The Internet
"Describing the Internet as the Network of Networks is like calling the Space Shuttle a thing that flies." (John Lester)
You may have heard about something called "The Information Super-Highway", which is the media's buzzword for something that they think is new and cool. As usual, they've got it wrong - the Internet is over 30 years old. As to whether it is "cool" or not, it depends on what you think is cool. There is a huge amount of incredibly boring stuff out there, some rather unpleasant junk and a moderate amount of very useful stuff.
The Internet is actually a collection of thousands of computers linked together by a common set of rules. These rules (called protocols) allow them to communicate with one another so it is possible for one computer user to communicate with, or use the services located on, any of the other computers.
When did it all start?
Who runs the Internet?
There is no regulatory body making up rules with the power to enforce them.
How big is it?
Also the Internet is growing at an ever increasing rate. It is easier to talk about how much the Internet has grown in the years since its introduction. In 1985 there were only 100 computer networks connected to the Internet. By 1990, this had grown to over 2,000. Between January 1990 and June 1991, the Internet doubled in size and was estimated to be growing at a rate of 15% per month. There is little sign of this growth rate slowing today. It is thought that there are now over 5 million computers connected to the Internet providing services for between 35 to 40 million users worldwide.