ejthompson2

It is my opinion that the invention of the Internet helped jump-start our culture into what is referred to as the "Information Renaissance". Even though the Internet is only around 20 years old, it is hard for people to remember what it was like before it. We take for granted the ability to get onto a computer that is small enough to fit on a desk, and send an electronic letter to people all around the globe in an instant.

There were many factors that shaped the Internet into what we know it as today. The first to look at is the invention of the World Wide Web.

Tim Berners-Lee created information pages called "Web pages" that allowed universities and research facilities to connect to each other to share information.

It wasn't long when these people at the universities and research facilities wanted a way to send specific information to individuals electronically, and thus the e-mail was quickly invented.

Companies like American Online (AOL) really helped millions of users to connect cheaply to a quickly expanding network of computers that were all connected to the Internet. It offered services like e-mail accessibility as well as a "search engine" that allowed users to "surf" the web to find content that was available all over the world. When users quickly discovered the amount of information that was rapidly becoming available on the internet, several companies quickly realized how to solve customer needs in this Industry.

Companies like Google created more advanced search engines that could search for hosted media, like pictures and movies as well as offering superior results to user search requests. Other companies like MSN, Netscape and Mozilla created applications called "browsers" to help aid people while browsing numerous websites.

With E-mail becoming a quickly forming norm, people wanted even faster forms of communication, thus Instant Messenger clients started appearing. Companies like ICQ, AIM, MSN Messanger, IRC, quickly became another social norm for people to quickly send brief messages to each other. Entirely new vocabulary evolved from the invention of the Instant Messengers as people tried to express emotions over this new medium. Phrases like LOL, ROLF, BRB, ATM and JAS became popular as people shortened phrases that were commonly used.

With all of the increased demand for Internet services, consumers quickly sought higher bandwidth and mobility to allow them to access things faster while on the move.

Entire virtual communities were created with the advent of services like MySpace or Facebook, which allowed users to create electronic identities online as well as find and talk to other users. Blogs quickly became popular which allowed users to create Web Logs, later shortened to blogs. These blogs let users write down ideas, thoughts and dreams for their own gratification as well as allowing people to share these with others.

And the business community has quickly realized the Internet's potential. Businesses like eBAY and Craigslist allowed users to post items for sale as well as giving people the ability to purchase items all over the world. Most businesses in today's age have some form of Internet offering, whether it is simply information on the company or giving potential customers the ability to purchase goods right there on the site.

As can be seen, the Internet has truly shaped the world we live in today. With users everywhere being able to access almost any form of information at any time, the Internet is at the heart of the Information Renaissance. It will be fascinating to see where the future will lead.

http://thewarp.org/blog/index.cfm/2007/5/4/TOP-25-Things-That-Shaped-the-Internet