Information Highway Essay -- essays research papers

What exactly is this information highway? Think of the information highway as a library thats so new it doesnt give any shelves yet or a card catalogue to find what you need or a passageway you can leave with information on all kinds of subjects (The info Highway). The information highway or information superhighway is a term that became popularized in 1990 and is at one time regarded as information and communication technologies (ICTs) as a basic human need.The official project behind the information highway was the National Information Infrastructure. This went beyond the interconnectivity of just computers the scope broadened to include all types of data transmissions between a plethora of places, people, and devices (Wikipedia). This project was expected to provide for the integration of hardware, software, and skills that make it easy and low-priced to connect people with each other, each other, with computers, and with a vast array of services and information resources ( Information Infrastructure Executive Order, 1993.). It is also often associated with Al Gore, who promoted documentation for programmers that led to aspects of the development of the Internet (Wikipedia). In 1969, he created the first working prototype for his Internet invention. During this time, the Department of Defense Advanced Research Project necktie (ARPA) began work on ARPANET. The purpose of ARPANET was to promote the sharing of supercomputers amongst researchers in the United States (Bellis). Al Gore described his idea of the invention of the Internet to the ARPA researchers In the industrial Age, steam locomotives didnt do much good until the railroad tracks were laid down across the nation. Similarly, we now have supercomputers but we dont have the interstate highways that we need to connect them (Bellis). That was all the ARPA researchers needed to hear, and by 1969, the ARPANET was first demonstrated. The term information superhighway is a trademark of Al Gores Inter net. The information highway is developing rapidly. According to a report from the US Department of Commerce last year, it took 38 years for the radio to claim 50 million users in the US, 13 years for TV to gain the same numbers but only four years for the Internet (Perry). In 1994, in that location were 4 million users of the Internet w... ... though useful and apt, has perhaps served its purpose (Wikipedia). The information highway is exactly what its name saysa road you can take filled with information on all kinds of subjects that includes community networks, thousands of interest groups, databases and on-line news services (The Information Highway). As we move towards the future, this highway is growing so fast that experts are having a hard time keeping up. Users are coming online by the millions worldwide, and the information available is expanding at an incredibly rapid rate. From this point, where you channel on the highway is up to you. As you are cruising on the highwa y it is up to you to find out what is useful. There are no road guides or maps, just your own curiosity and ingenuity (The Information Highway).Bellis, Mary. Al Gore and the Information Superhighway. About.com. 13 May 2005. http//inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa040100a.htmPerry, Brian J. Society on the Superhighway. Kaken. 1995. The Information Highway. Canada Prospects. 1995. http//www.semainedelorientation.com/products/cp_95-96/work/info-high.html.Wikipedia. 11 May 2005. http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_highway.