Facts about the Internet that You Know
There are many interesting (or even disturbing) facts about the internet that you should be aware of. The good news is that this blog is all about them! Have fun reading them!
We use the internet daily to get a lot of things done. From buying groceries from an eCommerce store to booking a flight online and working remotely to streaming a movie, we use the internet extensively. Today, life without it is simply not possible. We are heavily dependent on technology and even one hour of a power outage can be quite frustrating.
Some Internet-Related Facts You Should Be Aware Of
The Internet is Quite Old
Scientists and engineers were considering a data-sharing network as early as the 1900s. However, back then, they weren’t able to find a solution. However, a lot of development occurred during the 1960s when J.C.R. Licklider (MIT) worked on a similar idea. After this, ARPANET came into existence. ARPANET, which stands for Advanced Research Projects Agency Network, was the first step towards a fully functional system. From here on, developments continued to take place leading to the internet we have today. Also, the internet was quite slow back then and internet services providers also didn’t exist. Today, we have lightning-fast internet connections and promotions such as Spectrum Deal.
Number of Active Users
Just a few years ago, the number of active internet users was just a little above 3 billion. However, a whopping 4.66 billion people use the internet across the globe today thanks to major developments in the communications industry. More than 4.32 billion individuals use smartphones to access the web. The technology is easily accessible now for more than half of the total human population.
Development of the World Wide Web
The World Wide Web came into existence in 1989. It was developed by Tim Berners-Lee. He coded the very first web page back in 1990 and since then billions of web pages have come into existence. Yes, you read that right. However, many of them are inactive.
Facebook Was Not the First Social Network
This will come as quite a shock. Indeed, Facebook was not the first social platform to come into existence. The honors go to SixDegrees.com. This social network was available to the public. The website went public in 1997 and could only remain in business till 1999. On the website, users could easily upload their photos and share information.
Wi-Fi Means… Nothing!
A marketing company came up with the name for wireless internet i.e., Wi-Fi. Interbrand, the company, created the name without giving any serious thought about its meaning. Some say that Wi-Fi stands for Wireless Fidelity but that is just not true. In reality, the term has no long-form and does not mean anything either.
Google is At the Top
Well, no surprises there. The popular search engine gets the most number of visitors. YouTube is at the number two spot. It is, after all, the largest video-sharing platform in the world. At the third spot is the Chinese search engine Baidu.com.
Emails are Quite Old
You’ll be surprised to find out that the first email was sent out more than half a century ago. It was in the 1960s that it was sent using the ARPANET. This system was built around file-sharing in connected computers. The web-based emails we’re used to didn’t become popular until the late 1990s. Systems like AOL were responsible for the popularity of emails. Today, thanks to services such as Yahoo, Gmail, and Zoho, you can send highly customizable emails. Not only that, but you can also share heavy files as attachments.
eCommerce
It is a reality that many people did not believe for a long time that the internet could be used to buy things. However, the internet can help you do pretty much everything today. Many eCommerce stores ship quality products to any place in the world. Amazon and Ali Baba are two of the largest eCommerce companies in the world.
Virtual Reality
Today, many websites allow you to go on virtual tours to many scenic destinations in the world. You’ll need VR glasses to immerse yourself in a 3D environment. And fortunately, many of these services are available for free. Just from the comfort of your living room, you can explore pretty much any place in the world.
Cyberattacks
Millions of cyberattacks take place every year. Therefore, it is necessary to be conscious of the security architecture of your internet-enabled devices. Hackers can easily gain access to your info and data. Furthermore, refrain from clicking on any suspicious links or pop-ups while browsing the internet.
So these are some important internet-related facts you should be aware of.