Internet Revolution &

Information Society

Gokul B.Alex, IJT 2009 Evening Batch

A little bit of History …

• ARPA– 1958 - In response to the launch of

Sputnik, the US Department of Defence issues directive 5105.15 establishing the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA).

• ARPANET– 1962- The need to maintain regular

contact led to the creation of ARPANET •Using packet switching technique•Data can reach target even if a nuclear

bomb destroys part of the network

Further Developments

• Internet-working Working Group ( INWG )

– Formed in 1972– To standardise the protocols

• World Wide Web– Formed in 1991– CERN ( Credit to Tim Berners Lee )

• Internet Society ( ISOC)– Formed in 1992– A co-operative organization

Further Developments

• Mosaic– Developed in 1994– Graphical Browser

• E-mail• Chat

Catalysts

• Microprocessor• Optical Fibre• Memory

Internet & Society• Adopter groups

– Enthusiasts ( Innovators )– Pragmatists– Reluctant– Rejecters

• How and why people adopt– Motivation and resources– Voluntary or obliged adoption

• Why adopt and use innovations ?– Functional : To do something practical– Experiential : Sensual Pleasure– Identity : Through Products

• Social and Individual Context

Use / Adoption Factors

• Income• Age and life stage• Region• Professional activity• Education• Sex• Ability/Disability• Capital / Wealth• Family with children

Internet & Society

• National Differences• Gender Differences• Generation Of techniques

Internet & Identity

• “By 2020, everyone you see around you will have a simultaneous physical and digital instantiations” : James Cascio, futurist

Information Capital

• Wikipedia – Creating localized information– Accumulated data

•Cognitive surplus

• Facebook– Social networks exploited by

markets

• Twitter– Propaganda device– Narcotizing dysfunction– Information overloading