History of the Interweb
The Internet has come a long way since the early 90’s when I first started using it.
I am actually really glad we had to write about it’s history, because I didn’t know that there was an even earlier form of the Internet dating back to the 1960’s, after the USSR first launched SPUTNIK. (on a somewhat related note: Did you know that there are a few people out there whose name is Sputnik?) ok… back to the topic… several yrs. after the satellite was launched, Eisenhower thought it was necessary to enhance our military intelligence by focusing on computer and communications technology. Thus a new agency called, Advanced Research Projects Agency was formed. About a yr. and a half later the US launches a satellite. Then ARPANET is formed… by about 1969? by 1973, the first e-mail is sent and a better breed of the “NET” (TCP/IP) is born.
AT&T pretty much takes over the whole Networking thing; develops Unix-to-Unix CoPy or UUCP.
ok edit… another source tells me e-mails came about sometime around 1977.
From 1977-1985 some other stuff happens… Mainly a new domain system is created (DNS) , “Number of hosts breaks 1000” I’m assuming more people are able to afford computers, since there are more hosts, and that one of my sources tells me that “desktop workstations” are available..
From 1986-1990, it’s amazing how much of an increase there is in number of hosts. A major jump from a mere 28,000 to over 300,000 in such a short timespan; it’s like a virus. Oh, and ARPANET dies in 1990.
By 1992, WWW is introduced and as a result hosts are up to over 1 million! also, “surfing the NET’ is introduced. by 1994, commercialization takes over the web by storm, boosting host numbers up from 2 million to over 3 million in just a year! By 1997, there are over 19.5 million hosts, and the numbers are still climbing.
I find it interesting that the Internet goes through many phases. It seemed that for many years people used the web as a resource or a place to shop from. (i.e. e-bay, amazon, other stores to shop from) With the recent introductions of Facebook, Myspace, YouTube, etc. even the blogging, Society now seems to want to have their 15 minutes of fame, or put their “I was here” note on the web. Kind of like marking a tree, or something.
it only goes to show you that the Internet is everchanging. I think the Internet is like a universe all in it’s own. I don’t think it will ever ‘end’.
sources:
http://www.netvalley.com/cgi-bin/intval/net_history.pl?chapter=1
http://www.davesite.com/webstation/net-history.shtml
http://www.computerhistory.org/internet_history/
http://www.netvalley.com/archives/mirrors/davemarsh-timeline-1.htm
