Internet Good Or Bad: Brief History & Scope Concerning

Name: Instructor: Institution Affiliation: Date: Internet good or bad I. Introduction The internet is a large network of networks, which link with each other through data packets. On the other hand, it can be defined as a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the IP / TCP protocol to communicate. In today’s world, the internet has become an integral and important part of our daily life. Considering its ease of availability, the variety of services it offers, and high access speeds, the internet has become the need of the day. It has redefined businesses, education has become easily accessible and enjoyable, and social interactions have been fostered globally. More so, people can access various entertainment sites and professionals in various disciplines share ideas through the internet. However, the internet has its own drawbacks. Security threats to organizations, governments’ databases and individual security has emerged. Furthermore, the internet’s impact on cultural and political structures in undeveloped countries has been huge. Artificial intelligence has also taken over the human intelligence. Therefore, with regards to the above merits and demerits of the internet, this research paper seeks to identify whether the internet is good or bad. More so, the paper seeks to give a brief history and scope concerning the internet. 11. Origin and scope of internet The history of the internet originates from the invention and development of computers. The initial concept was the Wide Area Network (WAN), which originated from various science laboratories in the United Kingdom, the United States, and France. However, the invention of the radio, telephone, and telegram set the platform for the development of the internet. In 1969, the first message was sent through the ARPANET by Professor Leonard from a laboratory at the University of California, to another communication node located at the Stanford Research Institute. This marked a great achievement in internet development and opened the doors for further progress. In the 1980s, Tim Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web, which links the hypertext document to an information system which is accessible to any network code around the world. From this period, various developments occurred, including the instant-communication facilitated by various elements of the internet. Currently, due to improving means of accessing the web, cellular technology is the latest development regarding the internet. As a result of its nature, the internet is employed in businesses, as an educational tool to enhance learning, and means of unlimited communication around the world. I. Positive impacts of the internet a) Impact of the internet on education The internet contains information ranging from craft ideas for kids, spiritual guidance, health and lifestyle tips to financial and investment concepts. According to Anderson (2012), the internet is a knowledge base because of the ever increasing volumes of useful information availed to students. This relevant information is accessible to students because of the various search engines that constitute the internet. For instance, just typing any question to any of them leads to thousands of relevant results popping up in a matter of microseconds. Hence, the internet increases the speed of information access and makes it easier for learners to get answers. However, it is not only students who turn to the internet in times of need. Teachers and instructors also use it to supplement what they teach in class. Furthermore, because of the internet, learning institutions are reaching out to students in ways that have never been seen before. For instance, the admission process, payment of tuition fees and the learning process itself can all occur through the internet without physical conduct. Consequently, online learning has emerged from the internet and enables learners to study courses they are interested in regardless of their geographical location. In the United States, Large parts of Europe, and Asia, online students engage in this form of learning because of the satisfaction that the internet offers, (Kou, 2014). This has been facilitated by some universities and colleges offering some sort of search engine marketing curriculum, and search engine optimization. In addition, students can easily communicate and share resources with their instructors through emails. Video conferencing and video blogging are used by students to attend classes even when they are not physically present. Canvass platforms enable students to submit their assignments while Turnitin program ensures students avoid plagiarism and develop critical thinking. All these platforms are found on the internet and simplify the process of learning. Hence, the internet has brought the learning process close to students and makes it more interesting than the traditional means. b) Impact of the internet on businesses Some few decades ago, businesses opened stores and put a few ads in local newspapers and believed the customers were satisfied. However, the inception of the internet changed this traditional perception of businesses. In the modern business world, corporations and organizations do not depend on the local customers for their existence. This is because the internet provides a worldwide customer base for its services and products. Consequently, the internet has not only changed a business customer base, but has redefined how businesses compete in the industry, manage that particular competition, and communicate with its employees. A company can use the internet to research on its customer population, its needs and preferences, and what services and products would sell best. As a result of internet marketing, it is very important to a business organization to stay ahead of its customers’ needs. This is because the competition is no longer regionalized or localized; business firms have to deal with completion from other industries across the world. Therefore, it is imperative that firms have a clear knowledge of what their customer needs and preferences are. However, although the inception of the internet created the stiff competition witnessed in the world, it also provides the solution to this problem. Questionnaires, feedback forms, surveys, and comments on a company’s website can be used to evaluate and analyze customers’ needs. More so, banner placement and websites allow businesses to have an impact on the web that affects millions of potential customers. Adding the internet to a company’s advertising budget extends the business ability to attract potential customers from their backyard, (Yannopoulos, 2016). Additionally, the business ability to communicate changed immediately the internet yielded efficient communication tools. Instant messaging and E-mail have been the major players in this field. Members of a business organization can easily communicate internally or externally with customers and get instant responses. Regarding tourism and the hotel industry, communication through E-mails has proved to be beneficial. According to Standing et al (2014), 65% of individuals who visited the United States and Canada between 2011 and 2013 used E-mails as a means of booking tickets to the various sites they visited and hotels they resided in. More so, a significant population of the two countries preferred to buy products from firms and corporations that deemed internet services essential. This was as a result of the internet being an e-Commerce hub; where the customers can shop for anything online. Furthermore, the internet has facilitated collaboration among various business corporations across the world. Webinars or commonly known as internet seminars make collaborations on business projects with stakeholders located in other geographical areas as simple as logging onto a website. Additionally, the internet enables businesses to allow their employees to work from home using office equipment. This process is commonly referred to as telecommuting and has become a major tool in businesses. Telecommuting allows a business corporation to reduce its overhead costs due to less office space required and decreasing the utilities required to run the routine operations, (Wright, 2014). Therefore, the internet has enhanced business operations and minimizes the costs associated with business operations. c) Impact of the internet on social lives The major impact the internet has had on the social lives of the people is through information accessibility and communication. It creates a platform for which people can share, communicate, and congregate information of social nature. The information shared on the internet ranges from personal information to other information regarding other areas of a person’s social life. This has been facilitated by the presence of social communications apps such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instargram, Viber, and Imo. Through these apps, individuals are able to access and express their feelings anytime regardless of their geographical location. The communication on the internet is unlimited and presents people with the opportunity to share and link up with their loved ones in other parts of the world. Additionally, the internet serves as the biggest s...