By David Ditillo
Computer and information Science Major

Bitten by the Internet Bug

Beware! A new virus is spreading across the globe. It won't destroy your computer's memory or erase valuable information off your hard drive. This virus is spread with the insertion of a disk and a click on an icon. Once it is initiated, the virus infects both the user and the computer within seconds. Its effects are devastating, addictive, and irreversible. The virus is know as the "Internet," a.k.a. the "Information Super-Highway." As we move closer to the year 2000, people all over the globe will open their eyes and catch the Internet fever.

Origins of the Internet, the "Network of Networks"

The term "Internet" is fairly new. It stands for "Interoperable Network" and was originally designed for the sole purpose of military computing. In the late 1960s this primitive network linked universities interested in sharing research information and statistics. But, as time progressed, technology has caused the "net" to evolve into a household necessity. Life without the Internet would mean isolation, quantities of costly stamps, and countless trips to the library. The Internet is an information mecca. By U.S. estimates, it connects 159 countries.

The Internet is not a single warehouse, as some envision it to be. Rather, it is a network with links to almost every other network (in government, private, and educational institutions) throughout the world. So, you can see why travel on the information superhighway could very well be habit-forming.

How Does the Internet Work, Anyway?

No one business, corporation, university, or government owns the Internet. Instead, each connected individual or group owns it. For those who don't understand, the following analogy may be helpful. The Internet operates much like your telephone. First, a person must possess a phone. Each person who wants phone service can get it by contacting his or her local service provider. This provider supplies the connection from the phone into the service network. From this phone you can communicate with other instruments around the world. Moving from network to network (local to long distance calls) occurs behind the scenes. Chiefly, the Internet connects networks of computers which resemble local area networks (LANs) within large corporations.

For those who see the Internet as nothing more than another type of telephone, there is a tool called Internet Relay Chat (IRC). IRC is an online interaction between two or more users. The conversations take place in channels, which can be thought of as spaces in which a group of people talk on a particular topic. When you join IRC you select a nickname for yourself and then continue to talk to people via posted messages that everybody is capable of seeing. There is an option for two people to have a private conversation on the screen via a private channel.

The World Wide Web: The Internet with Sound, Graphics, and Motion

The distinction between accessing the World Wide Web (WWW) and accessing the Internet is a concept that is confusing to many people. Internet navigation tools such as Archie, Gopher, and Veronica take a hierarchical approach to presenting the Internet. They present groups of drop-down menus that lead to other menus, creating a stratified structure of the different servers on the Internet. These menus are easy to use but are limited by the way they index files and searchers.

Conversely, the data on the WWW are treated as "hypertext" (words that, when you click on them, cause a jump to an associated document). And, documents on the WWW are truly multimedia. They contain text, graphic images, moving pictures, and sound files. With the appropriate Web "browser" (such as Mosaic), it is easy to navigate from document to document, no matter where on the Internet you are.

Choosing an Internet Provider. Let the Buyer Be Wary

Because the Internet has received so much "hype" in the last few years, the market has attracted many providers who are interested in reaping its profits. This poses a great challenge to the consumer. Before you decide on one service provider, it is a good idea to subscribe to a few different ones and use the free hours they offer. Here are some good questions you should ask.

* Where is the provider located, and does he provide access numbers that are local to your area?

Most providers like to draw in a subscriber by low rates, but if you have to dial a long-distance number to make the connection, the phone bill will become a major restraint to your online time.

* How are the provider's prices structured?

What services are offered ' and which ones are "basic" services (that is, included in subscription cost)? Many providers lure customers with the pitch that they allow full Internet access and store thousands of uploaded programs and files. What they don't tell you is that you get certain standard capabilities and have to pay extra to use additional services. So, find out what the price actually covers.

* How many accounts do this provider possesses?

The reason you want a bigger provider with a greater number of accounts is that he often possesses a substantially greater number of uploaded files.

* Finally, for those who want to fully utilize the Internet, make sure the vendor offers access to the World Wide Web, FTP (file transfer protocol), Telnet (remote login), a search tool (like Archie), and a graphical front-end like Mosaic.

The Internet as Instrument of Unity and Understanding

Whether you like art, music, or sports, the Internet has something of interest for everyone. If you are a person who has not dared to venture onto the "Information Super-Highway," what are you waiting for? The Internet is establishing a global community in its purest form. You see, in the future, man will no longer be limited by his own physicality. Instead, he will be able to be anywhere and do anything he wishes, not dependent on the speed of a 747 or the Concorde, but at the speed of light. No longer will a neighbor be the person next door: instead, the whole world will be one large neighborhood. Physical boundaries such as mountains and oceans will no longer separate man from man. The Internet will be the bridge that finally makes brothers of all men.