The internet and where it's taking us.

This blog is my view of the world of the Internet and where it is taking us.

I hope to have many entries here and will attempt to make interesting and understandable.

Initially I will give a little history so you can hopefully understand the Internet a little better.

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The Internet has to be one of the greatest changes in the way that the world works in human history, or since the industrial revolution at least.

Not that its all good, there is a dark dangerous side to it as well, but, whatever it is, it is here to stay.

Its not going to go away any time soon.

Lets examine the Internet in a little more detail.

It origins come from a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) which is is the development arm of the US military.

The military wanted an early warning system using the new technology called "computers" and using a safe internally repairing network to connect them.

This led to the creation of the first network which became ARPANET. This was the invention of packet switching, where if one site went down the traffic would re-rout around the problem. A great idea in wartime where you could guarantee connections even if sites were taken out.

From this developed the Internet as we know it today.

Many of the principles of the Internet follow the original ideals and extend on them so now we have a world wide mass of networks interconnected and accessible from anywhere.

For many industries and governments this now creates a problem. How do you control or block a network that inherently was designed to resist being taken down?

The naming and routing systems of the Internet is designed to work under adverse conditions and has so many ways of bypassing attempted controls that it is to all intents and purposes unblockable.

Now we come to the root of the matter and what I believe are a few basic principals:

• Governments tend to fear anything they can't control
• Governments don't always understand what they try to control
• Governments will always attempt to control
• Governments believe they always know whats best for the people
• Once a course of action is decided, a government will never admit it was wrong unless they have a scapegoat ready.
• Once a new technology is developed it won't go away

A lot of the above also apply to business but there are a few extra things:

• Business needs to adapt or they become redundant
• Businesses will always initially oppose change
• Businesses will not adopt new technology if it affects their bottom line

So, coming back to the Internet we have some MAJOR social upheavals.

The Internet is used for illegal and immoral purposes.

That pretty much sums up many of the problems facing both government and business.

For government there are a multitude of issues:

• Pedophile networks
• Terrorist networks
• Anti government activity
• Cyber stalking
• identity theft
• Phishing
• scams
• spams

Business is in much the same boat:

• Data theft
• Hackers
• File sharing for TV, music, software, Film and books.

Having said all that, there is a huge upside to the Internet.

Both government and businesses could no longer survive without it.

Attempting to hold back the tide.

Unfortunately because of the ideas above both government and business don't like the inherent freedom of the Internet.

Catchphrase of the age is "Knowledge is power"

To many governments knowledge is dangerous. Therefore the Internet is dangerous and needs to be controlled to protect the people from themselves.

This is very evident in China, Iran and more recently in Australia.

Media companies are fighting all over the world to hold onto what they have always had and are prepared to use legal action and legislation to preserve the status quo.

Both governments and business are fighting a losing battle because they don't or won't understand what it is they are fighting against.

Being an Australian I am very interested in whats happening here on both these fronts and the following blogs will be about these issues in more detail.

I hope you find the journey interesting.