How Internet Works I Think

How Internet works </i think> by Zbigniew Gargasz 2011
Important introduction
When I gave this text to read to my friends and editor they came back to me asking
what is about and who am I targeting. As far publishers didnt quite like the concept Ive
decided to publish it as free text as rare as it was. As English is not my first language
please forgive me all the mistakes and errors.
This text is dedicated to everyone, well some highly skilled IT or Internet professionals
would find that there are no new facts in there, but they are presented from different
angle.
Dont be confused when you start reading first chapter and you will find that it smells
like some ordinary novel rather then science book. Well that wasnt my intentions to write
science book, rather something accessible to everyone.
Please refer to characters presented in that text metaphorically. Let me explain.
My idea was to present simple story from everyday life. Something everyone can easily
understand and refer to. So there it is - a postman and story of delivering a package.
This story in first chapter is symbolic, and as text goes it will uncover more and more inside
processes how Internet works.
So by memorizing simple one story of package being delivered by a postman, you can
easily refer to every single part or Internet technology and remember how it works.
So it is in my opinion best not exactly technical way to have some knowledge about
something everyone is using today.
You might find some chapters where I probably was too technical, or where wind
brought me to far like in last chapter. As one of my mentors says: leave your
sophistication behind you, well there is word of true in that, but I wouldnt say I am that
much sophisticated, and this text is rather something like I see it.
My success would be if the concept would work and you will refer in your mind to that
first chapter when word Internet will come to surface.
Thanks for reading.
Table of contents
ONE | Story of a extraordinary postman
TWO | Internet cable under microscope
THREE | Understanding computer language
FOUR | Hidden layers of Internet
FIVE | Routing - finding the road
13
SIX | Internet postal address
17
SEVEN | How computer is finding the right address and road
17
EIGHTS | Knocking on the doors - server and client
18
NINE | DNS computer-human Tower of Babel language
19
TEN | History of Internet development
24
ELEVEN | Internet skeleton tiers and governance issue
26
TEN | How many people are using Internet?
30
ELEVEN | Search Engines, processes behind Mr G office
31
TWELVE | Lately on Internet - Social Networks
35
ONE | Story of a extraordinary postman

It was around midnight when deaf metallic sound echoed through the rather dark room.
It brought out the attention of the well-postured gentleman in the middle of the room.
Newspaper he was reading was still shadowing his face, uncovering only his mysteriously
deep eyes looking into the corner of the room. Thats where the noise was coming from.
Then alarm went off. Already dressed in quite formal military-looking uniform with
nametag James on his chest, man jumps up from the chair. Now we can see his
unshaved feature of his face, face that was screaming with thousands of untold stories.
He quickly runs into the corner where incoming letterbox was based. He acts like a
programmed machine, judging by certainty and smoothness of his movements it is not
the first time he is finding himself in that situation. He instantly pushes the red button
mounted on the wall turning off the alarm bell. Now comely he picks up the package
from the metal deck. He looks on the label attached to the box, which says:
From: Ms Mac
To: Mr G
Not only in his profession From means as well Return Path and To is equal to
Destination. The name on the box Ms Mac bright up his dark face for a second at
this very moment, like she is very important person to him. He seems to know that name
very well. This is name of this attractive blond female law student on first floor. She stops
every day by his reception desk on her way back from university. She seems to be very
bright young women. And James cant stop wondering, that look she is always giving
him when she is leaving his reception window...almost like she is missing his company
straight away, what does it mean? But there is no time for such thoughts, duties first, that
is how he was trained. He knows from the top of his head that her address is 192.168.1.5.
But he has to act with military precision protocols, so he quickly checks that in his
database to confirm that fact. Of course, he was right. She is one of 10 tenants, which
are using his reception post office services in the building. But who is Mr G? He know he
have to act fast and professionally. He rings well-known global enquiries company
called DNS and finds out that this gentleman is living on 66.102.9.105 address. Knowing
the destination address only task left for James is to find the best and fastest way to
deliver the package. He enquires with his head quarter friend Ms Penny if she knew
where that 66.102.9.105 address might be. Ms Penny confirms in no time that she knows
where to send that package and asking James to forward that package to her and she
will deal with it.
James skilfully takes the label attached to the box, scans the bar code and types
something on the computer. From this we can see he is not only physically firm, but also
quite experienced with the computers. While he is typing, we can easily spot circle
symbol on his right sleeve. The text around the symbol says: Anti-Cyberterrorism Naval
Services. The text he entered speared on the screen, it was saying:
Case number: Package 1 - entry 101
From: James (Ms Macs reception)
To: Ms Penny, HQ1 (for Mr G, 66.102.9.105)
Now he puts the package in sort of protective plastic container. He opens wired-looking
circle shelve doors; inside we can its endless. He puts the plastic container there, closes
the door, green light appears on GO button on the front of the door. He presses it and
goes back to his newspaper.
Above wired circle doors we can read label saying: ISP Broadband Tunnel to HQ1.
On another end of ISP Broadband Tunnel Ms Penny opens similar circle doors, just to find
very same container there. She scans the bar code and text: Package 1 - entry 101
shows up on her computer screen. In case details she can read that she already
checked with several couriers if they knew Mr G and if they can deliver that particular
package. It was at the time when James asked her is she knew how to deliver package
to Mr G. She found one courier called UPS on Route 101 able to deliver. UPS was using
fast and secure air post technology. But when Ms Penny checked with UPS she finds out
that they currently experiencing some delays due weather conditions. She rang FedEx another trusted courier. FedEx confirms that they are able to offer delivery within very
good time using ultra-fast underground train. She decides to use their services, marks the
package and updates the system entry:
From Ms Penny (Ms Macs HQ1)
To: FedEx (Mr Gs HQ2)
Then she is loading the package into the next truck going to FedEx HQ. Truck leaves Ms
Penny office immediately. After about one hour truck delivers package to the
destination. They scan the bar code, they finding local depot accurate for Mr G address
(66.102.9.105) from which courier can deliver the package fastest. It is their office no
66.102. Then they update system for Package 1 - entry 102 case in their system.
From FedEx HQ2
To: 66.102 (Mr Gs local courier)
Using special broadband tunnel FedEx HQ2 employee sends package to 66.102 office.
Finally package arrives at Mr G local courier office. Local Fed-Ex delivery man called
Roger picks up the box from delivery deck in his office and brings it up to Mr Gs office.
Knock on the doors, Mr. G opens the door, signs the delivery form for Mr Roger, opens
the box and finds the letter. Ms Mac is asking Mr G in that letter to search his files
archives for documents about constitution. Mr G quickly runs into the file archive
storage room, opens drawer, and picks several pages from various folders known to him.
Then he writes down titles of those pages with brief content description and puts it in a
reply letter. Explaining that he doesnt have full text of these articles with him, but when
he was travelling overseas he seen that article at wikipedia institute. And he types the
address for that building where he seen it. Then Mr G prints out this letter, puts it into the
box, addresses it as Return Path to Ms Mac, and giving it back to his local postman - Mr
Roger.
Now this package returns the same way to Ms Mac. Local courier Mr Roger using the
broadband tunnel send it to FedEx HQ2, trucks takes it to Ms Penny at HQ1 she sends it
by ISP Broadband Tunnel to a local postman James.
As you could expect, he happily rushes with the box over to Ms Mac apartment on
192.168.1.5 address. She opens the doors with welcoming smile, what relaxes Jamess
firm face. And he does something no one seen him doing before - he similes back to her
so honestly you can tell it comes from the bottom of his heart. She signs up the delivery
form, opens the box. From the letter she finds out that Mr G came across file, which she
was looking for. Mr. G included the name of that file and address where its located at
wikipedia institute. Also he mentioned that from what he remembers section, which
includes that paper, was bookmarked constitution.
In uncontrollable explosion of emotions Ms Mac jumps onto James. Then she realized
what just she have done, and she steps back ashamed and confused. You can tell that
by glowing blush on her chicks. But she quickly put herself together and she asks James
to wait few seconds. She comes back to her apartment, writes another letter, puts it into
the box and addressed to wikipedia. After handing box over to James, she ask him to
deliver hat package for her. After that she throws some loose words, like it is not
important to her at all. She said that she is busy today with school projects, but maybe
tomorrow if he doesnt have different plans, they could go for a meal or a drink maybe.
He doesnt answer. Just looking into her blue eyes shakes his head.
James didnt even remembered how he got back to his office, thinking all the way
about Ms Mac and what just happened. It seemed so unreal, that he still cant believe it
just happened. By the time he reaches his office the though hits him. He have to do his
best to impress Ms Mac with this package. So he rang DNS company straight away to
find out that are wikipedia buildings are located under 91.198.174.232 address
overseas, exactly as Mr G said in the letter. James confirms with his Ms Penny at HQ1 that
best way to send this package is via DPDs undersea tunnel. James labels and sends
package to Ms Penny. She updates the ticket, labels the box and send it to DPD HQ3
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via dedicated undersea pipe. DPD HQ3 receives package from Ms Penny HQ1 overseas,
updates their systems, and despatch box to local wikipedia courier Bob. He brings
the package to reception of wikipedia institute where delivery form is being sign off
and package opened. wikipedia institute employee named Webster opens Ms Mac
letter and seeks requested file in section constitution according to Mr G directions.
Once Mr Webster finds the file, he is making a copy of it, packing it into a box and sends
back to Ms Mac with regards via Return Path.
The doorbell rings at Ms Mac apartment. She opens the door where James dressed in
white shirt is smiling at her with the box in his hand. She sings delivery form and opens the
box where she finds the copy of constitution file from wikipedia. The file said: A
constitution is a set of laws that a set of people have made and agreed upon. Signs
of overwelming feeling of satisfaction and happines can be easly spotted on her face. I
coulnt do it without you - she whispers into Jamess ear with her soft voice just after she
falls down into his arms. He puts his strong arms around her, she notices that he smells just
like freshly cutted grass. That reminds her of summer holiday she used to spend with her
dad in his farm. Sudenly she felt so safe like there was nothing what could harm her. It
was the same feeling she remembered when she was in the arms of her dad when she
was little.
It seems like scenery from romantic Bond movie, or extraordinary day of an ordinary
postman. Nice light story, but what does it have to do with Internet. Well idea is to
memorize key factors by easy example.
Each part of this story of James and Ms Mac represents different factor of how Internet
works. It is symbolic example rather then scientific explanation, but supposedly it is best
way to memorise all the cells of this chain. Lets start with scaling our story to true
technological background of Internet. For the start we will go with scaling the time. I
think we can agree that it takes at least 3 days (259 200 000 milliseconds) minimum to
deliver package overseas. Lets suppose that our story was presented in motions slowed
4000 times. In digital time-scaled world computer reaches Mr. G office in approximately
30 milliseconds. Where whole process of pulling down the right document from
wikipedia archives takes approximately 30-60 seconds. Going further with our example
of James and Ms Mac, we can agree that Ms Mac or Mr G could put anything in the
box: a letter, video take, music CD, MP3 player, recorded voice etc. you can only
imagine how many uses this post-delivering services might have. Same Internet, it can
bring you YouTube video, Word document, images, articles etc. And this is exactly why
Internet is so universal: because it provides enormous variety of use. Thats just two of
aspects, going deeper with analysis of our story we have to go to roots. How this
Broadband Tunnel transports the package, how this infrastructure is build, how does it
synchronise.
TWO | Internet cable under microscope

