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is the Internet? |
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The internet is a
very large collection of computers that are set
up to share information. Estimates vary, but it
appears that over 100 million computers are part
of this vast network. But before we get too far,
let me share a simple story of just two computers
to give you an idea of what a computer network is.
Then we’ll move on to the internet.
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A (very) Little
Story About (tiny) Computer Networks
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I have two computers,
but only one printer. One of my computers is in
the basement and the other one is upstairs, next
to the printer. Let's say I’m writing a letter to
my mother while using the one in the basement (Not
an email, but a real letter that I’m going to send
via the US postal service.). Eventually, I want
to print the letter and an envelope. Somehow, I
have to get that letter from the basement to the
printer upstairs
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I suppose that I
could retype the letter on the upstairs computer,
but if I had to do that I never would have written
it on the basement computer. A better solution,
which takes advantage of computer technology, is
to move the file on a floppy disk. Here's the process:
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1. Insert
a floppy disk into the basement computer.
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2. Transfer
the letter electronically onto the disk.
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3. Carry
the floppy disk to the upstairs computer.
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4. Insert
the floppy into the upstairs computer
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5. Transfer
the letter from the disk to the computer.
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6. Print
the letter from the upstairs computer.
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Now, in truth, it’s
not all that hard and I do that sort of thing all
the time. And those of you who are reading closely
may realize that I could have left off one of those
steps. But that's not the point. The point is that
there is a third, and easier, way to a print my
letter from downstairs.
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I could connect my
computers and my printer together, permanently.
I could make sure that my computers share all the
information that they have. I might want to print
my letter from the basement, or I might want to
look at some of the other letters that I've written
on my upstairs computer before I finish this one.
As long as my computers are linked together, I can
do all these things.
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In computer terminology,
this is called a network. A computer network is
a great way to share information between and among
computers.
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Back to the Internet
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What’s all this have
to do with the internet? The internet is the mother
of all networks. There are all kinds of computers
that are connected to this network. Some computers
are permanently connected. Many computers just connect
from time to time. Some computers do nothing except
direct traffic along the information superhighway.
Some computers have lots of information to share.
Others are simply there to get information and don't
share anything at all. If you are just starting
out on the internet, you will probably have one
of those computers that connects from time to time.
You will connect when you want to get information,
and you will disconnect the rest of the time.
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Going
Online
Going online is
a term that is synonymous with using the
internet. Since most of us connect to the
internet by using a telephone line, the
term for connecting is online. When you
disconnect, you go offline.
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If you are like most
people, you will connect your computer to the internet
when you want to get some information. While you're
connected, you are not just a user of the internet,
you are plugged into the network. You are a full-fledged
member of the internet, a fast growing community
that touches hundreds of millions of people around
the world.
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I
don't want to share my computer with everyone
in the world!
Don't Panic! While it s true
that when you are connected to the internet,
you are, to a degree, exposing yourself
to entire internet community. It's also
true that in any community this size there
are some people who are up to no good (Some
of the bad guys like to send computer viruses
or try to peek into government or corporate
files. Others use the internet to commit
a variety of crimes that are not unique
to the internet.). If you use the internet
the way most people do, you are not putting
yourself at any serious risk. Your personal
information won't be exposed to just anyone
that happens to be on the internet. And
there are simple things that you can do
to minimize your exposure to viruses.
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