What is the Internet?

The term INTERNET comes from the phrase interconnected networks. Simply put, the Internet is a network of information.

So, what's a network? A network is a collection of two or more computers connected together via cables so that various things, like files, can be shared. Usually, you'll find a network of computers in a research lab, in universities, or in large corporations. These local networks can then be connected, via high-speed phone lines/fiber optic cables/satellite links, to the Internet. So, essentially, one might say that the Internet is a network of networks.

It's important to note that one need not be connected to a local network to access the Internet, however. This is where local Internet service providers come in. An Internet Service Provider (ISP) is a business that sets up an Internet connection, then sells access to anyone who wants it.

At the present time, there are basically four major functions of the Internet:

• Used as a means of communication,
• Used as an information resource,
• Used as a storage medium for a massive number of files, documents, graphics, etc.,
• Serves as a virtual community, with real people behind the monitors.

The Internet provides several services, ie E-mail, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Gopher, Telnet, and Newsgroups. The Internet. Its growth is phenomenal. And we're a part of it.