There are no mini little boxes or plastic containers inside real broadband Internet cable.
But there is something transporting informations both ways. It is electronic impulse signal of 0 and 1 binary system. Electronic impulse can only signalize 0 (off or false) and
1 (on or true), similar way as Morse code sends by flashlight. To build letters and words
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this signal is split in parts called bits. We are going to talk about 8 bit examples, for two
main reasons. Internet addressing is based on them, and it is easier to understand how it
works on 8 pieces examples then for example on 128 pieces. So 8 bit binary systems we
can present as pause-flash-pause-pause-flash-flash-pause-pause and we can write it
down as 01001100. That means there will be 8 positions available to fill by 0 or 1. So to get
one letter we need combination of 8 values. Each flash or pause is then translated same
as Morse alphabet to a letter or number. For instance 1 (flash) 0 (pause) is an A on
Morse code, in binary code A is represented by 01000001, where small letter a by
01100001 and number 1 is 00110001. Computers translate this for us automatically. It acts
as auto-translator, for example when you press H on you keyboard computer knows it is
72 which is translated to 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0. Computer immediately is signalizing it as notflash-not-not-flash-not-not-not or other words false-true-false-false-true-false-falsefalse. That is in very slow motion. In real life it is much faster, in fact so fast so we cant
see it. Imagine 64 million flashes transmitted in one second. That is just your basic home
Internet connection, where bigger corporate fiber-optic connections will be operating
thousands or millions times faster. That is how; just by knowing values 0,1 (true, false)
computers can transmit enormous amount of content. Any information, text, video,
image, voice can be translated to 0 1 language. Because Internet technology allows to
transmit that 0 1 language quickly from one part of the world to other via air (wireless or
mobile phone) it so successful technology and provides us with platform which we can
use in many different ways.
THREE | Understanding computer language

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We read binary code from right-to-left. The first slot from the right represents a value of
one, the second from the right a value of two, the third from the right a value of four, the
fourth from the right a value of eight, the fifth from the right a value of sixteen, and the
cycle continues by multiples of 2. This will never change. By putting a 1 or a 0 in those
slots you are either saying you want to corresponding value thats attached to that slot
or you dont. A 1 means yes, and a 0 means no. For example, putting a zero in
the first slot from the right, but a 1 in the second slot from the right means you want a
two, but not a one: _ _ _ 1 0. Lets say you want to represent eight in binary form. Well,
thinking about the slots, you want the first slot to be 0 because you dont want a one,
you want the second slot to also be 0 because you dont want a two, you want the third
slot to also to be 0 because you dont want a four, but you want the fifth slot to be 1
because you want a value of eight. As such, eight in binary form is: 1 0 0 0 (or simply 1000
without those underlines). Now it is important to note that the amount of zeroes that
precede the first value of one from the left is unimportant. So for example: 1 0 0 0 is the
same as 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 (1000 = 000100). To get it cleared up, heres another example: 0 1 is
the same as 1.
Lets now understand how to get the corresponding decimal values to the numbers,
which are not multiples of 2. To get the total value of a binary number, add the values
corresponding to each slot. So, for example, three in binary would be: 11 because
2+1=3. The above corresponds to three because if you add the total values of all the
slots, that is to say a one from the slot to the right, and a two from the second slot to the
right, then it equals three. As another example, lets say you want to represent 5 in binary
terms. Then you would need a value of one to be added to a value of four, and you
would not want a value of two:
101 [Reading from the right: 1(one) + 0(two) + 1(four) = five].
It is easier to understand when presented more visually.
First lets draw binary code table of
128/2=64/2=32/2=16/2=8/2=4/2=2/2=1 (together 8 numbers/positions=8 bit). Or other
way around:
2^7=128, 2^ 6=64, 2^5=32, 2^4=16, 2^3=8, 2^2=4, 2^1=2, 2^0=1.
As you see powers of 2 are the keys to binary system, 8 of them to be exact.
1
128
2
64
3
32
4
16
5
8
6
4
7
2
8
1
Our letter A is 01000001 placing it into the right slots position in the table we getting:
128
0
64
1
32
0
16
0
8
0
4
0
2
0
1
1
We have only flashlight ON (true) on position 1 and position 7, rest are just pauses. So
taking on the account only the flashes values from the table we have 1x64+1x1=65
No we need something called the ASCII table. It is table of constant values, same as 1
corresponds to A in our logic, same as Morse alphabet. ASCI table corresponds the
binary number to the letter equivalent (or (symbol/number equivalent).
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For instance starting with 65, and now writing capital letters next to those numbers we
have A=65, B=66 etc. Starting with 97 and write lowercase we getting a=97, b=98 etc.
And for numbers we starting from 48=0, 49=1 etc.
A=65
B=66
C=67
...
a=97
b=98
c=99
0=48
1=49
2=50
3=51
FOUR | Hidden layers of Internet

Binary 0 1 language is just electric impulse, same as flash light signal. To send such signal
between two computers, or many computers like it is on Internet we need some sort of
carrier. Same as car needs a road or something to drive on, computers needs wires to
transmit those impulses. Today we have Wireless technology, which does it without wires,
but you still need broadcast device and a receiver. Other words it is still point-topoint transmission of signal. Lets focus on wired connection, as it is easier to visualize.
And also same rules apply to Wireless technology anyway.
To properly transmit computer-to-computer message it requires complex technology. To
reflect that in day-to-day language, like road has layers, so it doesnt collapse, has site
water drains, has traffic lights and one road is connected to other in huge network.
Same Internet, it is layered connection, outside is visible as one tunnel, inside which we
have all of those functions like traffic lights, cars, trucks carrying over packages etc etc.
The best way to find out whats exactly inside this tunnel is to talk about those layers in
details. In computer terminology those layers are described by OSI model (Open System
Interconnection Reference Model). It is hierarchical model, meaning in order to achieve
Layer 2, Layer 1 has to be operational and in order. And same for all above layers.
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Analogically Layer 3 requires Layer 2 and all Layers below it to be in order.
Layer 1 (physical - media, signal and binary transmission)

This layer is responsible for bit-level transmission (0 1 flashes) between network nodes. The
Physical Layer defines items such as: connector types, cable types, voltages, and pinouts.
Starting from the bottom of the tunnel, we have physical part of it. It is the cabling and
the machines involved in transmitting the signal. Now each machine knows the name of
its neighbours machines. This address is called MAC address (thats why it was Ms Mac in
our story). So we have for instance one machine, in our example it was Mr James, and
his neighbour machine fellow Ms Penny. They know each other and they are
connected by physical cabling (we named it broadband tunnel in our story describing
physical pipe between them). But going further in our example it will be the road or the
stairs on which courier carrier over the package. Each machine (James, Penny, Roger
etc) is called device. The family of devices can be arranged by categories like Network
Adapters, Routers, Hubs and many others. Those can be described as flashlights with
eyes. They can absorb and send electric impulses (0 1 signals).
Layer 2 (data - physical addressing)
This layer is responsible for communications between adjacent network nodes. This is
basic communication between those two machines Mr James and Ms Penny. It
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determines if they can talk to each other. For example if the broadband tunnel is not
broken, or if they were able to make conversation in the first place. This layer is also
called sometimes by self-explanatory name - frame - where device families of hubs
and switches are operating.
Layer 3 (network - path determination and logical addressing)
This layer is responsible for establishing paths for data transfer through the network. This
part is referred to also as packet. As line above is saying, the job of this layer is to find
address and path to get to that address. In our example it was first James who called Ms
Penny, and Ms Penny who found the way to deliver the package. Such transfer of the
package from hands to hands is called routing and machine providing the service is
called a router. Analogically we can conclude that Ms Penny is a Router device.
This also a layer where very important system residents IP - Internet Protocol which is
responsible for routing packets across network boundaries.
Layer 4: (transport layer - end-to-end connections and reliability, flow control)
This layer is responsible for delivering messages between networked devices. Best way to
illustrate this section is episode of Ms Penny calling UPS and finding that they have
delays, and calling FedEx to confirm if they can deliver the package. Also fact of signing
up delivery forms on both ends is part of this process. Comparing to our example, it is
Jamess HQ1 where Ms Penny is located, as well FedEx HQ1 which deals with the
dispatch and classification of mail and parcels sent. Do remember, however, that a HQ1
and 2 manages the outer label of the package. Higher layers may have the equivalent
of double packaging, such as cryptographic presentation services that can be read by
the addressee only.
This also a layer where very important system residents TCP - Transmission Control
Protocol.
It is a service of exchanging data directly between two network devices, whereas IP
handles addressing and routing message across one or more networks. In particular, TCP
provides reliable, ordered delivery of a stream of 0 1 signals from a program on one
computer to another program on another computer. Together IP and TCP creates
TCP/IP which can be referred as logical system of addressing and finding computers on
Internet. Same as each house has postal address, each computer has and IP address,
and TCP/IP knows how to operate this addressing system.
Layer 5 (session layer inter-machine communication)
This layer is responsible for establishing process-to-process communications between
networked devices. The Session Layer controls the dialogues (connections) between
computers. It establishes, manages and terminates the connections between the local
and remote application. It provides simplex operation, and establishes check pointing,
adjournment, termination, and restart procedures.
Layer 6 (presentation layer - data representation, encryption and decryption,
conversion)
This layer is responsible for defining the syntax that two network hosts use to
communicate. Encryption and compression should be Presentation Layer functions. Fact
that letter that Ms Mac and Mr G wrote was in English, is sample of data syntax. That is
packed into an envelope is simplest reflection of compression or encryption.
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Layer 7 (application layer what we see on our computer screen)

