Information from the Internet

There is this huge resource of information called the Internet. From time to time, I wonder, what is the internet? Who controls it? Where is it located at? Who posts these content?

Is it not interesting how many of us have access to the internet in this modern day.For most of us, the internet is literally at our fingertips. We access the internet in various, be it by the use of our smartphones, tablets, laptops, or desktop PCs. Email, looking up specific information, and gaming are some examples of what we use the internet for on a daily basis. 

Simply put, the Internet is basically a network of computers connected to, and communicating with  one another on a common protocols (think of it as a common language) such that the information being communicated can be understood on the receiving end. As far as I know, I do not recall reading that anyone owns the internet as a whole, because the internet is a global connection of computers connected by cables that run under the seas across various countries and continents. However, there are various organisations that affect the internet we use today, and influence how this internet evolves over time, such as updating the address format for each web page, or what protocols the computers use to communicate with one another. Various people all around the world create content and post it online, they own the content and copying it may infringe copyright laws.

So what about information from the Internet?

I feel that anything that goes into the Internet will remain there somewhat permanently. Take this blog post for example, once it is posted, it may be copied, pasted, backed up, or even screen grabbed. Should there be a mistake, it would be virtually impossible to erase it then, even though the original post has been removed. With the internet being pretty accessible now, I feel that it pays to be cautious of what information you wish to share with the world. Also, be careful of the comments you make and sensitive to how people may react upon reading your posts.

All of us react differently to things we read. If we like what we read, we tend to want to share it. Or if something we read is what we agree with, we would also think that what is written is correct. However, if we do not agree with something, we may immediately get angry at a subject or just choose to ignore it. With satirical news sites popping up, we have to be extra careful about the information we read from the Internet. Some of these sites seem so convincing until you start to cross check and find that it was just a satirical article. I feel that with any article you find online, it is good to do a cross reference with another article to see if a similar story is being posted. If it is an isolated case, then it is up to your own discernment to judge if it is true or false. But my advice is, take what you read with a pinch of salt as not everything you read may be true.

These are some of my thoughts about the Internet and information posted on it. Overall, I would say that the Internet is a good source of information, and it definitely has various methods of sharing knowledge and information when attained from reliable sources. We just have to be a little cautious of our actions taken on the Internet. 

Have a blessed weekend ahead!