What is the Internet?

Three-dimensional image of Internet safety zone. Zip the Internet safety police car zooms into the picture. Car door opens and camera zooms in on laptop screen in car. Camera zooms in to white screen.

Internet 101

Surfing safely

Naviguez en sécurité

Sound of car zooming in with siren.

Black text on white screen.

What is the Internet?

Presented by Internet 101

Police and partners . . . working together to web-proof our communities.

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Music begins (plays throughout presentation).

3D image of close up of internal circuit board of computer.

Internet

Woman’s voice (speaks throughout presentation): The Internet is one of the most amazing technological advances humankind has ever seen. We know that it makes our lives easier. We know that we can’t live without it but, what is it, really?

Camera zooms out of circuit board, swings around to show 3D image of a desktop computer. Camera swings around to screen of computer monitor, which displays image of Internet 101 website.

Let’s take a closer look at what it is and how it began. The following presentation will de-mystify this new technology.

Camera zooms out to show whole computer sitting on desk.

What is the Internet? To understand what the Internet is, you need to know what a network is.

Camera zooms out to show a second desk with computer. 3D images of a document, graph and picture emerge from one computer monitor and travel into the second computer monitor.

By now, you may already know that a network is simply a group of two or more computers connected together so that they can share resources such as documents, graphs, pictures, et cetera.

Camera zooms out to show 3D image of four computer workstations. Camera zooms out to show computer workstations sitting on a pillar.

INTRANET

Some networks are confined to the space of one small office and do not access outside of their building. They are meant to share information between employees only, and are referred to as intranets.

Camera zooms in to show Internet modem at one of the workstations. Camera focuses on one of the modem’s wires and follows it to the modem at another workstation. Camera zooms out to show four workstations on pillar.

Some of these networks not only share resources between employees, they also have access to the outside world, the Internet. If you and your kids each have a computer at home hooked up to the Internet, then you are running a network.

Workstations disappear into the pillar, camera zooms out and other pillars appear, linked by spokes to first pillar.

INTRANET

Add to that all the small businesses, corporations, colleges, and universities, each with its own network, then you end up with… the greatest of all networks, the Internet!

Camera continues to zoom out, and more pillars continue to appear linking networks of pillars.

If you have access to the Internet then you are part of the biggest network that has ever been created. There are more than 500 billion users scattered all over the planet. By 2008, 80% of the planet will be connected to the Internet.

Camera continues zooming out showing more networks.

It was once said that if transportation infrastructure had grown as fast as computer technology has, today, anyone could go on the moon in less than 20 minutes. Computer technology grows exponentially every year.

Camera zooms out to show network of pillars as 2D picture the screen of a 3D laptop computer. Camera continues to zoom out to show second laptop with dollar sign on screen. Camera zooms in on dollar sign.

Dollar sign becomes 3D image, rotating slowly, with other 3D dollar signs falling past in the background.

Who invented the Internet and made millions of dollars out of it? Actually, no one became rich from owning the Internet because no single person invented it.

3D image of original network of pillars appears. 3D images of projectiles begin falling around network. One of the projectiles hits central pillar and it crumbles away.

The Internet was a gift to us, and we can credit the U.S. military for giving us this revolutionary technology. During the cold war, they feared that an attack could destroy a part of their country and cripple their telecommunication infrastructure.

Central pillar returns and links appear between other pillars linking them.

They thought that if they could invent a web-like link between strategic points, they would be able to survive a major attack.

Projectiles begin falling once more and hit central pillar again, which crumbles away. Does not affect links between other pillars.

The advantage of this mesh-like topology is that there was more than one way to get from point A to point B. Should a portion of the network become crippled, communication could take place using alternate routes.

Central pillar reappears and network becomes whole again.

ARPA

This project was engineered by ARPA which stands for Advanced Research Project Agency. Their network was established in 1969. It was conveniently called ARPANET.

Camera swings down and swivels around network.

ARPA

Los Angeles

Stanford

Utah

At first it only linked the University of California at Los Angeles and the Stanford Research Institute, followed shortly thereafter by the University of Utah.

