Technology Revolution

When computers first appeared in the 1940s and 1950s, most experts in programming thought there would be little use for the large machines that served very specific purposes and carried an extremely high price tag. However, the exact opposite has proven to be true, with computers coming into nearly every single aspect of day to day life. In today’s time, a large majority of people in the United States use a computer or computer-related device at least once every day. With the Internet revolution, more people have taken an active role in using computers and computer services as part of their everyday life.

The early forms of the Internet started as bulletin board services and the connection of Usenet, but the application of these early manifestations were not very usable due to the slow connections that made data transfer problematic. With newer technologies, such as cable and DSL modems, the Internet began to take shape, evolving into a global platform in the early 1990s. From this point, the number of people that use the Internet has grown exponentially, with most estimates nearing 2 billion users worldwide, a number that is expected to continue to increase as online service become more available in highly populated countries, such as Russia, China, Brazil, and India.

For the future, there is a wide amount of speculation about where the Internet is heading. Some industry experts believe that it will become largely a minefield that is filled with advertising and corporate ventures. Others point to the success of social networks and email, saying that the Internet will help people become connected in ways that were previously thought to be impossible. As the virtual landscape of the Internet seems to change every day, it is possible that all of these are correct answers and that anything imaginable for the Internet will someday become a reality.