the Internet
The Internet is a global network connecting millions of computers. More than 190 countries are linked into exchanges of data, news and opinions.
Internet Users Worldwide
According to Internet Live Stats, as of August 07, 2015 there was an estimated 3,179,035,200 Internet users worldwide. The number of Internet users represents nearly 40 percent of the world’s population. The largest number of Internet users by country is China, followed by the United States and India.
In September 2014, the total number of websites with a unique hostname online exceeded 1 billion. This is an increase from one website (info.cern.ch) in 1991. The first billion Internet users worldwide was reached in 2005.
The Internet is Decentralized
Unlike online services, which are centrally controlled, by design, the Internet is decentralized. Each Internet computer, called a host, is independent. Operators can choose which Internet services to use and which local services to make available to the global Internet community. Remarkably, this anarchy by design works exceedingly well. There are a variety of ways to access the Internet. Most online services offer access to some Internet services. It is also possible to gain access through a commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP).
Who Owns the Internet?
No one actually owns the Internet, and no single person or organization controls the Internet in its entirety. The Internet is more of a concept than an actual tangible entity, and it relies on a physical infrastructure that connects networks to other networks.
Is Web and Internet the Same?
The Internet is not synonymous with World Wide Web. The Internet is a massive network of networks, a networking infrastructure. It connects millions of computers together globally, forming a network in which any computer can communicate with any other computer as long as they are both connected to the Internet. The World Wide Web, or simply Web, is a way of accessing information over the medium of the Internet. It is an information-sharing model that is built on top of the Internet.
Read Also:
- Internet Service Provider (ISP)
Short for Internet Service Provider, it refers to a company that provides Internet services, including personal and business access to the Internet. For a monthly fee, the service provider usually provides a software package, username, password and access phone number. Equipped with a modem, you can then log on to the Internet and browse the […]
- NetBIOS
(net-bī´ōs) (n.) Short for Network Basic Input Output System, an API that augments the DOS BIOS by adding special functions for local-area networks (LANs). Almost all Windows-based LANs for PCs are based on the NetBIOS. Some LAN manufacturers have even extended it, adding additional network capabilities.
- NetBSD
A free Unix-like Open Source operating system that is the result of a collaborative effort between a large group of people. NetBSD contains a variety of free software, including 4.4BSD Lite from Berkeley. Goals of the NetBSD developers include making the operating system extremely portable for a large number of hardware platforms. The first NetBSD […]
- NetMeeting
A product developed by Microsoft Corporation that enables groups to teleconference using the Internet as the transmission medium. NetMeeting supports VoIP, chat sessions, a whiteboard, and application sharing. It’s built into Microsoft’s Internet Explorer Web browser.
- NetShow
A specification developed by Microsoft for streaming multimedia content over the World Wide Web. A competing specification backed by Netscape is RTSP.