History of the Internet :: Computer Network

A Free NetThe Internet has revolutionized the communication world in odd ways.It allows worldwide broadcasting, global distribution of information, and it is a mediumfor the interaction and communication of individuals without regard for geographiclocation.Thirty years ago, America?s principal refrigerating War think-tank, the RANDCorporation, faced a strategic dilemma how could the joined States authoritiessuccessfully communicate after a nuclear war? The solution was a network of individualnodes, computer units that would send and receive information in a random manner. Ifone area of nodes were destroyed the message would bounce betwixt the others. Afterthe Cold War ended, and the threat of nuclear war subsided, the potential for this?internet? was realized. Of course, in the beginning, it was small and difficult to make useof, but as more corporations and different social groups began to possess powerfulcomputers, the network grew and became more useful. As with the growth of f axmachines in the early 1990?s, the Internet was only functional if someone else had one tocommunicate with.Today, the Internet has moved out of its original base in the military and researchinstitutions and into schools and learning centers, public libraries and commercial sectors.It is right away a vast system of millions of computers, not only corporate and military, butpersonal as well. The Internet can be used for the purpose of accumulation information andcommunicating. The Internet enables users to surpass the distance barrier andPage 2communicate with anyone on the face of the planet, provided that they have access to acomputer.According to modern research, the world?s Internet population is only expanding.By the year 2002, it is estimated that 490 million people will have Internet access. At theend of this year, the United States will have 135.7 million users - that?s 36.2% of the totalworld users (CyberAtlas).Lately there has been another addition to the usefulness of the Internet, the salesof products and services. These transactions are cognise as e-commerce, the ?e? standingfor electronic. In 1998 a three-year moratorium banned the taxing of Internet use and on-line spending. Currently, a new law is looking to dilate this ban another five years.There are currently 7,500 state and local tax systems throughout the UnitedStates. These numbers could be significantly increase if state and local governments wereable to tax e-commerce. On-line businesses would be buried in costly paperwork trying tomeet the terms of conflicting tax clauses. under the current system, it is difficult todetermine the locality from which an order was placed and it is unclear where an Internet