I would describe this layer as flower growing on the plant. Even if you dont see its roots,
you would not be able to see the flower, if they didnt exist. All the process of gaining
nutritions, water and photosynthesis are necessary in order for the plant to display the
flower. It is the same with Internet, all be processes below has to in order and functional,
so you can see website, read email or watch video on YouTube. All of the translations
of .com to an IP address, routing, finding path, delivering, two way communication,
sending packages both ways, quality control, package recognition and presenting it on
your screen.
This layer is responsible for providing end-user services, such as websites, file transfers,
chat, e-mail, remote access, and network management. This is the layer with which the
user interacts. It is a software interface we are interacting with, and this software is telling
computer how to translate our actions into 0 1 language. As there are many different
syntaxes by which 0 1 language can be translated, software such as Ms Word, or
Internet Explorer, Firefox, Outlook Express etc are those filters which knows how to split
and join together 0 1 pieces so we see website, email or document on our screen.
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All together, including all the layers, whole process of delivering one single website to
your computer screen involves over 100 basics smaller technologies. They all can be
classified in above OSI layers. Each of them has crucial task, which has to completed in
100% in order to display particular website.
But Internet wasnt like this at the beginning. When it was created, computers where
simpler, so as Internet.
FIVE | Routing - finding the road

Lets start with basics and go back to early Internet and one of the most important layers
- TCP/IP. This technology allows finding any computer in global network by its unique
address. It is layer just above the layer of physical wiring like phone cable,
modem/transmitter etc. Referring to our Jamess story, think about it as TCP/IP is that
postmans truck carrying over the package. Each post-office station (whatever HQ1 or
HQ2 or local smaller one) where postman is going to pick up the package would be
called router1. So Ms Pennys office, as well FedEx or DPD buildings will be Routers. We
concluded the same in previous chapter when we were talking about Layer 3 of OSI
model.
Router is electronic device used to connect two or more computers or other electronic devices to each
other, and usually to the Internet, by wire or radio signals.
1
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Router is basically transferring data (routing2) from one station (router) to other using
shortest and fastest path till it will reach destination. That is why Ms Penny was enquiring
several couriers to find out which one is the best and fastest. This routing system doesnt
require any centralized database, as each station/router is finding step by step where to
go and has several alternative paths to deliver package. I you would imagine that
James could contact any of his 3 headquarters, depending which one would be most
reliable. For instance if Penny wouldnt know how to deliver the package, he would
contact another office which would know that. Also remember when Penny finds out
that UPS has delays? It is scenario when one path is broken in routing scenario; package
was delivered anyway by alternate route going around the broken link (UPS). As on
Picture 1 routing below. But that is not all, its not only checking if each patch is
functional, but also is planning the route and accounting delivery time and picking the
fastest possible path. Like on the graph below ROUTER 1 will enquiry all 3 neighbour
routers if they are able to send the package to another ROUTER which will be able to
deliver the package to recipient. Because ROUTER 2 responded fastest saying yes, I
know how to deliver this package, I know my neighbour - ROUTER 7 - which knows
recipient. Before ROUTER 2 has responded to ROUTER 1 it enquired all his neighbours
(ROUTERS 5,6,7 and 8) and again ROUTER 7 has responded fastest so ROUTER 2 knew now
which path to take. Because ROUTER 4 responded slower then ROUTER 2, ROUTER 2 path
was prioritised. And same situation happened between ROUTER 2 and ROUTER 7 (and
ROUTER 5,6,8).
Corresponding records in our story are:

ROUTER 1 Ms Penny HQ1
ROUTER 2 FedEx HQ2
ROUTER 3 UPS office
ROUTER 7 local Mr G office (FedEx 66.102)
ROUTER 6 local FedEx office which doesnt know who Mr G is
Routing (or routeing) is the process of selecting paths in a network along which to send network traffic.
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Presented way of finding destination in computer word is called Open Shortest Path First
(OSPF3). It simply does what it says. To reach Mr G office (open www.google.com
website) for standard Internet user at home will take approximately at least 10 different
routers. Each step on the way for delivering the package is called hoop. So it takes 10
hoops to reach Google. This number may vary depending of your Internet connection
type and your provider. Presented example has only 3 hoops (steps) so it is very basic
path. Just to mention so you can imagine how it works in bigger scale where one router
has lets say 30 or 100 alternative paths to choose from, on our example highest is only 4.
It is huge task for Ms Penny to check with 100 different couriers and collect all data
about their delivery time etc. But amazingly she does it in just fraction of a second. Thats
the decision making process.
Beside Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) there are other ways to find destination, for
example you can control which path your package will be delivered without calling
everyone around. You can say I want my package to go to ROUTER 1, ROUTER 4 and
ROUTER 8 because I know them very well. This will be described as static route. It is used
mainly in business environment by skilled IT technicians to improve transfer quality. It is
shifting part of the responsibility to manual control over the package transfer.
Some of big depot offices, what we called headquarters (HQ1 and HQ2) will be talking
to each other by Border Gateway Protocol BGP4. It is type of data transfer reserved only
for huge routers. We put truck in this place, but in real situation it will be huge undersea
cable, or satellite link. Either way it is pipe with huge capacity, and it is used by huge
core networks5 and corporate organizations. For our purposes we will exclude private
corporate point-to-point networks. So Those BGP protocol will be used by Internet
Service Providers to talk to each others head quarters. To visualize this better, we would
have to replace our truck with train travelling both ways, or jet carrying over the
package via airspace so quickly that we cant see it.
Important to remember is, this HQ to HQ path will be buried under a higher layer. So for
ordinary Internet user it is not possible to see it.
Now just for a training you can try to find out how many steps it takes for your computer
to reach Irish Time website. Using http://www.yougetsignal.com/tools/visual-tracert/
website we can do it without any technical knowledge. So if I would be in USA and I was
opening Irish Time website, that is the path that James would deliver my package.
Where no 3 will be Penny, no 7 and 8 DPD air-trans services, no 11 local office depot for
Irish Time etc.
Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) is a dynamic routing protocol for use in Internet Protocol (IP) networks.
Specifically, it is a link-state routing protocol and falls into the group of interior gateway protocols,
operating within a single autonomous system (AS)
4
The Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is the core routing protocol of the Internet. It maintains a table of IP
networks or 'prefixes' which designate network reachability among autonomous systems (AS). It makes
routing decisions based on path, network policies and/or ruleset.
5
A core network is the central part of a telecom network that provides various services to customers.
Typically it refers to the high capacity communication facilities that connect primary nodes.
Core/backbone network provides path for the exchange of information between different sub-networks.
3
16
If you have Internet at home you have probably seen and touched router. It is this little
box, which your Internet provider (ISP6) has given you. That would be the entry point
where the journey starts. Well the package generated by computer is already in 0 1
language, so this home device, let assume it is James is taking our package and puts it in
right tunnel. They are coming in many different shapes and colours.
So James in real world (your home router) would look like this:
And Ms Penny - router working in HQ (the one operating on BGP protocol) would rather
look like this:
And Ms Penny as well each of FedEx HQ2 employee would be the size of wardrobe. For
instance standard Internet Service Provider local exchange is size of building, and routers
An Internet service provider (ISP), also sometimes referred to as an Internet access provider (IAP), is a
company that offers its customers access to the Internet.
6
17
and all associated devices are taking space equal to proper size room. So lets say that
square cabinet on the right is Ms Penny and the room is HQ1 building.
James router at you home probably is also ADSL modem7 compressing and transmitting
signal between your computer and ISP router (Penny at HQ). But first public Internet
access was via so called dial up connection. Where each computer had dial-up
card/modem (transmitter) connected to PSTN8 phone line. This transmitter was dialling
the phone number of local ISP router (called POP server). Once this first physical layer of
connection was established, TCP/IP layer was activated. Then everything start to work
as in the Picture 1 routing. It is quite similar today with ADSL technology, only
differences are the transmitters are different. There is many different types of digital
network technologies, each one can provide internet access. So there is many different
ways to get access to Internet today, including mobile phones. But all this technology is
working on the same principals. Only carriers are different. Meaning the part of story
between Ms Mac and James and how she delivers package to him might use different
scenario. But presented basic TCP/IP and routing functionalities apply to all of Internet
digital networks.
SIX | Internet postal address

Now the interesting part here is how they all know, where the particular address is. It is a
job of mentioned before TCP/IP technology. It is operating as everything else in
computer world in mathematic binary system (0 1 language). Each computer or mobile
An ADSL (DSL) modem is a device used to connect a single computer or router to a DSL phone line. Like
other modems it is a type of network transceiver between end-user router through phone to ISP router.
8
The public switched telephone network (PSTN) is the network of the world's public circuit-switched
telephone networks (another words ordinary phone systems)
7
18
phone connected to Internet is using TCP/IP and has unique address called IP address.
Like each house has postal address giving house number, name of the street, town,
county, country etc. Each computer on Internet is connected to an Internet network by
a router (Jamess office). That office has unique Internet public IP address. Even if your
computer doesnt have public IP, your local router has.
It is because TCP/IP addresses are split in 4 different categories (A,B,C and D). For our
purpose we can agree that there only two categories of IP addresses: private (local)
and public/global. They are operating same as postal categories, where public will
correspond to the name of street, and private the number of the house. Private address
will be the one assigned to each computer in the building by Jamess office router. We
remember Ms Mac was living on 192.168.1.5 address. That is example of private IP
address. Now each time when she sends or receives package when she goes online,
she will be sending it via James - her router. Fact that James was able to send package
via this weird circle door tunnel to Penny means that his office was an Internet gateway.
Function of Internet gateway is to allow local computers access internet (global post
system). Now this gateway-router (Jamess office) will have Internet public IP address.
Where his client Ms Mac will have just private local IP addresses known only to James.
Again this router knows all local computers and it operating like reception in the office
distributing packages to and from each computer to Internet. This process is known as
network address translation NAT . And of course there is more. Security feature of NAT
system is that no one from global network can access local computer without permission
from that gateway-router. So James is not only postman, he is a protector and guardian.
For example when package send is being damaged it has its own delivery quality
control. TCP/IP is splitting package in pieces and building it up to one piece on recipient
computer. Imagine if you have to deliver kitchen furniture. If you have to send it in 1 car,
you need large car, and it can take longer. But if you send it in 1000 pieces which can
be handled by 1000 bicycle drivers it will go fast, passing traffic congestions, and taking if
necessary alternate routes. Then when arrives to destination all 1000 pieces being joined
back together with 100% precision and presented to end user. If one of the bicycles is
late, or piece was damaged, they sending only this part that was damaged straight
away. Before all pieces arrived system predicts and knows if some part needs to be resend shortening all process. Process of loosing piece of package is known as packet loss
. If too many pieces are lost, it will extent the time of loading website or receiving email.
SEVEN | How computer is finding the right address and

