The Internet
The Internet is a worldwide system of computer networks. When two or more computers are connected to each other, they make up a network; the combination of more networks makes up the Internet.
In 1969 a group of scientists working on the same project at ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency) had the idea of hooking their computers together so they could share information more easily and in a shorter time. At first the ARPA computers connected together were four, but by 1971 they were 24 and formed the ARPANet.
Twenty years later, thanks to the World Wide Web, the ARPANet developed into the Internet. The World Wide Web, shortened to www, is a system of interlinked hypertext documents. Whereas the ARPANet could only carry words, the World Wide Web enabled the Internet to convey pictures, sounds and animation. The Internet became easier to use and was soon opened to the public.
In recent years the amount of information available on the Internet has increased incredibly; the Internet contains more information than any library in the world. Moreover, the number of things we can do on the Internet has also gone up; we now resort to the Internet not only for news or information but also for entertainment, we use the Internet to watch films, listen to music and play games, and to keep in touch with our friends through email and social networks.