WEEK 2 : Networks

Being a novice to web technologies, I have found this week’s topic fascinating.
I’m not sure what I find more impressive; how the web functions around interconnected networks or the fact that it does run so well using these technologies. As Brian Marshall says while explaining the role of DNS in the system “This is one of the most amazing parts of the DNS system -- it is completely distributed throughout the world on millions of machines administered by millions of people, yet it behaves like a single, integrated database!” (Marshall,para.21)

In my browsing on this topic I stumbled across a blog by Ben Worthen of CIO magazine, titled “Who owns the Internet? We have a map that shows you”. While I m not sure the article delivers the headline, it does contain an interesting map showing “just about all the routers in

” (Worthen, 2006, para.1) and who owns them. If you're interested the map can be downloaded as a PDF.

The other thing that has struck me coming from a background of traditional media (Print, Television and Film), is the speed the internet has developed and continues to develop (Howe 2007) .It seems inevitable that with increased technical efficiencies and the resulting increase in consumer uptake that “the Internet will subsume all digital broadcast mediums”. (Search and Go, 2007,para1) A prediction that makes the need to understand the technologies the internet uses all the more important for some one such as myself.

References:

Marshall, B. , How Domain Servers Work, howstuffworks , viewed 11 March 2007, <>

Worthen, B. March 2006, Who owns the Internet? We have a map that shows you. CIO Magazine , viewed 11 March 2007.

Howe, W. January 2007, A Brief History of the Internet , Walt Howes Internet Learning Center, viewed 11 March 2007,

searchand go, Internet Explained, searchandgo , viewed 11 March 2007