It was a pleasant day somewhere during October 1972 when a large public attended a demonstration of some exciting technology. That was a new experience for the people. They were witnessing what could be called the NextGen technology at that time. The conference- International Computer Communication Conference (ICCC) -organized by Kahn was actually the first public demonstrations of ARPANET. Little did they know that it was just the “Tip of the Iceberg”? A lot followed from then till the present day of the digital era and as it is World Wide Web day- it is the most opportune time to take the quick look back.
The potential
One of the major utility of Internet, Email was also introduced in 1972 when Ray Tomlinson wrote basic send and read software at BBN. It was developed to enhance the communication between ARPANET developers. Later, in July the same year, the utility of Email was further extended by Roberts when he wrote the first email utility program enabling his, users to selectively read. Forward and respond. It demonstrated the revolutionary potential of the internet that was later to be revealed by the release of World Wide Web.
The effect of World Wide Web
Though there are myriad aspects that have been influenced by the World Wide Web, it would be better to look at the way it has affected three major aspects- the society, economy, and education.
Society
Today, internet influenced multiple aspects of the society-right from communication to economy and education. The increasing use of social media has actually helped in a thriving digital society running parallel to the real society and influencing it in multiple ways. It has allowed the people to have a better say in the society irrespective of one’s gender, race, caste, and creed.
Economy
The use of professional networks like LinkedIn ensures that the candidates should not have to traverse from one office to the other in order to find a suitable job. That has a major role to play in reducing the unemployment. There are a number of small, individual traders who are experiencing a modest success by selling via online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.
Education
There are a number of educational resources available over the net and Wikipedia is highly respected among the net users who study in a high school or colleges. Besides, the World Wide Web has made it possible for different researchers in different parts of the world to connect with each other thus eliminating the geographical or cultural differences. Today it is possible for a single scientific experiment to be conducted simultaneously by the students of an Asian university, a European University, and an African University while under the guidance of the experts located in America.
