In the readings and the video “Who invented the internet and why?” we learn not only who invented it, but we learn the definition of the internet and about the world wide web. The origins of the internet date back to the development of packet switching developed by a British group named, The National Physics Lab and research commissioned by the U.S. Department of Defense. The network was called ARPANET. Contributions were also made by the French organization called CYCLADES.

The Internet is the global system of interconnected computer systems. The world wide web is an information system on the internet which allows documents to be connected to other documents. In the early 1970’s, the term used to describe the internet was called the “information superhighway.” It opened rural areas to global connections and made trade and communication much easier. Today, it is hard to imagine a world without the internet. What person does not use Google, YouTube, Facebook or shop on Amazon?

With all of its potential positives there is a downside. which is illicite and unwanted information can spread as quickly as a positive and needed information. The world of the internet is a flat world. The lack of authorial information on online forums can give the impression that the source is authoritative. What one person says on Twitter or Facebook can spread around the world in minutes. Damage done can be irreparable. We know of many cases where misinformation leads to bullying, suicide or severe depression. The internet also is fraught with stalkers, hackers, thieves, and spies. This is the underbelly of the internet.

On the positive side, the internet is a place where people can have discourse. People can express their opinions about politics, the economy, sports, music, film, and most anything that’s on their mind. People can publish their own books, start their own business, and become influencers before they are teenagers. These days, Twitter is the place where our President communicates. He communicates their because he can express his opinion succinctly without it being edited or misinterpreted.

Certainly there are privacy issues with social media and sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, are trying to make sure that people are comfortable with the information that they release in the open and that a reasonable standard of privacy is lowered. In the PBS documentary called Digital Nation there was an examination of multitasking and its impact on the brain. The filmmakers make it clear that multitasking has a negative impact on memory. They discuss how teenagers think in paragraphs. Unlike a book, when they write, there is no beginning, middle, and end. People write in unrelated paragraphs. There is no thesis that one builds upon. The filmmakers also take issue with the way in which video games are used to lure teenagers into the military.

In the Ted Talk, Hans Block and Moritz Riesewieck discuss the terror of internet, the murders, rapes, and other horrors. While image recognition software can pick up images of blood how can they differentiate between surgery and a beheading? Should these images be cleaned up and disposed of or should they be cleaned up and cataloged so that they can be used for prosecution of criminals? What impact does this cataloging have on the cataloggers? How can one spend eight hours looking at these horrible images?

Clearly much has happened in the 50 year history of the internet. The issues are not simple and there is much more thinking and regulation that must be brought to bear on this powerful tool. It has changed our lives for the good and the bad. There are no simple answers and there is a lot more to discover.