The World Of The Internet

The Internet has been one of the most influential and important tools for societal communication in the past decade. Today, the Internet is a self-sustained, public and interconnected facility available to millions of individuals worldwide. It is extensively used by all as a primary source of information and fuel for its social network and content sharing and fueled the development and growth of the social internet through user-generated content and social networking. In addition, the Internet has also become an effective business tool that allows anyone to create a strong online presence and generate income through sales, advertising and sponsorship. Although the Internet has become a vital part of our lives, there are still several myths and misunderstandings surrounding this growing communications medium.

Many believe that the Internet can only be accessed by those with high-speed internet connection such as through cable or DSL, or through a wired phone line, and that the Internet cannot be accessed or used by children safely. While it is true that a limited amount of resources are dedicated to the Internet such as connections through wireless carriers, dial-up services and other high-cost Internet connections; the Internet can be accessed and used by virtually anyone. In fact, many users do not require a high-speed Internet connection and are able to do online gaming and social networking without any problems. In addition, some computers come bundled with a built-in operating system and browser that make the Internet highly compatible and secure regardless of the system it is installed on. As long as a broadband Internet connection is available and the user chooses a safe and appropriate web browser, browsing activities are typically completely anonymous.

One misconception many people have is that the Internet is only accessed through the World Wide Web, or the computer screen. While it is possible for an individual to gain unauthorized access to a computer without human supervision, the majority of Internet traffic is protected and delivered using advanced protocols such as encryption and authentication. A browser will typically need to be programmed in order to perform specific functions, such as downloading programs and web pages or displaying web pages, as well as for the user to enter specific text or enter special characters. Some of the most commonly used web browsers include Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple Safari and Opera.