Camera zooms out and network becomes 2D picture on screen of 3D laptop computer. Camera zooms farther out to show second laptop with picture of network on screen, and third laptop with picture of old type of computer.

Camera zooms in on image of old computer. Image of computer begins to rotate away from camera.

The early computers that made up the ARPANET were actually pretty boring, compared to today’s lightning-fast machines. The monitors were monochrome (that’s one colour only) and were used just to send text.

3D image of date appears and rotates away from camera. Original image of old computer splits and forms two rows of images.

1983

In 1983, the U.S. Defense Department computers were separated from the ARPANET. They went on to form their own military network. From then on, the ARPANET belonged to the public.

3D image of date appears and rotates away from camera. Image of old computer splits into more images.

1990

ARPANET

INTERNET

By the year 1990, the network had evolved to the point where it was no longer referred to as ARPANET. Instead, it became known as the Internet.

3D image of date appears and rotates away from camera. Photo of Marc Andreessen appears and retreats away from camera. Image of Mosaic web browser appears and retreats away from camera.

In 1993, a man by the name of Marc Andreessen created the first graphical web browser. The Mosaic web browser became very popular and captured the imagination of the public.

Image of web browser advances towards camera, filling screen, then retreats.

No longer was the computer screen limited to text only. It now became possible to send pictures and view attractive web pages.

Images of Marc Andreessen and web browser rotate around screen.

NCSA

At the time, he was a student at the university of National Center for Supercomputing Applications (the NCSA). The invention of this graphical browser was part of an assignment.

Images of Marc Andreessen and web browser retreat, and 3D images of dollar signs begin falling down the screen.

Sadly for him, once he invented this browser, he never thought of getting it patented. Had he done so, he would most certainly be one of the richest men alive. Picture in your mind receiving one dollar for every web browser in existence today.

3D image of Netscape’s logo appears on screen, rotating. 3D image of Internet Explorer’s logo also appears, rotating.

Nonetheless, he did find success. He is one of the co-founders and vice president of Netscape Communications, Internet Explorer’s biggest rival.

Camera zooms out so that 3D images become 2D pictures on the screen of a 3D laptop computer. Camera continues to zoom out and shows two more laptops with pictures of networks on its screens. 

So, who owns the Internet? The truth is that nobody owns or runs the Internet independently. As mentioned, the Internet is a collection of thousands of individual networks and organizations.

Camera zooms out to show laptop computers on a desk. Camera continues to zoom out and shows three more computer workstations.

A variety of groups guide the Internet’s growth by helping to establish standards. Some of the most important groups are the Internet Society and the Internet Architecture Board.

Camera swings around to show four computer workstations.

They are both non-profit organizations who handle most of the Internet’s behind the scenes and architectural issues.

Camera continues to swing around workstations.

W3C

www

The organization World Wide Web Consortium (or W3C) develops standards for the evolution of what we know as being the World Wide Web.

Camera continues to swing around workstations.

Then there are the private companies who oversee the registration of domain names such as internet101.ca.

Camera zooms in on Internet modem at one of the workstations.

The Internet Service Providers, better known as ISPs, such as Bell Sympatico, Rogers or Shaw Cable, are the ones responsible for providing you access to the Internet.

Camera zooms out to show computer workstation. Camera swings around to show second workstation.

The Internet is such a great resource because it contains a wealth of information and has expedited the manner in which we do business. It also provides the ability to connect people on a global scale.

Camera zooms in on computer at third workstation and the logo of Internet 101 on the monitor.

But best of all, the Internet is great because: No one owns it, everyone can use it, and anyone can improve it.

White text on black screen.

Narration

Monique Beauchamp

Text/Original Concept

Robert “BOB” Bisson

With assistance from

Yvon Brault

Dana Townsend

Daniel Mulligan

Logos of CyberWise.ca, the Mounted Police Foundation and SchoolNet appear on a white screen.

CyberWise.ca

MPF - FPM

Canada’s SchoolNet

Logo of Lafbros.

Created by

Lafbros Multimedia

3D consultant

3D concept

3D & 2D graphics

3D animations

Video montage

Original music & soundtrack

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