Module 8 - The Internet

Module Objectives  

"internet" by GARRY101 is licensed under CC BY 2.0

The Internet  is the world’s largest public computer network—a network of networks that provides a vast array of services to individuals, businesses, and organizations around the world. The Internet provides a platform for billions of people to share knowledge and views. If two heads are better than one, billions of heads sharing knowledge and perceptions are powerful indeed! The Internet brings the power of global community to computing.

The Internet is becoming everyone’s computer. Increasingly, data and software are migrating from individual PCs to huge online data centers. People are becoming increasingly dependent on Internet connections to maintain relationships and for success in their careers. People interact with social networks, email, games, calendars, music, videos, and a wide assortment of apps on PCs, tablets, smartphones, and wearable technologies many times a day from wherever they may be. Cloud services from Google, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft allow individuals to store music, media, and data in the cloud for access from all of their Internet-°©connected devices.

Required Reading

Module-8.pdf

 Many different Internet technologies work together to provide information and services over the Internet, including a variety of protocols, hardware, and software. Understanding fundamental Internet technologies enables users to get more value out of their Internet use and to make intelligent decisions regarding purchases and social issues such as privacy and freedom of speech. Depending on the service and service provider, an Internet connection might be blazing fast or snail-°©like slow, filtered or unfiltered, limited or unlimited. It is important to understand the underlying technologies of the Internet in order to make informed decisions about your Internet use and improve your user experience.

The Internet is frequently described in casual terms as a collection of connected computers and digital devices located all around the world, but the hardware and media that connect those computers and devices is just as vital. When users in the North America access web sites in Europe or Asia, that data travels along thousands of miles of undersea cabling, and through dozens of network routers, all working quietly in the background, 24/7, to deliver millions of files every minute. All of these devices  work together to make the enormously complexity of the Internet function simply, even invisibly, for nearly all users.

This work, “Module 8 - The Internet", is a derivative of "Introduction to Computing Reading & Learning Objectives” by OpenNow from Cengage, used under   CC BY. "Module 8 – The Internet" is licensed under CC BY by Carlos Julien.