The Internet
According to Encyclopedia Britannica the Internet is:
".....a network connecting many computer networks and based on a common addressing system and communications protocol called TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)."
What this means is that the Internet is a vast global network, which in turn connects smaller computer networks. These networks all use the same basic system to contact and communicate with each other regardless of where they are situated.
Unlike online services, which are centrally controlled, the Internet is decentralized by design. Each Internet computer, called a host, is independent. Its operators can choose which Internet services to use and which local services to make available to the global Internet community. Remarkably, this anarchy by design works exceedingly well.
The Internet is made up of the following:
- The World Wide Web (WWW)
- Electronic Mail (email)
- Newsgroups
- File transfer protocol (FTP)
- Bulletin boards (BBS)
- Remote computer access (Telnet).
The components familiar to most people are the World Wide Web and email.
History of the Internet:
The Internet began as an American Department of Defense project called Arpanet in the late 1960s. The aim of the project was to develop a secure communication system for the military that would survive in the event of war.
It attracted the attention of a group of academics and researchers, the National Science Foundation (NSF) who was working on a similar project. Eventually the NSF developed a communication system using technology developed by Arpanet and created a network capable of handling much greater traffic than heretofore.
In 1972 an Inter-Networking group was formed and this was the first appearance of the term Internet. It was also in 1972 that the first email message was sent.
The World Wide Web:
Tim Berners-Lee began the development of the World Wide Web in 1989 with his colleagues at CERN, an international scientific organization based in Geneva, Switzerland. He developed a system, which allowed him access information on other computers at CERN via the Internet by pointing and clicking. Up to that point access to the Internet involved typing line after line of commands. The development of this system or protocol called HTTP, along with the new language HTML, was to the Internet what the automatic washing machine was to the home.
The browser developed by Berners-Lee was made available to the public in 1992 over the Internet. The browser was further developed in America and Marc Andreesen who founded the Mosaic Communications Corporation, now called Netscape Corporation developed "Mosaic" the first cross platform web browser. It was available for both Windows and Macintosh computers.
There are a variety of ways to access the Internet, most commonly through a commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP).
In this section
In this section, you can find information on Using the Internet (why use the Internet, what you need to access the Internet, what it will cost, guide to electronic mail). There is also a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and an Internet Advice Sheet.
If you want to get your school or organisation on the Web, then the Scoilnet Web Publishing Centre (WPC) is the perfect place to start creating your school website. The Web Publishing Centre has been designed specifically for educators and enables teachers and students to explore the possibilities that this exciting medium offers.
The NCTE provides a free website hosting and a blogging service for Primary and Post Primary schools. The Scoilnet blogging service allows schools to easily develop a school website or school blog and host it for free on the schools broadband network. The blogging service supports different types of content, including text, images, audio, including podcasts and video clips. For more information, see the Scoilnet Webhosting-Blogging section.
While the use of the Internet as a valuable research tool is widely appreciated, the importance of Internet safety for children and cannot be overestimated. However, with appropriate precautions, it should be possible to greatly minimise the risks involved. It is widely believed that the potential benefits for students and teachers of using this technology far outweigh any risks involved. The Internet Safety section provides useful advice and information on this topic, including the NCTE's Acceptable Use Policy Guidelines for Primary Schools, Sample Parent Permission Letter and forms and details of Internet Safety projects.
The Support Helplines section provides a list of useful numbers to call should you run into technical difficulties!
Good luck and safe surfing!
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