Internet
computer network
from: https://www.britannica.com/
The Internet is a vast network that connects computers all over the world. Through the Internet,
people can share information and communicate from anywhere with an Internet connection.
The Internet consists of technologies developed by different individuals and organizations.
Important figures include Robert W. Taylor, who led the development of the ARPANET (an
early prototype of the Internet), and Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn, who developed
the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) technologies.
The Internet works through a series of networks that connect devices around the world through
telephone lines. Users are provided access to the Internet by Internet service providers. The
widespread use of mobile broadband and Wi-Fi in the 21st century has allowed this connection
to be wireless.
The advent of the Internet has brought into existence new forms of exploitation, such as spam e-
mail and malware, and harmful social behaviour, such as cyberbullying and doxxing. Many
companies collect extensive information from users, which some deem a violation of privacy.
The Dark Web refers to a series of Web sites that require special decryption and configuration
tools to access. It is most commonly used for purposes that require strict anonymity, including
illegal sales (e.g., of weapons and drugs), political dissent in countries with heavy censorship,
and whistleblowing.
While the Internet is theoretically decentralized and thus controlled by no single entity, many
argue that tech companies such as Amazon, Facebook, and Google represent a small
concentration of organizations that have unprecedented influence over the information and
money on the Internet. In some countries, certain parts of the Internet are blocked via censorship.
Whether the Internet is "making us stupid" is widely debated. Some argue the Internet is
reprogramming our brains for the worse, as seen by diminishing IQ scores, and that new
technologies and platforms like the Internet are harming attention spams, the ability to
concentrate, and perform simple tasks. Others argue that virtually all new technologies
throughout history have been initially feared, that the Internet gives voice to diverse populations
and equal access to information for the benefit of social advancement, and that changing how the
brain works and how we access and process information is not necessarily bad. For more on the
debate about whether the Internet is "making us stupid," visit ProCon.org.
Whether cancel culture is good for society is widely debated. Some argue it allows the public
and marginalized people to seek accountability in their leaders, gives a voice to disenfranchised
or less powerful people, and is simply a new form of boycott. Others see cancel culture as a
dangerous form of bullying, a suppression of free speech, and a form of intolerance that harms
democratic societies by excluding and ostracizing anyone with contrary views. For more on the
cancel culture debate, visit ProCon.org.
Exercises:
1- Read the text and make a list of technical vocabulary
2- Find the meaning of each technical word
3- Translate the text to your native language
4- Try to summarize each paragraph by a single sentence
5- Make a report on the subject.
