Origins

Born of paranoia created by the Cold War where the US Department of Defense wanted a communications network that would not be knocked out by a Soviet initial strike, the Internet evolved from a series of research experiments begun in the early 60's. The network Servers (or Hosts) are linked together via cables, optical fibers and microwave, and network traffic including eMail, World Wide Web and Usenet News is transferred from Network to network.

Your home computer can be connected to Internet via a modem, which is a device that converts data the computer understands (binary) to data the phone system understands (analogue).

Anyone can set up a computer that links to Internet. It needs to conform to the TCP/IP standard and other necessary protocols, and needs to be assigned a unique IP address.

• It is not owned or administered by any specific body, though much of its direction is via the Internet Society.
• Host or Server Computers communicate together using a common set of rules (a protocol), called TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
• A "Self-healing" network, in that information will find its own route through the network.
• Information on almost any topic
• Access a huge range of software for every conceivable computer
• Almost free access
• (1994) In New Zealand the Internet backbone is provided by Tuia Net, the research networks shared by universities and Crown Research Institutes. The connection to the rest of the world until 1996 was through Waikato University, now an independent Internet company.

Internet provides;

• Email (v's snail mail - the normal postal service!!)- send and receive electronic mail worldwide in seconds
• File Transfer (via FTP)
• Telnet connection (ability to connect your PC as a virtual terminal to a wide variety of remote systems)
• World Wide Web. Information services provided by various organisations eg. shopping.
• Usenet Newsgroups (around 5000 to choose from). Provide a forum for discussion, dissemination and debate.

	If you are using Windows 3.x a typical setup might include software to; login (trumpet), eMail (Endura), link to user groups (Free agent) and connect to the World wide web (Netscape).
	If you are using Windows 95, a typical setup based on Microsoft products might include software to login (dial-up networking) eMail (Internet mail) user groups (Internet News) a connect to the World Wide Web (Internet explorer) join global meetings (Net meeting).

Email:

Electronic mail (e-mail) allows you to send a text message from your computer to someone else on their computer. It provides a quick, inexpensive means to communicate with others, whether they are across town or across the world (Wiggen, 96).

File Transfer Facilities:

There are millions of pieces of useful software on the Internet; new programs, software updates, utilities and tools, graphics, clip-art and more. File transfer protocol allows anyone with a FTP software program, to visit remote directors and download files off them. (Note; this is not the same as simple downloads from home pages).

Freeware (software downloads):

There is an abundance of sites on the Internet for downloading software. Just about all the major software manufactures have product trial downloads available when visiting their homepage. In addition, there are many sites which, with a simple click on an icon, you can download anything from utilities for Windows 95 to new release games.

Internet Browsing:

This section refers to browsing the Internet for entertainment, business and research purposes. Often referred to as "Surfing".

Internet Relay Chat:

Best described as an interactive party line, as in the old telephone sense of the word, where multiple parties share the same telephone connection. Online conversations with two or more people are communicated via text, where each person's text is displayed simultaneously as they type it.

MUDs (Multi-user Dimension):

MUDs, which, depending on whom you ask, stands for Multi User Dungeons, Multi-User Dimensions, or Multi-user Dialogues, are interactive, largely textual on-line environments where users assume a character and navigate an invented world on-line (Wiggen, 1996).

Newsgroups:

Newsgroups are similar to mailing lists in that they allow specific discussions on particular topics. They go several steps further, though, by taking the discussion to a specific place (the newsgroup) so that messages are not mixed with or confused with your ordinary e-mail (Wiggen, 1996). By subscribing to a specific newsgroup, each time check your newsgroup mail, the server will download the latest messages.

References

[Ref: 65] Bryant, P and Young R (Dec 94)
Summitt, P. & Summitt M., (1995)
1996 Voyager survey (references to Wiggen 1996).

[Rev: 13/1/98] Jun 98 © 1997-98 V/2-Com (Verhaart), P O Box 8415, Havelock North, New Zealand.