| A bunch of
computers all over the globe that are hooked up to one another. They
can talk to one another and exchange information. To do this, they
use protocols, or languages, such as FTP and
HTTP.
The Internet, sometimes called
simply "the Net," is a worldwide system of computer networks - a
network of networks in which users at any one computer can, if they
have permission, get information from any other computer (and
sometimes talk directly to users at other computers). It was
conceived by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of the
U.S. government in 1969 and was first known as the ARPANET. The
original aim was to create a network that would allow users of a
research computer at one university to be able to "talk to" research
computers at other universities. A side benefit of ARPANet's design
was that, because messages could be routed or rerouted in more than
one direction, the network could continue to function even if parts
of it were destroyed in the event of a military attack or other
disaster. |
