I am writing an article for The New York Times Upfront, a news magazine published with Scholastic, on the 40th anniversary of the Internet. Please let me know if you would be able to answer questions on the history of the Internet and the reasons for its creation. Other questions I have are, what brought the Internet to the masses, is there anything in the past we can compare the Internet to, in terms of social and business networks, and what are your predictions for the future of the Internet?
Thank you so much for your time, please let me know if you can answer any or all of these questions.
If you Google "the history of the Internet" you will find many more, most of which agree.
After a need to share information resulted in the development of the technology, the spread of the technology was first driven by a grass roots movement, word of mouth. As it became obvious that there were both a need and a desire, investors became interested and began driving its adoption by the masses. The desire to make money became the dominant factor.
As has been demonstrated in many countries already, if government is allowed to continue to exist in its current state, the Internet will be limited and controlled slowing the development and adoption of technology. The free and open sharing of information is threatening to those who would control it.
However, the Internet has been primarily responsible for creating a new mass of concerned citizens. In the event that they are successful in slowing or eliminating the mounting oppression, all of our communications will eventually be broadcast over the Internet. We will have communication centers in our homes that allow us to switch back and forth, from a number of locations in our homes, to television, movies, classes, video conferences with our friends, family, and business associates (telephone), and emergency services like the police, doctors, and fire departments. We will take all of this communications capability with us each time we leave our homes.
