One of the greatest things about the Internet is that nobody really owns it.

It
is a global collection of networks, both big and small. These networks connect
together in many different ways to form the single entity that we know as the
Internet. In fact, the very name comes from this idea of interconnected
networks.

Since its beginning in 1969, the Internet has grown from four host computer
systems to tens of millions. However, just because nobody owns the Internet,
it doesn't mean it is not monitored and maintained in different ways. The
Internet Society, a non-profit group established in 1992, oversees the
formation of the policies and protocols that define how we use and interact
with the Internet.

Learn More

Internet Quiz

Web Servers

ScienceChannel.com: China Internet Addicts

In this article, you will learn about the basic underlying structure of the
Internet. You will learn about domain name servers, network access points
and backbones. But first you will learn about how your computer connects to
others.

The Internet: Computer Network Hierarchy

When you connect to the Internet, your computer becomes part of a network.

Every computer that is connected to the Internet is part of a network, even

the one in your home. For example, you may use a modem and dial a local
number to connect to an Internet Service Provider (ISP). At work, you may be
part of a local area network (LAN), but you most likely still connect to the
Internet using an ISP that your company has contracted with. When you
connect to your ISP, you become part of their network. The ISP may then
connect to a larger network and become part of their network. The Internet is
simply a network of networks.
Most large communications companies have their own dedicated backbones
connecting various regions. In each region, the company has a Point of
Presence (POP). The POP is a place for local users to access the company's
network, often through a local phone number or dedicated line. The amazing
thing here is that there is no overall controlling network. Instead, there are
several high-level networks connecting to each other through Network Access
Points or NAPs.

internet

Definition

Called the 'information superhighway' and the 'network of networks,' it is

basically a means of connecting a computer to any other computer anywhere
in the world. When two computers are connected over the Internet, they can
send and receive all kinds of information such as text, graphics, voice, video,
and computer programs. The type, size, or brand of the computers
connected, or the type of software used to connect them (called browser)
does not matter. No one 'owns' or 'controls' Internet, although several
organizations the world over collaborate in its functioning and development.
However, the high-speed, fiber-optic cables (called backbones) through which
bulk of the Internet data travels, are owned by telephone companies in their
respective countries. Internet grew out of the Advanced Research Projects
Agency's Wide Area Network (then called ARPANET) established by the US
Department Of Defense in 1960s for collaboration in military research among
the business and government laboratories. Later universities and other US
institutions 'plugged in' for their own collaboration in R&D making ARPANET
grow beyond everyone's expectations and acquire the name 'Internet.' The
development of hypertext based technology (called World Wide web, WWW,
or just the Web) provided means of displaying text, graphics, and animations,
and easy search and navigation tools that triggered Internet's explosive
world-wide growth.
Definition of Internet Chat

By Kefa Olang, eHow Contributor

Internet chatting involves real-time instant text messaging between two or

more users in chat rooms. They are many different types of Internet chats all
with different purposes. Internet chatting has its advantages and
disadvantages; therefore it is important to understand them so that you do
not fall victim to predators who would seek to harm you.

Benefits

Internet chat rooms allow you to communicate with different kinds of people
from all over the world. They allow you to meet different kinds of people who
share similar interests, goals, hobbies and desires. Internet chats can also be
a great learning center ( e.g. chatting forums) where people can ask
questions and receive answers on products and services, computer
troubleshooting and more.

Types

Singles chat rooms are probably the most common chats on the internet.
They managed and run by dating websites. Video/Webcam chats are also
common forms of chatting because they allow you to view your contact as
you chat. While video chatting is the most interactive form of chatting, they
are also the most dangerous. Other Internet chats include business chat
rooms which allow speedy exchange of trade stock tips and business related
information. Christian chat rooms are other popular chats which users turn to
for fellowship and good conversation.

Features

Internet chats not only allow you to send and receive instant messages, they
also allow you to share pictures, and files. Some Internet chat rooms include
emoticons which are smiley faces used to describe what your present
emotion is. Some Internet chats include sound effects which range from
serious to silly and allow you to. Other chat rooms allow you to change color
combinations to create a theme or background that works for you as you are
chatting.

Warnings

Do not provide strangers with personal information when using Internet chat
rooms. In this day and age when identity theft and fraud are of great
concerns, it is important to protect personal information at all costs. If you
have children who use chat rooms, monitor the conversations and the people
they communicates with. There are many Internet predators, pedophiles and
sex offenders who send explicit information and pictures to underage
children. Always read the rules and regulations before using chat rooms.

Read more: Definition of Internet Chat | eHow.com

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About group chat Share Comment

AIM, colored labels, group chat, and rich emoticons only work in the latest
version of Gmail, currently available for Internet Explorer 7, Firefox 2, and
Google Chrome. Please upgrade your browser to take advantage of these
new features.

The group chat feature lets you chat with many friends at once. There's no
limit to the number of people you can chat with, and any participant can
invite others to join. To get started, follow these steps:

Start a chat with a single person in your Contacts list.

Once you've started the chat, click Options at the bottom left of your chat
window and select Group Chat.
In the field labeled 'Add a person to this chat,' enter the name of the
contact(s) you want to add to your group chat.

To end your chat, click the X at the corner of the chat window. Others in the
group chat will get a message saying that you've left the conversation. If you
want to rejoin, you'll need to be invited back by a contact who's still in the
group chat. The group chat will continue until all participants have left.

Group Chat

Group chats, also called conferences or multiuser chats ("MUC"), allow you to
chat with multiple contacts simultaneously. Support for group chat varies by
service, and the options available when joining a group chat also vary.

