COM125 WEEK2: Linking The World With Technology

"A user interface should be so simple that a beginner in an emergency can understand it within ten seconds" - Ted Nelson

The world today is extremely globalized with people and organizations linked together from all parts of the earth. This has been made possible by the advancement of technology and the Internet. Technology has advanced so far to the point that almost anything of existence in the tangible real world, can be brought onto the Internet for our convenience. We chat online, write to each other online, read e-books online, and even shop online. With so much exposure to the Internet, all of us would know what the Internet is in general. But, the question is, what exactly are the mechanics behind it that make our lives so much more convenient? This paper will delve deeper into the mechanics of the Internet and explore the little parts behind this amazing technology.

So, what exactly is the Internet? It is “the worldwide, publicly accessible network of interconnected computer networks that transmit data by packet switching using the standard Internet Protocol (IP)” (Wikipedia, 2007). According to Paul Baran, packet switching works in a way whereby “messages [are] broken into units of equal size and the network route these message units along a functioning path to their destination where they would be reassembled into coherent wholes" (Rheingold, 1993). To put simply, the Internet comprises of groups passing on parcels of information from one group to another. These parcels are then opened up, taken apart, and put together again, then sent to yet another group for the transmission of information. The tool used to surf the net and view the WebPages is the Web browser. Web browsers communicate with web servers primarily using HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol) to fetch webpages that we ask for.

Model for Packet-Switching

Above mentioned is the simplified model of what the Internet is. However, many of us, including me, have one more nagging question in mind, and that is, “How is it possible that just one blue highlighted or underlined word from a webpage could link you to another totally different page?” This process seems almost like magic to a layman. The secret behind it, is really the “hyertext”, which is a word coined by American sociologist, philosoper and pioneer of information technology, Ted Nelson in 1963 (Wikipedia, 2007). The hypertext has made surfing the net a breeze and almost idiot proof for the not-so-internet-savy. In essense, the hypertext is “a linked series of texts that could automatically summon other texts for viewing” (Rheingold, 1993).

According to Rheingold (1993), “When you come across a reference or footnote in one document of a hypertext database, you can point at it and instantly see the source document cited, then go back to the first document, if you wish, or continue to explore links forward, to other documents.” That is how easy it is to trace web pages and information you want to take note of without the worry of getting that very first web page lost in cyberspace. For example, I may be reading up on shoes in a particular web page but I can also click on the word “shoes” and be taken back to the original page on “fashion” if the hypertext link were provided.

Hypertext Model

Hyperlinks can link any unit of information to any other unit of information over the Internet and is thus, integral to the creation of the World Wde Web. This technology has enabled us to surf for things we are interested in with much ease as just one page could link us to hundreds and thousands of relevant sites. As such, hyperlinks are widely “used in emails, text editors, PDF documents, word processing documents, spreadsheets, Apple’s HyperCard and many other places” (Wikipedia, 2007).

Today, companies market themselves and their products online on other web pages with the help of the hypertext, linking the user back to the company’s main page. Bloggers who own online auction items can also use hypertext to link their blog readers to their auction sites and increase the chances of bids for their items. The best thing about marketing your goods in this manner is that it is free and convenient for both the seller and consumer. The only thing one would have to do when dealing with a hypertext is simply to click and arrive at a page; no typing or much thinking is required at all.

With such brilliant technology made easy for us and at our disposal, it isn’t a wonder why most people spend majority of their time in front of their computers surfing the web. Pen pals can save on postage and email each other instead. Shopaholics can save on their bus fares to downtown shopping malls and indulge in online shopping, students can be spared the hassle of making trips to the library and do their research online instead, and the list goes on. With that, maybe there is just one last question we should ponder on, “What would we do without the Internet?”



References

Rheingold, H. (1993). Visionaries and Convergences: The Accidental History of the Net. The Virtual Community. New York: Perseus Books. Retrieved from http://www.rheingold.com/vc/book/3.html

Wikipedia (2007). Internet. Retrieved January 26, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet

Wikipedia (2007). Online Shop. Retrieved January 27, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_shop

Wikipedia (2007). Ted Nelson. Retrieved January 27, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Nelson