The Story of the Internet

Prologue

Out of all the inventions of mankind, few have been as profoundly influential as the internet. Fundamental human experiences that remained static for millenia have been utterly and completely revolutionzed - from warfare and communication, to love and friendship. Yet despite it’s reach and power, common understanding of the internet remains quite murky. Few know how it functions, or how it was stitched together, or even how much it affects them on a day to day basis.

Thus, this “book”. Though many other similar works exist, in my unbiased opinion this is the best of the lot. Almost all dimensions of the internet - from its history (and that of analagous predecessors) to the technical elements of its composition and its societal impacts - will be covered in some respect. And I will try my best to cover them in an interesting and non-boring manner. With that said, let’s start at the beginning, not in the 20th century, but almost 200 years before that, in pre-Revolutionary France.

Warning: WORK IN PROGRESS

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
   • Overview of the Internet
2. Body
   • History
     • The Telegraph
   • Technical Details
     • Standards and Protocols
   • Social Impacts
     • Internet Culture
   • The Future of the Internet
     • Web 3.0
3. Back matter
   • Dramatis Personae
   • Glossary of Terms
   • Sources/References
   • Appendix
     • The Computer
     • Common Misconceptions