Under this category, Almaz has done a detailed research on the predecessors of the Internet. Due to the fact that there are a plethora of proprietary networks out there that came before Internet, the author has decided to focus his view on four (4) major networks, which are ARPANET, BITNET, USENET and NSFNET. Compared to the Internet, these networks were built with restricted purposes. Initially, information networks are built for military purposes only. As time goes by, people started to use them as an online research centre. Soon, their purposes have expanded, from being an education portal to becoming an important element in the world of entertainment. However, as time passes, much of the development on these networks began to stop as its technology was obsolete when compared to the state-of-the-art information network, the Internet. But little is known that Internet is actually made up of elements from these networks. These networks, which are now referred to as the predecessors of the Internet, played a significant role in the creation of the Internet. So, it is a good thing to learn a few things on them.
I would like to stress on one network, which was where the life of the Internet began. It is the ARPANET. Computers have existed before information networks. However, prior to the existence of information networks, people only see computers as an arithmetic engine, which enables fast calculation on sophisticated problems, which would take years for mortals to calculate. Out of the blue, one human being came up with an ingenious concept, which totally changed the world. J.C.R. Licklider, the person incharge of the development of ARPANET, proposed the idea of using computers as a medium for information transfer. Through his concept, computers from different locations were connected using cable wires, creating a network of computers where information transfer are possible, hence the term information network. Starting from there, numerous information networks emerged, each with its own purpose. Until now, it is hard to deny the fact that this idea has revolved the world. A world without Internet is just unimaginable. And just like how it has changed the face of the current world, the concept of information network will continue to change the world for eons to come. |