road
Enormous number of computers in internet each router (post office) is building unique
own cloud of IP addresses (database of local postal addresses) presenting only its own 1
IP in internet and managing traffic in and out from internet. Similar to traditional post box
in post office. For example there is no need for each computer in USA to know IP address
of each computer in China. But because of each router know all IP addresses of his
neighbours routers package from USA can be delivered to China no problem. Internet is
always two-way communication, even when you opening website, your computer is
19
seeking IP address of another computer in Internet which is holding that particular

website (such computer is called web server). Whole internet is build on sub-systems
(local small post offices, linked to bigger offices). Global major ISP networks (like the one
on the picture of Ms Pennys HQ room) are called alternative systems (AS). So either
FedEx or Jamess head quarter we can mark as AS. To visualise the scaling lets say this
alternative systems are big international cargo ports, where all packages for each
geographical region are arriving and then being distributed to smaller post office, and
smaller eventually to local post office using technique presented before Picture 1
routing).
Talking our example lets take Ms Mac - source computer that is sending package. This
package could be opening website, watching video, calling on Skype or receive email
etc). Delivered by James (local router) to local Alternative System (cargo port, bigger
router or HQ1).
Penny at HQ is finding out what is the best route for delivering the package. Then
package travels to destination Mr G. Mr G is an computer holding requested website
(or email). In this case Google websites. Alternative System - cargo port on recipient side
is represented by FedEx HQ2. From where it is being distributed to smaller system (local
FedEx office), and another sub-system (Roger) and to destination (Mr G computer IP
address).
We will talk more about alternative systems structure of Internet in chapter ELEVEN |
Internet Governance where we going to strip internet in 3 tiers: large international tier,
local tier, and each building (home, office) tier.
EIGHTS | Knocking on the doors - server and client

It is different when you transform your computer to a server, like Mr G did. He is not
ordinary Internet client, but he has public address and he is sharing some of information
with everybody on Internet via that public address.
If one of the local computers in your office is holding company website we would call
that computer web server. If it is holding and distributing emails it would be called mail
server. In order for that special computer hold company website you have to put
special software on it. Then you have to tell your postal system that you need public
address for that computer, so everyone can see company website. Once you obtained
public address from Ms Penny HQ1 (your Internet Service Provider), it will be assigned to
your local post office James. Now you have to walk downstairs to James and tell him
that you want all packages from and to that newly obtain public address go directly to
shelf number 8080 in your flat.
Your local gateway router (Jamess office) has to allow this. Such permanent allowance
is called static NAT or port forwarding. That means not every single package on that
public address will go to that shelf. Only those packages marked as website. So for
example if James will receive package which includes email, not a request to open
website, he will deliver that package to your main doors rather then directly to shelve
8080. Now this special software you have set-up on your computer called web server, is
your dedicated employee. His only task is to take requests from shelf, and to respond to
them. Same as Mr G did. Standard response generated by this employee will be showing
company website located on his computer.
20
On the top layer of Internet each application (website, email etc) has its own tunneldoor called port. In our sample of post system we would describe it as special doors or
this 8080 shelf. Different package type has its own shelf and tunnel. For example if you
receiving email it is using port number 25, when sending port 110, website is using 8080.
All of those different types of packages are travelling via different protocols. We could
call it plastic container to which James put Ms Macs package. For example to view
website computer will use HTTP protocol, to upload website to web server - FTP, receive
email - POP3 or to send email SMTP. What that means is our local gateway-router
doesnt have to pass all the Internet traffic to one local computer. It can use same
global IP address for many Internet application by distributing packages to local
computers depending of the function of that computer by specific port specific doors.
NINE | DNS computer-human Tower of Babel

language
To help to address category of packages Internet uses system called DNS. It is not only
translating name.com to IP address. But also directs specific package according to its
category to right address. So you dont have to provide shelf for email and website
21
queries under the same address. You can hire somebody in different building all
together, and tell global post office system, to send all email queries to that address,
and all website queries to your address.
For example 66.102.9.147 is IP address of computer holding Google www.google.com
website. With typical TCP/IP address looking like 66.102.9.99 (in binary computer
language it will look like 01000010. 01100110. 00001001.01100011). Thanks to DNS system
you dont have to remember 66.102.9.99 number to open Google website. DNS stands
for Domain Name System and helps translate (resolve) names such as
www.google.com to TCP/IP numbers. This system is operating computer Internet
addresses (IP addresses) and on domain names9. Domain name is simple chosen by you
name with .com or .org etc extension on the end. This extension .com or .org on the end
is called Top Level Domain TLD10 . So .com is TLD and google.com is domain name.
Going deeper www.google.com or mail.google.is sub domain (third level domain).
Top Level Domains are controlled by Internet Governance organization IANA11 that is
operated by ICANN12. Internet Governance structure obviously is more complex and
includes organizations such as IETF13 publishing internet standards memos called RFC14 .
A domain name is an identification label that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or
control in the Internet, based on the Domain Name System (DNS). Domain names are used in various
networking contexts and application-specific naming and addressing purposes. They are organized in
subordinate levels (subdomains) of the DNS root domain, which is nameless. The first-level set of domain
names are the top-level domains (TLDs), including the generic top-level domains (gTLDs), such as the
prominent domains com, net and org, and the country code top-level domains (ccTLDs). Below these toplevel domains in the DNS hierarchy are the second-level and third-level domain names that are typically
open for reservation by end-users that wish to connect local area networks to the Internet, run web sites,
or create other publicly accessible Internet resources. The registration of these domain names is usually
administered by domain name registrars who sell their services to the public.
10
A top-level domain (TLD) is one of the domains at the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name
System of the Internet. The top-level domain names are installed in the root zone of the name space. For
all domains in lower levels, it is the last part of the domain name, that is, the label that follows the last dot
of a fully qualified domain name. For example, in the domain name www.example.com, the top-level
domain is com, or COM, as domain names are not case-sensitive. Management of most top-level
domains is delegated to responsible organizations by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers (ICANN), which operates the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) and is in charge of
maintaining the DNS root zone.
11
The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) is the entity that oversees global IP address allocation,
root zone management for the Domain Name System (DNS), media types, and other Internet Protocol
related assignments.
12
ICANN is the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. Headquartered in Marina Del Rey,
California, United States, ICANN is a non-profit corporation that was created on September 18, 1998 and
incorporated September 30, 1998 in order to oversee a number of Internet-related tasks previously
performed directly on behalf of the U.S. government by other organizations, notably the Internet Assigned
Numbers Authority (IANA). ICANN's tasks include responsibility for Internet Protocol (IP) address space
allocation, protocol identifier assignment, generic (gTLD) and country code (ccTLD) top-level domain
name system management, and root server system management functions. More generically, ICANN is
responsible for managing the assignment of domain names and IP addresses.
13
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) develops and promotes Internet standards, cooperating
closely with the W3C and ISO/IEC standards bodies and dealing in particular with standards of the TCP/IP
and Internet protocol suite. It is an open standards organization, with no formal membership or
membership requirements. All participants and managers are volunteers, though their work is usually
funded by their employers or sponsors; for instance, the current chairperson is funded by VeriSign and the
U.S. government's National Security Agency.
9
22
Those Internet Governance bodies are controlling DNS root servers. IANA or ICANN is
delegating the rights to manage or sell domains to responsible organizations.
A DNS root zone is the top-level DNS zone in a Domain Name System (DNS) hierarchy.
Most commonly it refers to the root zone of the largest global DNS, deployed for the
Internet. The zone is managed by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA),
managed by ICANN.
At the end of 2006 there were a total of 13 root name servers specified, with names in
the form letter.root-servers.net, where letter ranges from A to M. This does not mean
there are 13 physical servers; each operator uses redundant computer equipment to
provide reliable service even if failure of hardware or software occur. In fact currently it is
about 242 servers. By physical server I mean huge room filled with equipment. If you seen
any data centre comms-room, that how it looks like. Exactly like Ms Penny in HQ1 shown
previously.
Additionally, nine of the servers operate in multiple geographical locations using a

