Internet Last modified: Wednesday, January 06, 2010
A global network connecting millions of computers. More than 100 countries are linked into exchanges of data, news and opinions. Unlike online services, which are centrally controlled, the Internet is decentralized by design. Each Internet computer, called a host, is independent. Its operators can choose which Internet services to use and which local services to make available to the global Internet community. Remarkably, this anarchy by design works exceedingly well.  There are a variety of ways to access the Internet. Most online services, such as America Online, offer access to some Internet services. It is also possible to gain access through a commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP). The Internet is not synonymous with World Wide Web. See The Difference Between the Internet and the World Wide Web in the Did You Know...? section of Webopedia. See also "A Brief Timeline of the Internet" in Webopedia's Quick Reference section. Also see "What Is The Semantic Web?" in the Did You Know...? section of Webopedia
•E-mail this definition to a colleague• Sponsored listings Verizon Official Site - Get A Business Website With Phone And Internet. Best Price Online! Get Savings That Will Help Your Business Rally - Bundle & Save by Switching to Charter Business® Today! Get Internet & Phone Plus Free TV for 12 Months and Save 20% or More. Limited-Time Offer. Cisco® Official Site - Wireless Solutions - Wireless Solutions From Cisco Are Secure, Scalable, And Cost Effective. For internet.com pages about Internet . Also check out the following links! Learn the Net  Learn the Net is a complete guide to the Internet designed for new users who are overwhelmed by the volume and complexity of the online world. Sections include: getting started, Internet basics, digging for data, doing business, Web publishing, and multimedia. Lastly, this guide is available in English, French, Italian, and Spanish. Text Messaging Abbreviations  This Quick Reference Guide provides an overview and examples of text messaging abbreviations and smilies. Webopedia's "Did You Know...?" Section  Use this Webopedia knowledge section for an in-depth overview of specific technologies and occurrences in the areas of Computer Science, The Internet, and Computer Hardware and Software. Webopedia's Quick Reference Section  Use this Webopedia reference section for information on common Internet and computer facts and occurrences. Birth of the Internet Provides a history of the Internet, key contributors, companies involved, a timeline, significant events, and a collection of information regarding ARPANET. History of the Internet Hosted by the Internet Society (ISOC), this page offers links to various documents describing the history of the Internet. NetHistory site Offers an informal history of BITNET and the Internet., with links to archived articles, papers, and additional Internet history-related links. RFC 1123 One of the most important RFCs, covering requirements for Internet client software, including Telnet, FTP, SMTP, and DNS.	Internet ARPANET ATM dial-up access domain FTP gopher IAC IETF IMA internesia InterNIC intranet IP address Mbone Mosaic NAP net neutrality NGI Initiative online service PPPoE USENET User-to-Network Interface (UNI) vBNS verti-port Web Give Us Your Feedback