PYW: Lesson - The Internet and Technology

Image: a digital globe is projected over a cityscape.The Internet and Technology

It can be hard to imagine how different life was before we began depending on the internet, the web, and the technological advances that we can’t fathom living without today. Take for  example how we take pictures.

Image: a camera with several rolls of film.Did you know that most American citizens born before 1993 likely remember having to get film developed? It was quite a process: you needed a camera (there were no smartphones with cameras built in!), and that camera was loaded with film. Most rolls of film had around 24 exposures, meaning you could only take 24 pictures for one roll of film (yes, really - only 24!). After taking your pictures, you would have to take the roll(s) of film to a local store to have the pictures developed. The customary wait time to see the pictures was anywhere from five to seven days! So, from the moment of snapping a photo to actually seeing the picture could be up to a week (or more, if you didn't fill up your camera roll all at once).

Think about it: can you even imagine having to wait like that? It means people would wait 5-7 days to sometimes discover that their kids' eyes were closed, or that the picture was blurred, or that one of the cousins was making a silly face. Now, we know immediately how the picture looks, and some devices allow users to choose a frame from a live shot. Even before the age of smartphones, a lot of advances happened to make taking pictures more convenient, like stores offering one-hour development times, and even specialized cameras that produced images instantly (Polaroid cameras were revolutionary, though the picture quality was considered quite poor). And cameras/how we take pictures are just a single example of how technology has changed our lives.

Here’s an interesting challenge: think of one…just one daily living activity that has not already been impacted by computer science (CS) and/or
innovative technologies. Really, pause for a moment…can you think of ONE? If you were able to identify one, chances are that it will be impacted
by CS and technology in the very near future. The ability to research that question in an effective and efficient way utilizes two of the greatest
advancements of our lifetime…the internet and the world wide web (commonly referred to as the Web).

The Internet

How does it all work? How are we able to talk or type words and receive millions of results in an instant? In order to ensure a comprehensive understanding of how websites and webpages work, let’s first gain an understanding of the internet. Better yet, let’s utilize the Internet to watch a video in which one of the co-founders of the Internet explains the process.

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