routing technique called anycast15, providing increased performance and even more
fault tolerance. List of them can be found on Wikipedia pages
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root_nameserver. Also information regarding servers geo
location and their administrators/operators can be found on root-servers.org official
website.
Request for Comments (RFC) is a memorandum published by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
describing methods, behaviors, research, or innovations applicable to the working of the Internet and
Internet-connected systems. The inception of the RFC format occurred in 1969 as part of the seminal
ARPANET project. Today, it is the official publication channel for the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF),
the Internet Architecture Board (IAB), and he global community of computer network researchers in
general.
15
Anycast is a network addressing and routing (configuration) methodology in which datagrams from a
single sender are routed to the topologically nearest node in a group of potential receivers all identified
by the same destination address. More on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anycast
14
23
The DNS Root Server System Advisory Committee is an ICANN committee. ICANN's
bylaws assign authority over the operation of the root nameservers of the Domain Name
System to the DNS Root Server System Advisory Committee.
The original design of the Domain Name System (DNS) did not include security; instead it
was designed to be a scalable distributed system. Recently in 2009 The Domain Name
System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) was introduced. DNSSEC attempts to add security,
while maintaining backwards compatibility. In July 2010 ICANN publishes the root zone
trust anchor and root operators begin to serve the signed root zone with actual keys16.
Internet Governance institutions together with those responsible organizations are
controlling Root DNS servers to do not allow any errors or insurrections such as duplicated
names, names got stolen etc. The root DNS servers are located in multiple secure sites
with high-bandwidth access to accommodate the traffic load. Initially all of these
installations were located in the United States. However, the distribution has shifted and
this is no longer the case. Usually each DNS server installation at a given site is physically
a cluster (several computers) of machines with load-balancing routers (load-balancing is
a technique to distribute workload evenly across two or more network devices). A
comprehensive list of servers, their locations, and properties is available at http://rootservers.org. Basically their job is to place and control number of rules into practice, which
are necessary in crowded Internet. Think of DNS as another layer of Internet network. It
has its own infrastructure which separate from TCP/IP infrastructure, but it can not exist
without TCP/IP. So we have two structures, one numeric (TCP/IP) and alphabetic, and
system connecting those two is DNS. There are many different DNS servers in Internet, in
16
http://www.root-dnssec.org/
24
fact any computer in internet can be DNS server, but because of global control DNS
services from that computer will not be broadcasted into internet. Only authorized
domain name registrars can broadcast DNS domain names to internet. But of course
because Internet is powerful and crowded there is different DNS root structure build
without any governance control. Still the official DNS root is administered by the ICANN
but In addition, several organizations operate alternative DNS roots (often referred to as
alt roots). These alternative domain name systems operate their own root DNS servers
and administer their own specific name spaces consisting of custom top-level domains.
The Internet Architecture Board17 has spoken out strongly against alternate DNS roots as
it is potential source of global Internet chaos. But coming back to official ways,
for example when you registering your .com domain you subscribing to one of the
resellers which are authorized to register such names to global root DNS servers. It is up to
reseller and Top Level Domain operator how much to charge for such name. Now once
you have registered you domain name, for example something2010.com you just
reserving that particular name in global Internet DNS structure. Now it is completely
separate subject to get website or email for that name. In order to display website or
send email it has to read the details of so called DNS record. DNS records are nothing
else but the directions, or like words in dictionary showing what each word actually
means. Two most popular types of DNS records are A and MX records. A record is
basically translation of word to IP number. In our example www.google.com will have A
record to 66.102.9.99. But to collect emails it will have MX and it might be combined
with different A record. But existence of MX record is necessary to collect emails. A
record doesnt have this functionality.
Purple colour will reflect James calling DNS company.
The Internet Architecture Board (IAB) is the committee charged with oversight of the technical and
engineering development of the Internet by the Internet Society (ISOC). The body which eventually
became the IAB was created originally by the United States Department of Defense's. DARPA with the
name Internet Configuration Control Board during 1979; it eventually became the Internet Advisory Board
during September, 1984, and then the Internet Activities Board during May, 1986 (the name was changed,
while keeping the same acronym). It finally became the Internet Architecture Board, under ISOC, during
January, 1992, as part of the Internet's transition from a U.S.-government entity to an international, public
entity.
17
25
Let me talk you through what we know so far about Internet and how it works. We know
about TCP/IP and DNS. So lets say for example to direct www.google.com to display
website you need DNS A record pointing to an IP address of the computer in the Internet
which is managing your website (66.102.9.105). Such computer is called web server. But
how about content of the website. It is not there, someone have to put this content in
this computer. In order to do so we have to design file compatible with web browser first.
It is the same as if you want to write text you will open text editor like Notepad or MsWord
rather then music player etc. Web browser is software on your computer knowing how to
read defined web site standard file. I will show you example how to build such website
without no more technical knowledge then this book contains in last chapter. Once you
will design this file with all the content, you need to put it in some computer visible on the
internet (the one with public Internet IP and web server software). Such computers are
known as web servers. You can manage such software on your own computer but it
require quite technical skills, so better idea is to sign up for such service from one of the
professional providers. This service is called web hosting. Once you will get this computer
and you will transfer that designed web site file there (to transfer such file you will use
software called FTP client and it probably will be given to you by this web hosting
provider). Then it is time to teach DNS system how to direct traffic for www.google.com
website to that computer where you have placed your web site file. As you know you
can find any computer in Internet by its IP address. So what you need it to tell system
that www.google.com=IP address of this web server computer where you have you file
26
in (66.102.9.105). This is known as DNS A or CNAME record and its implemented by

you domain name registrar/provider (company you have bought your .com name
from). Then there you go, when you type www.google.com it will show the file you have
designed, same as when you type www.google.com it is showing files from 66.102.9.99
computer as on the Picture 2 below (just to use different sample numbers).
And we remember now underneath that Picture 2 there is TCP/IP hidden transporting all
those information from point 1 to point 6 and backwards.
So as you see it is quite complicated, but luckily most of domain registrars are offering
bundle packages allowing you to register web hosting in 1 piece with domain name by
1 click. So within 5 minutes you can organise all of this with just filling 1 form (see last
chapter for live sample of how to do it).
Because Internet becoming so crowded ICANN (Internet Governance Organizations)
agreed to register few new TLDs (extensions) like .mobi .info. As you can guess not only
domain names are limited, but also IP addresses. Up till now Internet globally was based
totally on IP version 4 (allowing 4.3 billion unique internet IP addresses). Technology is
currently being updated to IPv6 (allowing 340 trillion trillion trillion unique addresses
3.41038). Currently this is main focus of most of the Internet Service Providers (holders of
most of national core/bone infrastructure and smaller sub-systems) around the world. But
this is what is happening now as in close future will be global standard.
27
TEN | History of Internet development

Story of Internet begins in 1945 where different idea was born. Idea of Memex system by
Vannevar Bush.
In Bush's 1945 paper, he describes a memex as an electromechanical device that an
individual could use to read a large self-contained research library, and add or follow
associative trails of links and notes created by that individual, or recorded by other
researchers. This is exactly what Internet is today. But his idea is completely different story,
importance of it however is fact that people realized that there is a need for such
technology and how helpful it might be. Next important step was formulating idea of a
global computer network 1962 by J. C. R. Licklider. He call it "Intergalactic Computer
Network" concept. And that is officially accepted as first conception of what would
eventually become the Internet. The same year, another bright PhD researcher at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology published his text on mathematical theory of
packet networks. His name was Leonard Kleinrock. As packet switching is the basic
technology behind the Internet, Kleinrocks model of hierarchical routing (published in
late 1970s) is now critical to the operation of today's worldwide Internet. We can call him
a key contributor in mathematics and Internet, we can call him the initiator of Internet.
It was around the same year when small research team from Kleinrocks university
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology) together with Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (United States Department of Defense) created world's first operational
packet switching network18 - Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET).
Chief scientist of ARPANET was Lawrence Roberts, his team joined Vint Cerf (a program
manager for the United States Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency (DARPA)) and Robert Kahn. We can not forget here co-operating scientists like
Paul Baran or Donald Davies contributing their ideas and work to ARPANET programme.
It was one of the networks that came to compose the global Internet as
military/academic project.
Idea behind ARAPNET was developing communication system without centralized
station. Not forgetting it was a time of Cold War, and any sort of impact (nuclear attack)
on information flow could be critical. ARPANET was very basic network and nothing like
Internet we know today. In short time project evaluated to technology called TCP/IP19 .
During the years technology evaluated, where problems were solved, new options
where introduced etc. There over 150 key factors in Internet history worth mentioning. I
have build them in a timeline file attached on the end of this text as appendix 1. I never
liked history lessons so I will not go through all them here. But just to reflect the process of
evolution of this technology let me just bring to your attention one or two of them: 1971
email technology introduced, 1972 first computer chat, 1975 Internet satellite link across
two oceans, 1984 DNS and first domain name created, 1989 WWW technology
presented.
Now we getting to important date in Internet history here. It was decision which began
rapid growth and evolutionism of Internet technology. Making Internet available to
public and allowing commercialism. And all of that started in 1993 via simple and slow
Dialup technology. It is still in use in areas where always-on type of connection is not
Packet switching is a digital network communications method that groups all transmitted data
irrespective of content, type, or structure into suitably-sized blocks, called packets.
19
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) Internet Protocol (IP)
18
28
available. That opened the Pandoras box. People start finding Internet useful in many
areas. Finding information, sharing ideas, messaging and many more. And that in
1993 we have first Internet radio, in 1994 we can find plenty of websites there and first
spam message. Also we can order pizza online, find banks. Just 1 year after
commercialising Internet we have Amazon, year later Yahoo and eBay. Just few years
later in 1997 Google was born, followed by Wikipedia in 2000 as Nupedia. Then PayPal
popped out in 2002, next was Facebook and MySpace in 2003. Google by this time
grown to quite a success and created Gmail in 2004. Year later YouTube was presented
to the world, just to be followed by Twitter in 2006 and move to mobile platform of
iPhone in 2007.
Looking on those dates, each invention is an answer to peoples needs. We want to type
name.com to see website, not 209.85.143.104: number right. So there it is, DNS system
translating numbers to names and backwards. Then we have software on the computer
to watch websites Internet browser. We want to find out about shops, banks or
restaurant without putting our foot out of our house. There it is in Internet.
It was such phenomena and so huge that to find any sort relevant information was
taking ages. Then people asked, could this be done faster and better? Google says of
course, and offers their search facility.
We have online shopping, banking, dating sites etc. But it seems not enough; we dont
want to be on dating site to be able to communicate with others. We want to socialize,
no to flirt. So there are answers: Facebook, MySpace or SecondLife all introduced in
2003. We also want to be entertained, we want to laugh on other peoples failures, we
want videos online, but not like TV, but where anyone can show their video, of course
that problem is solved two years after social networking sites with another brilliant
internet baby YouTube. It became so loaded with informations that it overwhelm
us .We can not follow such huge amount of information, however we finding it engaging
and addicting to be part of global rather then local community. That brings us to
invention of Twitter in 2006. Simple website allowing put short message called Tweet. Like
text/sms message on your mobile phone. Difference is its free and you can publish
message to all your friends. It grows to incredible level of popularity just within 3 years.
People start to communicate via Twitter, constant information what your friends are
doing and thinking brings us to age of Generation of Digital Natives year of 2010.
Today Internet is dominated by Google, Facebook, Wikipedia, YouTube and
questionable subject of copyrights, porn, violence etc.
It is word raising many issues, which we seems cannot address. Why?
ELEVEN | Internet skeleton tiers and governance issue

