The Internet

What is The Internet?   Simply put, it is a global network of computer systems.   To put it into perspective, picture a typical office, with 20 computers at different desks, and a main computer in "the computer room."   These computers are linked together in a network, meaning that they can send and retrieve information between themselves.

Now, let's say that this office wants the computers to be linked with another office across town.   You now have two computer networks linked together to form a larger network.   Now, let's say that these two offices want to be able to communicate with other companies.   They contact a company such as MCI, AT&T, Sprint or UUnet.   These companies have a vast network of cable strung across the country, and even across the world.   Even though these companies are in competition with each other, they have their networks connected at certain points to allow communication between the different systems.

So if you can imagine the large networks of the communication industry, government agencies and large corporations all connected together with the smaller networks nationwide, you have the basic idea of what the Internet is - the ability to communicate with another computer anywhere in the world by means of accessing a network, or a series of networks.  

If you would like a more detailed explanation, or would like to know the history of The Internet, here are a few FTP links to information about The Internet - the Global Computer Network.

A Brief History of the Internet - WWW Page

How the Internet Came to Be - FTP Text File

A Brief History of the Internet and Related Networks - FTP Text File

A Short History of The Internet - FTP Text File

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