Empowerment Technologies

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The Current State of ICT

The Current State of ICT

The world of Information and Communications Technology is an ever-
changing landscape. New technologies are constantly being invented and
existing technologies keep on evolving. Improvements in computing
hardware enable the development of better software, which in turn empower
new ICT trends.
In this chapter, you will learn about current ICT concepts and technologies
that affect our everyday lives.

The Internet
As you may already know, the Internet or the World Wide Web is a massive
digital network that connects billions of electronic devices all over the planet.
Today, there has been numerous practical applications in business,
education, health care, entertainment, and many other fields.
To have a better appreciation of the current state of the Internet, first, we
have to learn a few things about its history.
In a historical point of view, the Internet can be divided into generations.
Each generation represents the combination of technologies, trends and
ways of thinking that drive the development of the Internet. For now, there a
3 recognizable generations; Web 1.0, Web 2.0 and Web 3.0.
It is important to note that these generations do not necessarily represent
periods of time. It is true that Web 1.0 websites were prevalent during the
late 90’s and early 2000’s but they did not entirely disappear when Web 2.0
websites took over. Elements of an older generation can still exist in the
present and the future. Think of it like our society, which is composed by
people from different generations.
Web 1.0
Web 1.0 is the name given to the first generation of the Internet. It is the time
when most websites were Static. Webpages are usually just single files in
Hypertext Markup Language (html or htm) format that are displayed in a
web browser.
Static websites
Websites from the Web 1.0 generation are mostly read-only or static. The
main characteristic of a static web page is that they are delivered to the users
exactly as they are stored. This is because a static web page is only a single
file, normally in html or htm (Hypertext Markup Language) format, which is
saved in a server. The contents of these files can then be displayed in a user’s
web browser when its address is entered.

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A great example of a static website from the Web 1.0 generation is the
website for the 1996 movie Space Jam. You can still view this website here:
http://www.warnerbros.com/archive/spacejam/movie/jam.htm

Notice that this website can only display text and pictures. Its elements do
not change unless its owner or administrator updates it. It is also important
to note the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or address of each web page in
this website remains the same even if they are accessed by different people
in different locations.
Web 2.0
Web 2.0 represents the second generation of the Internet. Unlike Web 1.0
where users are merely audiences or readers who absorb information from
websites, Web 2.0 focuses on user participation. Web 2.0 emphasizes on a
give-and-take relationship between a website and its users. This is
accomplished by giving the users the power to share different types of
information such as text, images, sounds, and videos. This allows for the
creation of interactive with more real-life uses like online banking, online
shopping, and media sharing.
Dynamic Websites
In contrast with static websites, dynamic websites can change their
appearance and behavior based on the users’ actions.
For example, let’s take a look at google.com. Google search is a dynamic
website, which means that its URL changes depending on the users’ location,
credentials and search parameters. It also recognizes different forms of user
input like keywords, voice command, and image upload.
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Notice that the address is not in HTML format and it changes depending on
what you searched for.
Social Media
One of the biggest elements of Web 2.0, “social media” is a term used to
define applications and websites that people use to make online social
interactions. These social interactions include sharing information, sending
messages and exchanging ideas.

Social media relies on users to contribute web contents. For example,

Instagram lets their users upload, manage and promote their own pictures.
Facebook allows users to build their own profiles, share files, and form online
communities. These websites do not develop and publish their own web
content. Instead, they merely provide a platform for their users to do so.

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Youtube’s vast collection of videos are uploaded by users.
Wiki
Derived from the Hawaiian work wikiwiki, which means “quick” or “super
fast”, a wiki is a website that allows visitors to add or edit its contents. Each
wiki page is about a single topic that is presented in a manner similar to an
encyclopedia or an educational article. Users with the proper permissions
can edit these pages. To ensure quality, administrators can check these wikis
and determine if the information contributed by the users is correct and
unbiased.
Wikis have become popular because of their simplicity and the huge amount
of information that they contain. As you may already know, Wikipedia is the
world’s largest and most popular wiki website. The English Wikipedia alone
has more than 5 million articles. Globally, there are more than 40 million
Wikipedia articles written in 293 languages.
(source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Size_comparisons)