To join a group chat, it requires that you already have an account on the
particular service. Otherwise, you can create a new account.

Note: Group chat was greatly improved for version 1.4 so you will likely miss
some of the features listed below in previous releases.

video con .................

Video conferencing is a communications technology that integrates video and

voice to connect remote users with each other as if they were in the same
room. Each user needs a computer, webcam, microphone, and broadband
internet connection for participation in video conferencing. Users see and
hear each other in realtime, allowing natural conversations not possible with
voice-only communications technology.
Communications companies have been dabbling in video conferencing
technology since as early as the late 50s, but it took the advent of broadband
internet and affordable web cameras (late 90s) for video conferencing to
really take off. Good bandwidth is necessary for high-fidelity streaming video
and voice. Video conferencing took a serious step into mass use with the
release of Microsoft Netmeeting 3.0 in 1999. Now there are dozens of
software vendors marketing video conferencing software and a number of
investors interested in bringing video conferencing to mobile devices.

History

See also: Videophone and Videotelephony

Videoconferencing first demonstrated in 1968.

Videoconferencing uses telecommunications of audio and video to bring

people at different sites together for a meeting. This can be as simple as a
conversation between two people in private offices (point-to-point) or involve
several sites (multi-point) with more than one person in large rooms at
different sites. Besides the audio and visual transmission of meeting
activities, videoconferencing can be used to share documents, computer-
displayed information, and whiteboards.

Simple analog videoconferences could be established as early as the

invention of the television. Such videoconferencing systems usually consisted
of two closed-circuit television systems connected via coax cable or radio. An
example of that was the German Reich Postzentralamt (Post Office) network
set up in Berlin and several other cities from 1936 to 1940.[

Technology
Dual display: An older Polycom VSX 7000 system and camera used for
videoconferencing, with two displays for simultaneous broadcast from
separate locations.

Various components and the camera of a LifeSize Communications Room 220

high definition multipoint system.

The core technology used in a videoconferencing system is digital

compression of audio and video streams in real time. The hardware or
software that performs compression is called a codec (coder/decoder).
Compression rates of up to 1:500 can be achieved. The resulting digital
stream of 1s and 0s is subdivided into labeled packets, which are then
transmitted through a digital network of some kind (usually ISDN or IP). The
use of audio modems in the transmission line allow for the use of POTS, or
the Plain Old Telephone System, in some low-speed applications, such as
videotelephony, because they convert the digital pulses to/from analog
waves in the audio spectrum range.

The other components required for a videoconferencing system include:

Video input : video camera or webcam

Video output: computer monitor , television or projector

Audio input: microphones, CD/DVD player, cassette player, or any other

source of PreAmp audio outlet.

Audio output: usually loudspeakers associated with the display device or

telephone

Data transfer: analog or digital telephone network, LAN or Internet

Videoconferencing
(What is it?)

In videoconferencing technology, two or more people at different locations

can see and hear each other at the same time, sometimes even sharing
computer applications for collaboration. Videoconferencing offers possibilities
for schools, colleges, and libraries to use these systems for a variety of
purposes, including formal instruction (courses, lessons, and tutoring),
connection with guest speakers and experts, multi-school project
collaboration, professional activities, and community events.

Placing a video call is a lot like placing a telephone call. After you connect,
you see the other person in color video on a TV screen and may be able to
transfer files or collaborate via options such as document sharing or white
boarding.

Basic Videoconferencing Technology

Compressed video systems allow a larger audience to experience the

benefits of high-quality videoconferencing at a reasonable cost. A
videoconferencing system requires the audiovisual equipment, which
includes a monitor, camera, microphone, and speaker, and a means of
transmission.

Rather than an Internet-based connection, such as that used by webcams,

which have to share bandwidth with other Internet data, a compressed video
system on a dedicated bandwidth provides smooth audio and video.

The compressed videoconferencing may be transmitted via an ISDN

(Integrated Services Digital Network) line or over IP (Internet Protocol) lines.
It is an economical solution for high-quality videoconferencing.

Connecting

The most significant distinction among videoconferencing systems is the

method of transmission. Transmission is important because two systems
cannot connect if they are using different transmission methods.
Videoconferences can be transmitted over two protocols, H.320 - ISDN
(phone) or H.323 - IP (Internet) lines. In the past, most videoconferences used
ISDN lines; however, many people are now using IP connections due to cost
savings. In order to connect two units using different transmission methods, a
bridge must be used that will handle these mixed protocols. In an ISDN call,
bandwidth is dedicated to only one videoconference, while in an IP call,
bandwidth may be used to transmit for multiple uses. However, ISDN calls
can be very costly since you may be making the call over a distance, in which
case, long distance phone line charges apply, and ISDN lines take up 6 phone
lines. Connections around the world average 384 kbps.

Benefits

Educators and librarians from around the country report videoconferencing

technology impacts student learning in a number of ways. Teaching
professionals have observed that two-way videoconferences heighten
students' motivation, and improve communication and presentation skills.
Additionally, a virtual field trip increases the depth of learning and provides a
forum for a greater connection with the outside world.

A videoconference can improve students' memory retention by appealing to a

variety of different learning styles by including diverse media such as video
and audio clips, graphics, animation, and computer applications.
Videoconferencing connects previously contained institutions in a way not
possible using e-mail, the telephone, or online chat systems. The visual
connection and interaction among participants enhance understanding and
allow both the content providers and the students to feel connected to one
another. That connection leaves a distinct impression on the students who
have the opportunity to go on a virtual field trip.

Several sites on the web address the benefits of videoconferencing from a

researched point of view, and several books are available on this topic. Here
are a few: