| A
bunch of computers all over the globe that are
hooked up to one another. They can talk to one
another and exchange information. To do this, they
use protocols, or languages, such as FTP
and HTTP.
The Internet,
sometimes called simply "the Net," is a
worldwide system of computer networks - a network of
networks in which users at any one computer can, if
they have permission, get information from any other
computer (and sometimes talk directly to users at
other computers). It was conceived by the Advanced
Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of the U.S.
government in 1969 and was first known as the
ARPANET. The original aim was to create a network
that would allow users of a research computer at one
university to be able to "talk to"
research computers at other universities. A side
benefit of ARPANet's design was that, because
messages could be routed or rerouted in more than
one direction, the network could continue to
function even if parts of it were destroyed in the
event of a military attack or other disaster.
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