Shifting principles from biology that is explaining how human body works, we can
present how Internet works. Stripping Internet into smaller elements, we can see how
each part is behind hold together by its skeleton. How heart is pumping traffic into it. It
was its crucial elements, it has its anatomy. And it might be shocking to you, but
Internet cannot exist without it. Some of its pieces can, but overall Internet as body we
29
know it, global and offering number of services, can not exist without its skeleton, heart
etc. Therefore it is destructible, well some part will survive because so many spare parts
(fail over paths), but it can suffer serious disease indeed. However it is more and more
independent network. Self-operational and not centralized making it impossible to shut
down just likes that. But impossible is nothing as some marketing head declared on
known brand poster, right?
The Internet backbone refers to the principal data routes between large, strategically
interconnected networks and core routers in the Internet. These data routes are hosted
by commercial, government, academic and other high-capacity network centers, the
Internet exchange points and network access points, that interchange Internet traffic
between the countries, continents and across the oceans of the world. Traffic
interchange between the Internet service providers (often Tier 1 networks) participating
in the Internet backbone exchange traffic by privately negotiated interconnection
agreements, primarily governed by the principle of settlement-free peering.
The original Internet backbone was the ARPANET when it provided the routing between
most participating networks. It was replaced in 1989 with the NSFNet backbone
(National Science Foundation Network). The Internet could be defined as the collection
of all networks connected and able to interchange Internet Protocol datagrams with this
backbone.
When the Internet was opened to the commercial markets, and for-profit Internet
backbone and access providers emerged, the network routing architecture was
decentralized with new exterior routing protocols, in particular the Border Gateway
Protocol. New tier 1 ISPs and their peering agreements supplanted the governmentsponsored NSFNet, a program that was officially terminated on April 30, 1995. The NSFNET
Backbone Service was successfully transitioned to a new architecture, where traffic is
exchanged at interconnection points called Network access points.
The four Network Access Points (NAPs) were defined under the U.S. National Information
Infrastructure (NII) document as transitional data communications facilities at which
Network Service Providers (NSPs) would exchange traffic, in replacement of the publiclyfinanced NSFNet Internet backbone.
The National Science Foundation let contracts supporting the four NAPs, one to MFS
Datanet for the preexisting MAE in Washington, D.C., and three others to Sprint,
Ameritech, and Pacific Bell, for new facilities of various designs and technologies, in
Pennsauken, Chicago, and California, respectively
As a transitional strategy, they were effective, giving commercial network operators a
bridge from the Internets beginnings as a government-funded academic experiment,
to the modern Internet of many private-sector competitors collaborating to form a
network-of-networks, anchored around the Internet Exchange Points we know today.
Today, the phrase Network Access Point is of historical interest only, since the four
transitional NAPs disappeared long ago, replaced by modern IXPs, though in Spanishspeaking Latin America, the phrase lives on to a small degree, among those who
conflate the NAPs with IXPs.
30
An Internet exchange point (IX or IXP) is a physical infrastructure through which Internet
service providers (ISPs) exchange Internet traffic between their networks (autonomous
systems) without any centralized control (like NSFNET Backbone).
The primary purpose of an IXP is to allow networks to interconnect directly, via the
exchange, rather than through one or more 3rd party networks. The advantages of the
direct interconnection are numerous, but the primary reasons are cost, latency, and
bandwidth. Traffic passing through an exchange is typically not billed by any party,
whereas traffic to an ISPs upstream provider is.
Internet traffic exchange between two participants on an IXP is facilitated by BGP
routing configurations between them. They choose to announce routes via the peering
relationship either routes to their own addresses, or routes to addresses of other ISPs
that they connect to, possibly via other mechanisms. The other party to the peering can
then apply route filtering, where it chooses to accept those routes, and route traffic
accordingly, or to ignore those routes, and use other routes to reach those addresses.
Autonomous system (AS) is a collection of connected Internet Protocol (IP) routing
prefixes under the control of one or more network operators that presents a common,
clearly defined routing policy to the Internet. In technical terms, an AS number is a 16-bit
integer assigned by
InterNIC (InterNIC is a registered service mark of the U.S. Department of Commerce
(DOC). The use of the term is licensed to the ICANN20) and used by BGP to implement
policy routing and avoid top-level routing loops.
Originally, the definition required control by a single entity, typically an Internet service
provider or a very large organization with independent connections to multiple
networks, that adhere to a single and clearly defined routing policy.
The newer definition in RFC 1930 came into use because multiple organizations can run
BGP using private AS numbers to an ISP that connects all those organizations to the
Internet. Even though there are multiple Autonomous Systems supported by the ISP, the
Internet only sees the routing policy of the ISP. That the ISP must have an officially
registered Autonomous System Number (ASN).
A unique ASN is allocated to each AS for use in BGP routing. AS numbers are important
because the ASN uniquely identifies each network on the Internet.
Until 2007, AS numbers were defined as 16-bit integers, which allowed for a maximum of
65536 assignments. The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) has designated ASN
numbers 64512 through 65534 to be used for private purposes.
The number of unique autonomous networks in the routing system of the Internet
exceeded 5000 in 1999, 30000 in late 2008, and 35000 in the summer of 2010.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is a non-profit corporation headquartered in
United States, created in 1998 to oversee a number of Internet-related tasks previously performed directly
on behalf of the U.S. government by other organizations, notably the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
(IANA).
20
31
AS numbers are assigned in blocks by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) to
Regional Internet Registries (RIRs). The appropriate RIR then assigns AS numbers to entities
within its designated area from the block assigned by the IANA (The Internet Assigned
Numbers Authority (IANA) is the entity that oversees global IP address allocation,
autonomous system number allocation, root zone management in the Domain Name
System (DNS), media types, and other Internet Protocol-related symbols and numbers).
Entities wishing to receive an ASN must complete the application process of their local
RIR and be approved before being assigned an ASN.
Today, there are five RIRs :
1. APNIC Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre for Asia, Australia, and neighboring
countries.
2. ARIN American Registry for Internet Numbers for the United States, Canada, and
several parts of the Caribbean region.
3. RIPE NCC for Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia
4. LACNIC Latin America and Caribbean Network Information Centre for Latin America
and parts of the Caribbean region
5. AfriNIC African Network Information Centre for Africa
Current IANA ASN assignments can be found on the IANA website.
IANA, RIRs together with ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers,
IANA is part of ICANN) are considered to be actors/bodies of Internet Governance
structure.
On September 29, 2006, The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) has an agreement
with the ICANN for the purpose of the joint development of the mechanisms, methods,
and procedures necessary to effect the transition of Internet domain name and
addressing system (DNS) to the private sector.
At the first World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva 2003 the topic of
Internet governance was discussed. ICANNs status as a private corporation under
contract to the U.S. government created controversy among other governments,
especially Brazil, China, South Africa and some Arab states. Since no general agreement
existed even on the definition of what comprised Internet governance, United Nations
Secretary General Kofi Annan initiated a Working Group on Internet Governance
(WGIG) to clarify the issues and report before the second part of the World Summit on
the Information Society in Tunis 2005.
A few weeks before the release of the WGIG Report the U.S. reiterated its claim of
ICANN and stated that it wished to maintain its historic role in authorizing changes or
modifications to the authoritative root zone file
32
The report of the WGIG divided Internet Governance into four sections:
* Infrastructure (mainly the Domain Name System and IP addresses)
* Internet issues such as security, safety and privacy (including spam and cybercrime)
* Intellectual property and international trade (including copyrights)
* Development Issues (particularly developing countries).21
After much controversial debate, during which the US delegation refused to consider
surrendering the US control of the Root Zone file, participants agreed on a compromise
to allow for wider international debate on the policy principles. They agreed to establish
an Internet Governance Forum, to be convened by United Nations Secretary General
before the end of the second quarter of the year 2006. The Greek government
volunteered to host the first such meeting.
Today officialy we can put on the top of Internet organization called IGF. The Internet
Governance Forum (IGF) is a multi-stakeholder forum for policy dialogue on issues of
Internet governance. The establishment of the IGF was formally announced by the
United Nations Secretary-General in July 2006 and it was first convened in October /
November 2006.
In 2010, ICANN approved a major review of its policies with respect to accountability,
transparency, and public participation by the Berkman Center for Internet and Society
at Harvard University. This external review was in support of the work of ICANNs
Accountability and Transparency Review team.
Autonomous Systems can be grouped into three categories, depending on their
connectivity and operating policy.
A multihomed Autonomous System is an AS that maintains connections to more than
one other AS. This allows the AS to remain connected to the Internet in the event of a
complete failure of one of their connections. However, this type of AS would not allow
traffic from one AS to pass through on its way to another AS.
A stub Autonomous System refers to an AS that is connected to only one other AS. This
may be an apparent waste of an AS number if the networks routing policy is the same
as its upstream ASs. However, the stub AS may in fact have peering with other
Autonomous Systems that is not reflected in public route-view servers. Specific examples
include private interconnections in the financial and transportation sectors.
A transit Autonomous System is an AS that provides connections through itself to other
networks. That is, network A can use network B, the transit AS, to connect to network C.
ISPs are always transit ASs, because they provide connections from one network to
another. The ISP is considered to be selling transit service to the customer network, thus
the term transit AS22.
tier 1 networks definition of a tier 1 network is one that can reach every other network
on the Internet without purchasing IP transit or paying settlements.
21
22
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_Group_on_Internet_Governance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_system_(Internet)
33
There are several companies which run different parts of Internet backbone (major data
pathways on the Internet ), but the largest is UUnet. Other major backbone providers
include Sprint, MCI and Intermedia (formerly known as Digital Express or Digex)23.
tier 2 network is an Internet service provider who engages in the practice of peering
with other networks, but who still purchases IP transit to reach some portion of the
Internet.
Tier 2 providers are the most common providers on the Internet as it is much easier to
purchase transit from a Tier 1 network than it is to peer with them and then attempt to
push into becoming a Tier 1 carrier.
A network that peers with some networks, but still purchases IP transit or pays settlements
to reach at least some portion of the Internet.
tier 3 network a network that solely purchases transit from other networks to reach the
Internet. The majorities of Tier 3 networks are usually single rather than multi-homed and
therefore are vulnerable to depeering disputes.
TEN | How many people are using Internet?

