The Internet The Good The Bad & The UGLY

What is the internet? While it may seem like a simple question, defining the Internet isn’t easy. Unlike any other technology, the Internet can be whatever we make it. We can shape it. We can mould it. But most importantly, we can use it to connect people, communities, and countries around the world.

It is a global system of computer networks serving billions of users worldwide. Consisting of millions of private, public, academic, business, and government networks - local & global, all linked by a wide range of electronic, wireless and optical technologies.

The Internet carries an extensive range of information, resources and services, such as: – the inter-linked hypertext documents of the World Wide Web (WWW) – the infrastructure to support .

How the Internet began First recorded in a series of memos written by J. Licklider of MIT in August 1962 discussing his "Galactic Network" concept. He envisioned a globally interconnected set of computers through which everyone could quickly access data and programs from any site. In spirit, the concept was very much like the Internet of today.

In 1965 Licklider tested his theory with 2 computers, one in Massachusetts the other in California, which “talked” to each other over a phone line. The basis for the internet was born.

Early 1970s the term internet was used as a shorthand form of the technical term internetwork, the result of interconnecting computer networks with special gateways or routers. The terms Internet and World Wide Web are often used interchangeably in everyday speech; it is common to speak of "going on the Internet" when opening a web browser to view web pages.

However, the Internet is a particular global computer network connecting millions of computing devices; the World Wide Web is just one of many services running on the Internet. The Web is a collection of interconnected documents (web pages) and other web resources, linked by hyperlinks and URLs (Uniform Resource Locators or Web Addresses).

In addition to the Web, a multitude of other services are implemented over the Internet, including , file transfer, remote computer control, newsgroups, and online games. Web (and other) services can be implemented on any intranet (like at UCOL), accessible to network users. Interweb is a mixture of Internet and World Wide Web typically used sarcastically to parody a technically unsavvy user. Interweb

The Internet has no centralized governance in either technological implementation or policies for access and usage; each constituent network (or country) sets its own policies. The only parts that are fully governed in the Internet are the Internet Protocol address space (the IP address you are assigned by your ISP when you connect to the internet) and the Domain Name System (website names).

So how do we tell what is good? With so many people accessing the Internet these days it is getting harder and harder to find information that is good quality & not just someones personal ranting opinion. When we look at a website we need to use a little common sense to sift the good from the bad.

A good quality website Should Have An author or name of the organisation. The “About Us” should give you information about who the person/organisation is and what their professional background is. – There is no point in looking at a website for Nurses if it is written by a bored office worker! References – where the information was sourced from, or where you can go to find further information.

The Bad Some websites look really good to start with, but the more you look around you will quickly start to realise the information is too generic – or even worse – Plagiarised from a reputable site. These sites can be good to get a basic understanding and starting point from which you can find better sources. – Often online news sites fall into this category – remember their main objective is to get the story out there & worry about the details later

The UGLY Some of these sites can be downright dangerous! The information given is often personal opinion with no professional basis – it may be they know someone who has a condition & suddenly they think they are the expert on it without having any actual knowledge themselves – sites like this often use scare tactics to gain followers – If you immunise your child with MMR they WILL get autism! – If you don’t brush your teeth they will rot and fall out in 2 years! – Eating only Celery for the rest of your life is the ONLY thing that will keep you celebrity skinny.

Tips to watch for Sometimes the best looking sites are the most deceptive – especially if it is a business or an organisation – Remember they want your business – therefore their information may be slanted so you see their product being the best Pop ups – no reputable site would put annoying popups trying to entice you to sign up, answer a survey or purchase a product.

Activity In pairs - logon to Moodle & open the file named The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Open each link & discuss with your partner why the site is good, bad or ugly.