INTRODUCTION: Advanced Research Projects Agency Network
ARPANET, of the US Department of Defense, is essentially the first internet-related project that was geared toward research. It was a research project on how to utilize their investment in computers.
BACKGROUND: the birth of the internet
The Arpanet project was started in 1962 in response to the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik in 1957. Arpa, Advanced Research Project, had hired Dr. J.C.R. Licklider to head it. His idea for the project was the "spirit of community" and was interested in "having computers help people communicate with other people" (Licklider, Licklider, and Robert Taylor) as opposed to using the computer to communicate for us.
In 1969, the University of California, Los Angeles (that's us!) became the first location to host the Interface Message Processor, or IMP. Professor Leonard Kelinrock, of UCLA, focused his work on "understanding queueing theory" or studying how to record and measuring events as the network worked.
By the end of 1969, ARPANET was able to connect to four locations: UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, SRI, and Utah.
(put two images of the locations of ARPANET)
IMP in 1969
in 1977
DESCRIPTION: sending messages via computers
We obviously all know what the internet is (this being a creative-web class!), but what we might not know is how it started and why. ARPA had wanted a way to utilize computers to organize some kind of information, which eventually developed into a project to create a community for people. Dr. J.C.R. Licklider had said that it was "not proper to think of networks as connecting computers. Rather, they connect people using computers to mediate." The first forms of the internet was just simple messages sent to other people on the same computer. Next, they were able to send these messages on nearby computers and eventually spreading to larger distances. Licklider did not want time-delayed messaging; he had "goal of sharing resources in one timesharing system."
ANALYSIS: the (un)joys of the internet
Arpanet was the first internet and opened a new means of communication around the world. The internet had become a new form different from print, radio, tv, or any other medium (recall the long list we made at the beginning of class.). The internet allows us to share information that is accessible even if the provider is not there and allows us to organize this information so that is easily accessible with a computer (or cell phone, or webtv, etc...) Tools like instant messaging and email provide another way to communicate with other people which may (or may not) be more convenient. It is efficent for mass-communication because it is cheap (you only need to make one website for many to view as opposed to printing many books for many people).
However, because the internet is a posting place for many people, censorship does become a problem. In many countries, information is so easily accessible that some people have a fear of privacy. Hackers especially excel in this area. Extremists are sometimes glued to the computer. I mean, who wouldn't want to spend hours online shopping instead of studying for a report or something? In a radical view, some people argue that the internet will replace print media, putting many companies out of business (which is highly unlikely).
At the UCLA end, they typed in the 'l' and asked SRI if they received it; 'got the l' came the voice reply. UCLA typed in the 'o', asked if they got it, and received 'got the o'. UCLA then typed in the 'g' and the darned system CRASHED! Quite a beginning. On the second attempt, it worked fine!
- Leonard Kleinrock, The Birth of the Internet.
CONCLUSION: camile loves the internet!
Ever since I was in the 4th grade, I fell in love with the internet. I didn't live near a library, so everytime I had to do a research report, I had to wait for my dad to come home from work. Also, it was a pain to have to read through so much text in a book to get the information I want. Perhaps I am more lazy now. :P The internet also allows me to keep in touch with my friends. As I have mentioned earlier in the quarter, I keep a blog that is accessible to all my close friends who are 500+ miles away. Plus, I would miss people like Brittany and Fred a lot if I couldn't message them or something when they leave Los Angeles for their home across the country.
Some competing products would be print, radio, and television. Print still has advantages over the internet, like on Bruinwalk, if you're handed a flyer, you're more likely to read the flyer than if you're handed a url to visit. Mediums like radio and television are now becoming incorporated into the internet. There is live streaming of shows/radio; a lot of shows are downloadable. However, some people still enjoy huddling around a television for social events rather than a computer.
Possible future developments might include a better version of Skype with super-good resolution