We can not define when exactly internet as we know was created. Internet is the
process of developing technologies and bringing ideas to live. It is live inside as
Guinness advertisement would say. It is the market of ideas in any aspect of live.
Additionally most of those ideas are cheaper to test or implement then in traditional
environment. This is the feature of Internet to which we can thank for such rapid
development and growth. That is why there are some many theories when and how
Internet has its defined source. You can say it was when computer was created, or first
computer network. Maybe when Internet term was first spoken. Pick one from above
timeline and stick with it. Giving at least 3-5 key dates and facts from Internet history
would be true answer to question when Internet was born.
Based on same data and sources I have tried to account how Internet will grow over the
years up till 2050. Hopefully I will be there at the time to see if I was right or not.
--------------2000-2010
--------------world population 2010 - 6,8 billion
world population 2000 - 6,0 billion
Internet Users 2010 - 1,6 billion
Internet Users 2000 - 360 millions
Penetration 2010 - 25%
Internet users Growth 2000-2010 - 362.3 %
Growth 2000-2005 - 183.4 %
23
http://www.techiwarehouse.com/engine/2c5e38e4/Nature-of-the-Internet-Backbone
34
Internet users growth seems to be increasing during years. More and more people are
getting connected. In US, Europe, Asia (currently over 40% of internet users are from Asia)
even Africa. Mobile and wireless technology allowing Internet access is massively
extending.
Internet Service Providers are extending their cabling core structure. From those facts
you can say this will go up and will speed up even more. Lets try to predict year 2050.
According to some publishers comparing number of people being born, deaths and
trends during last decades world population in 2050 can reach 7 billion people.
Penetration is growing with speed of 10% per 10 years. So by 2050 penetration should
reach existing 25% + 40% = 65% of world population (lets say 60% in this example. But if
we take the correction that this % is rapidly increasing with popularity of Internet, we can
say penetration by 2050 will be at least 75% of population). Because of extending
technologies, areas covered by ISPs internet penetration by 2050 will be at least 60% of
the world population meaning number of users connected to internet will reach 4.2
billions. But I would go a bit higher with those numbers throwing number 6 billion people
on internet by 2050 where current world population is 6,8 billion people. So would make
sense if you would take whole world population and connect them to Internet, that
would be predictable number of internet users in 2050.
--------------2010-2050
--------------world population 2010 - 6,8 billion
world population 2050 - 8,9 billion
Internet users Growth 2010-2050 - 410.9 %
I going to leave those numbers to analyse and think about to your own imagination.
ELEVEN | Search Engines, processes behind Mr G office

History of search engines is so old as Internet itself. Well maybe there was no need for it
when there were only four computers connected to it. But shortly after it expanded in
1990 there was little system called Archie introduced. It was just small search facility. If we
would use it today it would crash into the pieces under weight of todays Internet. Few
years after Archie, in June 1993, Matthew Gray produced MIT. That was probably the first
web robot 24. Same year first search engine - Aliweb was published. Of course it was
followed by other one next year. But this one was the first "full text" crawler-based search
Robot is a program reading websites in methodical, automated manner and orderly collecting data
about those websites in its database. This is one of the technology used today by Google. So called
spiders. If you seen movie matrix, spiders would be like those machine tentacles. They are little
independent machines traveling freely around the Internet. Accessing web servers and reading websites.
24
35
engines. And it was named WebCrawler. Web crawler is alternative name today for
web robot. This term was included on all dictionaries and it is in use today. As none of
those technologies rise to the task, and also as Internet was constantly evolving Lycos
proposed its services in 1994 as and answer. It became a major commercial endeavour
but soon after many other search engines (Magellan, Excite, Infoseek, AltaVista and
Yahoo) appeared and vied for popularity. It was Yahoo which stand out from this crowd.
Still its search function operated on its web directory, rather than full-text copies of web
pages. Resulting with time consuming and not accurate search results.
But they survived up till 1998 when Google presented completely new system. At first
Google struggled with its contestants like Yahoo for about two years. But finally their
unique search technology has won peoples attention. Success behind Google was its
simple, but effective technology. Innovation called PageRank. This iterative algorithm
that assigns a numerical weighting to each website with the purpose of "measuring" its
relative importance. System was named "PageRank" after Larry Page. Today it is a
trademark of Google, and the PageRank process has been patented.
Google describes PageRank:
PageRank reflects our view of the importance of web pages by considering more than
500 million variables and 2 billion terms. Pages that we believe are important pages
receive a higher PageRank and are more likely to appear at the top of the search
results.
PageRank also considers the importance of each page that casts a vote, as votes from
some pages are considered to have greater value, thus giving the linked page greater
value. We have always taken a pragmatic approach to help improve search quality
and create useful products, and our technology uses the collective intelligence of the
web to determine a page's importance.
Accuracy and relevancy of search results presented to people were amazing. That was
the search core which will be named as one of biggest inventions of Internet. Today it is
not only how we look for information, it is how we value products, how we make
decisions, it is where we placing out knowledge references. Technology together with a
minimalist interface Google search engine was a major boom.
Google kept polishing it services. In 2005 they introduced something called
personalized search results. Where were presenting search results accurate for your
personal preferences, like sex, age, location, orientation, interests etc. That means that
Google probably can tell more about you then you can tell yourself.
Google wasnt alone, they had few competitors, but none of them managed to take
Google top place.
There is Microsoft search engine re-branded recently to Bing in 2009. It was same year
whenYahoo and Microsoft finalized a deal in which Yahoo Search would be powered
by Microsoft Bing technology. So in fact in English speaking part of the worlds there is
only Google, after huge gap followed by Microsoft in terms of search engine marked.
History of MSN search engine goes back to 1995 when Looksmart was founded. In
36
meantime Microsoft introduced MSN search engine that eventually caused dumping of
Looksmart project in 2003. Their search engine is powered by crawler called msnbot.
They did it just 6 years after Google.
Emerging from the east are other search engines. Wouldnt call them a competition for
Google, but they are equally successful, just in different part of world. We talking about
China here and their search engine called Baidu25 . Google is holding a 63.2% market
according to Nielsen NetRatings. In the People's Republic of China, Baidu is holding
61.6% market. The Baidu.com is often called the "Google of China" due to its
resemblance and similarity to Google. Google responded to this market in 2008 where
Google China launched a legal music download service, Google Music. Currently
proper Google China has a market share in China of 29% according to Analysys
International26. So seems like Google lost their battle in China.
Rise of search engine was follow by emerging many new subjects. Today we can talk
about personal or company Online Reputation, about Internet Marketing and search
engine manipulation. Even Microsoft have called their search engine Bing the 'Decision
Engine'.
Google itself doesnt just go out into the Internet and reading the websites. Each website
apearing in Google has to be added there by someone. It can be done is Google
Webmaster Centeral - www.google.com/webmasters/tools/ .It can be done by any
person which knows a little about Internet. Usually it is done by professionals called
Search Engine Marketers, or Web Designers themselves.
Let me talk you through the journey of particular website to appear in Google search
results.
1. We registering domain name, which should be related to purpose of site, like
buywoodenflops.com
2. We designing website, where content is obviously about wooden flops
3. We entering so called META TAG on that website. Meta tags are directions for
Google spider to allow him access the site and let him know what is the site about.
It includes the title, language, keywords etc. The last one is very important.
4. Upload the site to web server so it is visible on Internet under
www.buywoodenflops.com
5. Generate site links and submit them.
6. Go to Google Webmaster Central, www.google.com/webmasters/ and add the
website.
7. Verify that you are the owner of the website.
8. Target the country
9. Check for Crawl errors and overall performance
SAMPLE OF WEBSITE WITH META TAGS:
Baidu - incorporated on January 18, 2000, is a Chinese search engine for websites, audio files, and
images. Baidu offers search and community services including Baidu Baike, an online collaboratively-built
encyclopedia, and a searchable keyword-based discussion forum. In October 2008, Baidu ranked 9th
overall in internet rankings. (from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baidu)
26
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_China
25
37
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC -//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN>

<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content=text/html; charset=iso-8859-1>
<title>Buy Wooden Flops</title>
<meta name="verify-v1" content="your own code from Google Webmaster Central panel" />
<meta http-equiv=Content-Language content=en>
<meta name=description content=wooden flops manufacturer>
<meta name=keywords
content=wooden,flood,buy,manufacturer,flipflops,healthy,natural,organic,foot,feet,wear,comftable,shoesetc>
</head>
<body>
What triggers Google search result page to display your website is relevancy to
searched word called keyword. Entering many times such keyword like (wooden
flops) in META will not help you. In fact there is no point repeating it more then once
in META TAG. It has to be done smart way. You have to think, what are the related
words to wooden flops, why people buy it, what your potential customers are
searching for on Internet. In crowded Internet it is masterpiece to bring website to
first results page. But it is possible to do even for someone with no any technical
background. It really depends of popularity of keyword. For instance if your website
is about something really unique, you dont have to try hard to be found.
What we see when we do search in Google can be split in two parts. Part called
organic results, and part called paid results. The difference is organic results came to
us the way presented above, where paid results are sponsored by advertiser. And that is
how Google makes money, huge money.
The most popular middle part the organic search results and displayed as per
PageRank relevancy of the website. If you will set up blog, and publish various article
38
each day for five years about colour blue, with the right set-up of the website you will
appear on the top of search results when some will enter colour blue in Google. Simple
example, but perfectly reflects how they ranking the websites. Only websites answering
the search query in the best possible way are on the top. But of course as it is
mathematical model in can be manipulated by putting number there and there, so that
why Google has search quality team which keeps eye on it.
It is a bit different with paid search results. Those results are coming not from Google
Webmaster Central and META TAGS etc, but from system called Google AdWords.
AdWords is Google's flagship advertising product and main source of revenue. Google's
total advertising revenues were USD$23 billion in 2009. AdWords offers pay-per-click
(PPC) advertising, and site-targeted advertising for text, banner, and rich-media ads. The
AdWords program includes local, national, and international distribution. Google's text
advertisements are short, consisting of one headline and two additional text lines. Image
ads can be one of several different Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) standard sizes.27
You can even obtain certificate from Google that you are qualified to use it (after
passing two tests and paying USD$100). But you dont have to. Anyone can subscribe for
this program on http://adwords.google.com website and start to use it. Only problem is,
more you know about it, then less you spending on displaying ads. Main idea of this
system is pay-per-click advertising. As it say, you paying for each click on your ad. Even if
someone havent bought your shoes. So you paying just for interest. How much you
paying will depend of your competitors and places where you displaying your ad. For
example you can bid a particular place and time in an auction with your competitors.
Lets say, you want to target main Google search results page during the day, you want
this ad to be displayed only to people from UK which are between 30-50 years old. And
what will trigger your ad to appear is when someone will search for wooden flops or
wooden shoes in Google. Despite what search result page will show, little bar on the
right hand side might display your own website.
27
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AdWords
39
It is tool which can be used by either small companies and large corporations. You can
spend million USD on it in one month, or USD$50. You can create, pause, remove,
change placement, target group, set budget, ad or remove your keywords, view
performance and stats of campaign etc. It has all the functionalities you need to
advertise yourselves online. For beginners I would only advice to set your budget before
you will start your campaign to avoid disappointments with huge bill from Google.
You might find this system tricky to use, but once you get your head around it, it might be
very, very beneficial to your business.
Google is so accurate with their advertising techniques and targeting, that they can
even measure when you showing your interest moving your mouse over a website link or
image. Even if you will not click it. It is something they introduced recently as
mouseover option. Knowing how much they know about us, doing the personalized
search results, you can image how accurately they can target ads from their AdWords
system. Would I call it manipulation, maybe. Cant deny that informations presented to
us are judged and opinioned by many other people. Whatever they are right or wrong,
it is majority of participants interested in subject. Only fools are claiming they know
everything. So following this ideology we should look on this by a filter, knowing those
opinions are only opinions, not pure confirmed scientific true. Of course, read it, analyse
it, but do not ever trust it more then your parents for instance. Even then they might be
wrong, it is rising moral issues which we will talk about later. But from Google point of
view, what they saying, they still trying to prioritise result by relevancy of the website,
40
even on paid results. What that means is, when your business and website sells better
wooden flops, or they are described better way on your website, you will pay less for
very same space for your ad then your competitor. So in theory it is on the quality
control, we cant really blame Google for trashing Internet. Whatever their intentions are,
besides making profit, they keeping it down to earth, helpful and usable for ordinary
people like you and me.
TWELVE | Lately on Internet - Social Networks