Web 3.0
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Some people are already referring to the current generation of the Internet
as Web 3.0.
Web 3.0’s main characteristics include, but are not limited to:
1. Real-time
Events and information are made available to users as they happen.
2. Ubiquitous
Users are always connected to the Internet.
3. Machine learning
Computers and mobile devices can create data and make decisions based on
the user’s previous actions.
These characteristics may sound familiar because we already use them
today. For example, Facebook recently released a live stream feature that
allows users to broadcast live events. Youtube can now suggest videos that
you might like, based on the videos that you previously watched.
Video lesson: https://youtu.be/oZQd1c3YVuI
Web Applications
Web applications are internet-based programs that are accessed through
web browsers.
Web applications represent the next step in the evolution of the Internet.
Unlike earlier websites with mostly read-only features and very little user
interaction, modern websites offer many different kinds of services to clients.
This opened new opportunities in entertainment, business and learning.
Most of the websites that we use today are web applications. They allow us to
do more than just reading text in a screen. Youtube, for example is a web
application that is used to upload and watch videos. Ebay and other online
shopping websites are virtual marketplaces where people can buy and sell
items. Social media and Wikis, which will be further discussed in this chapter,
are also web applications.
Web Apps vs Native Apps
Native applications are programs that are directly installed in a computer or
mobile device. Unlike web apps that are accessed through web browsers,
native apps can be run independently in the computer or device that they are
installed in.
Here are some examples of popular native apps and their web app
counterparts:

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 Type of App Native App Web App

Email Microsoft Outlook Gmail

Text editor Microsoft Word Google Sheets

Photo editor Adobe Photoshop Pixlr

Music streaming Spotify (Mac, PC, or mobile) Spotify Web Player

Social media Facebook (mobile app) Facebook (browser-based)

Some developers provide both native and web-based versions of their apps.
The last 2 examples, Spotify and Facebook can both be installed in mobile
apps or accessed through Internet browsers.

Fast facts:
The mobile apps in your phone are native apps because they are installed to
your phone.
Facebook games that are played in computers are web-based apps because
they can only be accessed using web browsers

Cloud Computing
Video lesson: https://youtu.be/ae_DKNwK_ms
Cloud computing is the name given to Internet-based networks that are used
to store, manage, and share resources and information. To better understand
this concept, first we need to learn some new terms:
Server, client, and service
A server is a computer that does tasks for other computers. A task that is
done by a server is called a service. The computer that accesses the services
that are provided by a server is called a client.
For example, in a Local Area Network (LAN), a print server tells a printer to
print documents that are sent by client computers. The clients don’t have
direct access to the printer. Instead, they connect to the server, which then
tells the printer to print the documents.
The cloud
First of all, “the cloud” is not an actual cloud. The cloud is a network of
servers that provide different services. For example, one server may be
tasked to collect information from other servers that are tasked to store
them. All these servers work together to provide one unified service to the
client.
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To get an idea of how big these networks are; Google is estimated to have
over 1 million servers. These servers are housed in centralized locations
called data centers located in seven countries. (source:
www.google.com/about/datacenters/inside/locations)
Many cloud-based services can be used for free and you may already be using
some of them for free without knowing it. The most common examples are
social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
There are also cloud-based services that were created for more serious
purposes like business and project management. These services are
commonly offered in a paid subscription basis. Businesses and organizations
have to pay certain amounts to gain access to these services for a certain
period of time.
Benefits of Cloud Computing
1. Reduced Cost
Subscribing to cloud-based services is a lot cheaper than traditional options
such as building your own programs, buying your own hardware, and hiring
more people.
2. Flexibility
Cloud-based services can be upgraded or downgraded to suit the clients’
need. Subscribers can upgrade their subscriptions to gain access to bigger
data storage, more powerful tools, and exclusive features. On the other hand,
subscribers on a tight budget can downgrade their subscriptions to reduce
their expenses but still get the necessary services.
3. Mobility
Because cloud-based services rely on the Internet, clients can access them
using computers and mobile devices in different locations. For example, an
employee can save his work in the cloud and access it at home or on vacation.
4. Better Collaboration
The cloud enables people in different location to work on the same project. A
multi-national team can communicate and share information and resources
with one another using cloud based services.
5. Updated Software
Providers of cloud-based services compete with each other in delivering the
best services to clients. Because of this, cloud-based apps are constantly
improved and these improvements are immediately made available to the
clients.

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