General Paper: What Use Is The Internet?

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Philippe Francois

Friday 4th March ‘03

General Paper:         What Use Is The Internet?

Lower 6 – Business2

Ms. Boodan

        The internet is the world’s largest, globally inter-linked network of computer systems. It allows users to transmit and receive data digitally, across the telephone network system. This concept of data transmission on a world-wide scale, has opened the doors to a vast range of possibilities for this data sharing capability.

        Initially, the internet was developed under a government funded project called ARPANET (Advanced Research Project Agency), in late 1962, directed by members of MIT who saw great potential in the ability to transmit data across a global network system i.e. the telephone system. The intention was mainly to design a system that would enable the sharing of information on research and development on scientific and military aspects. In addition, it was to provide an alternative communication network, which could be re-directed across a number of alternative routes, in the event that a site was destroyed by nuclear attack.

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        Since the internet’s first stages of development, today, it is still used as a data sharing agent. Whilst in the past, it was used primarily used by government specialist and large organizations, it can now be found in use, in the homes of more than 500 million households worldwide, according to estimated statistics at Telecom from a number of surveys in August 2001. This figure accounts for around 100% of the world population. The increasing number of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) has allowed millions of remote country residents’, access to the network, contributing to the 17%growth rate in internet usage. ...

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The report states the term 'E-Mail', however hasn't explained this term. An E-mail is the process of sending an electronic message to another internet user using an e-mail address, such as test@testing6. co.uk. All technical terms should be explained within the report, to allow the examiner to understand the report with ease.

The report states that there has been an 17% increase in internet usage in remote area's, although this hasn't been justified. The report could include 'Due to additional competition within the market a number of companies have attracted consumer's by expanding their network, and advertising that all locations will have good internet access. Thus, this allows the company to acquire additional market share'. The report states that some computer files downloaded from the internet may be harmful. Although from reading the report, I'm quite confused, as it doesn't make any sense. The student is missing a few sentences regrading potential virus within files. The report could include 'When a user downloads a file off the internet, there may be a virus within the file, and this may harm a users computer by either deleting documents, copying documents, using data or other harmful aspects.

In summary, the report is OK. The report states how the internet was set-up and how the internet is being used today. However some of the sections are lacking detail or missing sentences. The report states that one figure accounts for 100% of the world's population, however I believe that this is false. It wouldn't be possible to have any research, which accounts for 100% of the world's population, as small babies wouldn't be able to talk and there is too many people within the world. This should be corrected within the report.