It is not difficult to put theory of online social networking site together. An online service,
platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social
relations among people, e.g., who share interests and/or activities. A social network
service essentially consists of a representation of each user (often a profile), his/her social
links, and a variety of additional services. Most social network services are web based
and provide means for users to interact over the Internet, such as e-mail and instant
messaging. Social networking sites are individual-cantered. They allow users to share
ideas, activities, events, and interests within their individual networks28.
For last couple of years we are finding that many people are going online to socialize.
Looking on the numbers, most likely it is uploading pictures, watching pictures of others,
chatting or replying to messages and playing online social games like Farmville. The
group within which people socializing is mixed with people from work, friend, family and
also some maybe random people meet online.
Equally with words of amusement towards such social websites they are raising many
questions whatever it is right and healthy to actively participate. From first look it seems
we can confirm some trends. Internet can be a source of easy, comfortable and
constant fulfilment of human needs. Fulfilment or rather regression in terms of ERG theory.
Mankind intent to choose easier way to satisfy needs, whatever they are. If it is too
difficult to reach higher range needs, we are reverting to level that we can achieve
easier. Minimum effort, maximum effect - that is our principle. Whatever you agree with
that or not, it is our animal nature. As someone said: we living very modern civilised lives,
but our brains are exactly the same as when we were animals. The way our brain works
havent changed that much through the evolution. That left us with conflict between our
animal nature and our intelligence and sophistication.
As it was said Men are at war with each other because each man is at war with
himself- Francis Meehan.
In this conflict Internet came into the picture as very helpful tool. We discovered that we
can do things easier, and it is more comfortable for us to chat online, rather then dress
up and go visit your friends. That way, for example we are shutting down our social
esteem voice. Of course on some unreal but convincing level. And it is very addictive,
especially for people unsure of their values and themselves.
So at the same what can be live-saver for one person is a loaded gun for other.
28
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network_service
41
Looking closed on mechanisms behind our socializing we can agree with theory that
social network
is a structure made up of individuals (or organizations), which are tied (connected) by
one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common
interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs,
knowledge or prestige29. There might indescribable number of social networks, as one
person might be participating in more then one structure. For example, ordinary person
have different relation with family, school friends, work people, gym mates, golf club
members, best friends and so on. Each of those relations is simple and basic social
network. As you can see we can specify some clear patterns in how we can describe
those relations. Also we can find that most of people would have same principles when
choosing to join or not such relations (or other words social networks). Although each
individual within social network is completely different, we can find patterns and rules by
which all of those individuals are acting/behaving. On different levels they are called
differently: law, good manners etc. Those rules may vary depending for instance of
geological, historical factors. But again, we could extract same leading thread in all of
them. Same as religion, although we have such variety of different churches, believes,
Gods, etc the main stream of each religion is quite similar. Influence of the group on the
individual might be very strong. It is fact confirmed by history, that execution of certain
rules through so-called collective actions can lead to unthinkable behaviour of
individuals. Holocaust, gang-wars or simple crowd "hysteria". Partially it is because in
group we think we are not responsible for our individual actions, partially because we
feel excused and explained by behaviour of others.
Great example here is broken windows theory introduced in an 1982 article by social
scientists James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling.
Consider a building with a few broken windows. If the windows are not repaired, the
tendency is for vandals to break a few more windows. Eventually, they may even break
into the building, and if it's unoccupied, perhaps become squatters or light fires inside.
Or consider a sidewalk. Some litter accumulates. Soon, more litter accumulates.
Eventually, people even start leaving bags of trash from take-out restaurants there or
breaking into cars.
Social norms, laws, rules or whatever you want to call it can lead/motivate people in
several different ways. But it is unquestionable they have major impact on each
individual, even if particular individual is not participating in this particular group, it still
might affect him/her. Simplest example is law. We can always find some percentage of
people in community which are not agreeing with certain laws, but still it is being
enforced on them as part of collective-well-being of community. It is complex subject,
especially on the Internet. In time of globalisation, financial, political, social and cultural,
Internet is playing very important role. According to Wikipedia there are over 300 major
(important) active social networking websites. From which we can easily pronounce 5
most popular like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, Friendster, Orkut. But there are
many others like Vkontakte.ru or Renren.com (originally) Xiaonei.com which most of us
are not aware of just because they are specific for country of origin. They all started as
local version (clone) of Facebook script (software). That proves it is technology, which
Facebook is using together with recognizable branding which made it all happened.
29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network
42
Clearly we can see, that people want to interact with others, no matter where and who
they are. Curiosity of our own kind diversity. Coming from social-esteem. Other words we
all care about our relative position in social network (group of people). Again our
prehistoric brain playing with us adopted and evolved into very complex game of
surviving of the strongest. Constant hunger for more, for better, for something. So
questions what motivates you are very unappreciated. Same as gravity brings universe
to life, motivation (whatever it means to you) is ultimate gasoline for us. For some it is
power, money or sex, for others love, happiness, respect, intelligence, and creativeness.
But for all it means well being. Most common answer to question QUO VADIS (Latin
phrase meaning "Where are you going?") is to be happy. And simple we cannot be
happy, as our meaning of happiness included power over others, so it is never ending
game. Dangerous game as it can lead to self-destruction, but also to collective growth.
One is for certain, we would be where we are as civilization if we wouldnt have such
push.
Where I am going with this is, general rule of physics, rule of balance applies to each of
us as well as general mankind. And it is not any different with Internet. As I said previously
what can be live-saver for one person is a loaded gun for other. We cannot say
Internet is bad for us, because it is not true, but we can say that it might be really bad for
some of us. All we have to do, is just to learn our way to use it properly by setting up
certain rules maybe. Simply because what is good for one person, is seen as bad by
other and it requires adjusted law to meet both sites requirements. As Mr AmichaiHamburger wrote in his book Technology and psychological well-being currently in
cyberspace we see examples of the best and the worst aspects of human behaviour.
And we shall promote only the best, not the worst. Sitting quietly is simple not good
anymore. Taking actions against publishing/promoting this worse aspects is necessary
for psychological well-being of mankind. At the same time directing freedom of
Internet for right uses. What kind of freedom it is where serial murderess are waling freely
on the street? It is the same misunderstood freedom regarding online world. It is all part
of the game, sooner we will understand this, better for us. Only problem is, how we going
to motivate ourselves? And that is exactly where Internet opened new level in our
evolution. What would drive us, if money wouldnt matter, where we can fulfil all our
sexual desired with the flick of the finger, where we dont need food, where power is
meaningless, where we all are healthy, loved and appreciated? Obviously our primitive
brain would not be able to coop with that new reality without adjustments. Adjustments
which would include total extermination of animal left-overs of our nature. Would we
become blend or reach?
Choice is an illusion, created between those with power, and those without... Our only
hope, our only peace is to understand it, to understand the 'why.' 'Why' is what separates
us from them, you from me. 'Why' is the only real source of power, without it you are
powerless. And this is how you come to me, without 'why,' without power. Another link in
the chain."
Is this not the problem with contemporary "monoculture" around us? It is an alluring
realm of social pretense which never provides power, but only the illusion of power,
power (dunamis) being that dynamic motive force to creativity, love and freedom. By
following the false prophets of common culture, by succumbing to the more superficial
social pressures of the world, by being mere links in an economic chain, we lose our
sense of 'why', we lose any possibility of true power. Thus for many people, choices are
43
an illusion, mere algorithms already played out by an endless parade of nearly useless
products, services and expectations. The only way out is not merely to ask "why?", but to
understand the 'why' of our own behaviours.30.
THE END
______________________________________________________
gargasz.info
30
The Matrix - http://getwiki.net/-The_Illusion_of_Choice
44

How Internet Works I Think

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How Internet works </i think> by Zbigniew Gargasz 2011

ONE | Story of a extraordinary postman

TWO | Internet cable under microscope

THREE | Understanding computer language

FOUR | Hidden layers of Internet

FIVE | Routing - finding the road

SIX | Internet postal address

SEVEN | How computer is finding the right address and road

EIGHTS | Knocking on the doors - server and client

NINE | DNS computer-human Tower of Babel language

TEN | History of Internet development

ELEVEN | Internet skeleton tiers and governance issue

TEN | How many people are using Internet?

ELEVEN | Search Engines, processes behind Mr G office

TWELVE | Lately on Internet - Social Networks

ONE | Story of a extraordinary postman