Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
3.3 Internet Interactions
The Internet mediates communications and commerce among more than two billion
people. In this section we review just a few of the myriad number of ways people are
using the Internet to interact with others and gain access to information.
3.3.1 The World Wide Web
The creation of the World Wide Web stimulated a tremendous growth in the popularity
of the Internet. Its creator, Tim Berners-Lee, initially proposed the Web as a documen-
tation system for CERN, the Swiss research center for particle physics, but the creation
of easy-to-use Web browsers made the Web accessible to “ordinary” computer users as
well [13]. The Web is a hypertext system: a flexible database of information that allows
Web pages to be linked to each other in arbitrary fashion. Web browsers such as Chrome,
Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari allow people to traverse this hypertext system with
ease.
Two attributes enabled the Web to become a global tool for information exchange.
First, it is decentralized. An individual or organization can add new information to the
Web without asking for permission from a central authority. Second, every object on
the Web has a unique address. Any object can link to any other object by referencing its
address. A Web object's address is called a URL (uniform resource locator).
3.3.2 The Rise of the App
People are spending more time on smartphones and tablets and less time on laptop or
desktop computers. Using Web browsers on mobile devices can be awkward, and for
this reason organizations are developing mobile apps : software programs that are loaded
onto mobile devices. Some mobile apps are standalone programs, but others connect to
the Internet, allowing people to download and upload data. Mobile apps are becoming
an increasingly popular way to access the Internet because they can be optimized to make
best use of a mobile device's resources (limited screen size, touch interface, etc.) [14].
3.3.3 How We Use the Internet
Intuitive Web browsers and mobile apps have made the Internet accessible to people
with little or no formal computer training. Today millions of people access the Internet
for a wide variety of purposes. Here are just a few examples of how people are using the
Internet.
1. We shop.
Shopping sites enable us to view and order merchandise from the comfort of our
homes. Forrester Research predicts that products purchased online in the United
States will grow from 6 percent of all retail sales in 2009 to 8 percent in 2014 [15].
2. We socialize.
The Internet has become a popular way for friends to keep in touch with each other.
The most popular social network is Facebook, with more than 1.1 billion active
 
 
 
 
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search