History of the Internet (04:55)

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Story of the Internet begins in 1957 launch of Sputnik America responds by pouring money into high tech projects and established ARPA, a computer-to-computer communication.

1969: Computer Revolution Begins (02:51)

In 1969, the first "package switch" interface message processor allowed two computers to "talk" with each other. E-mail makes the network a human endeavor and no longer a dry technology.

Computer Revolution: Academic Computer Programs and USENET (04:26)

Nearly every university adopted Bell Telephone’s UNIX program. In 1979, the Unix Copy Program (UUCP) allowed links over phone lines. This USENET capacity was the birth of the Internet.

Internet: No Central Control (03:44)

USENET allows ordinary citizens to communicate with each other on computers, and thus, the government loses any central control of the Internet. The Internet survives its first encounter with the corporate world.

Internet: International Reach and Censorship Issues (05:40)

When the Kremlin communicated via the Internet with the Reagan Administration, it was seen as a national threat, but turned out to be a hoax. It raised global awareness of the power and reach of the Internet.

Internet: Vulnerabilities, Hackers, and Worms (05:22)

Through modems, bulletin boards on the Internet flourished in private settings, creating a "wild frontier" of the networks. In 1988, the first worm was released, proving that net security was a myth.

FBI Fights Computer Hackers (05:06)

Government agencies discover their vulnerabilities to computer hackers and lose control of their data. New FBI agents are trained to fight computer crime. Hackers are challenged by more and more complex security systems.

Internet Becomes Worldwide Web (04:19)

The Web becomes an abstract base of information whose underlying structure is represented by graphical icons and buttons. Browsers bring new search engines and navigation tools.

Pictures, 3-D Images Changing Web Data Mining (04:23)

Significant changes in Web pictures and moving picture bring about streaming audio and visual functions. Business advantages are in place with DoubleClick, a way in which advertisers can mine data about computer users.

Web Cash: Consumer Protection (02:53)

The commercialization of the Web raises questions about how data gathered from the Web is used. The CEO of DigiCash explains how digital, untraceable cash works through serial numbers and encryptions.

Worldwide Web: Commercialization and Criminalization (02:59)

Money and big business change the Web to protect their interests and not those of the consumers. To squelch criminal activity like money laundering, should the government control the free flow of information on the Web?