programmable computer in existence. However, from Zuse’s time till 1995, computers were primarily used for nothing but data entry and record keeping. In 1996, the first major improvement to computers was born, known today as the Internet. The word “Internet” became part of standard vocabulary that year, and is considered to be the footwork for the beginning of the dot com boom that followed. In 1969, with the United States fully engaged in the Vietnam War, the US Department of Defense was searching for a web based network that could not be severed or hacked easily. The Department of Defense began to construct and support the ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency), which became the first true web based network. The ARPA was designed primarily for military purposes. However, the concept and implementation of a secured network for military purposes, is what led to the birth of the Internet. Today, experienced by millions of people, the Internet in itself, on a global scale, has reshaped nations, opened up new forms of communication, and even has the ability to change your view on life. With these drastic, but dramatic changes, what should we do to deal with it? Can we be fanatics of the Internet, or can we be anti-Internet individuals? To start, I would like to prove the positive effects the Internet has generated; then I will move on to the negative. The Internet, in existence for two decades plus, has generated many positive effects since its birth. Through the use of the Internet and the World Wide Web, you have the capability to obtain the latest news and weather anytime, anywhere, with the click of a mouse on any device with an Internet connection...

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...nmental and non-state individuals engage in cyber crimes, including espionage, financial theft, and other cross-border crimes. Activity crossing international borders and involving the interests of at least one nation is sometimes referred to as cyber warfare. The international legal system is attempting to hold individual accountable for their actions through the International Criminal Court. In conclusion, as shown, the Internet and the World Wide Web have positive and negative effects on a global scale. The Internet, as we see currently, has molded society. The Internet, in itself, can be seen as a common staple of life, just as the telephone and cable television. The question would be then; can we survive in today’s society without the Internet? Many individuals would comment that they could not, that the Internet has become an integrated aspect of common life.

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