Topic31

Topic 31
Need for network use policy by Marek Strzepek

To fully understand the concept of networking, it would most probably be useful to study the definition of it. In the Encyclopedia Britannica, it is defined as “The scientific and engineering discipline concerned with communication between computer systems. Such networks involve at least two devices capable of being networked with at least one usually being a computer.”

These days, many corporations have integrated their computer together to form a much faster, efficient machine to process all the data. By connecting all of their computer drives together, the information can be much more easily accessed and valuable time saved. This function is especially useful for large companies which have numerous customers and several deadlines to meet. Networking is known to be a process that maximizes the amount of production without purchasing addition machines. It is also extremely cheap to implement and can substantially increase a company’s production in a very short period of time. An apt description of this networking could be said as “The whole is more valuable than the sum of its parts”.

However, this efficiency does not come without its price. By linking all of the computers together, not only can information spread faster, but viruses as well. If one act of careless occurs and a single networked computer is infected by a virus, the entire system could be bought to its knees. This reason alone has been why some of the more cautious companies have refused the offer to “chain” their computers together.

The history of networking is a long and illustrious one, beginning with the linking of two computers from Dartmouth to New York. The individual that accomplished this magnanimous action was none other than George Stibitz himself, who did this in order to send his complex mathematical equations to himself via a teletype machine. This is the earliest recorded example of computer networking occurring and is assumed to be the first time it ever happened. However, there are claims that during the exact same year, the M.I.T. (Michigan Institute of Technology) and launched and succeeded in their first test of computer networking. Therefore, the issue of who actually first completed a computer network is still in dispute. But, one fact that is for certain, is that by the 1970’s, almost all of the major universities in the United States were utilizing computer networks to further enhance their academic efficiency.

The most commonly known factor of computer networking would have to Local Area Network, which is more commonly known as LAN. This allows individuals in close proximity to each other to trade information and other essentials via computer files. It is also the technological marvel that allows the average teenager to play computer games online at his friend’s house, should he bring his laptop over there.

Recently, WLAN has appeared all over the web. The W stands for Wireless, and it is fast becoming the most popular way of trading information in a local area. The reason for this is self-explanatory, mainly because there are no wires. This allows increased mobility for all computers (mostly laptops) and allows for less risk for accidents, as there are no wires to trip over/get tangled. Therefore, this has become an extremely positive advance in modern society.

All in all, the integratation of computer networking in today’s society is vital, as it helps a multitude of things in order. It has helped students complete their homework, kept companies running, and informed Interpol of the whereabouts of several suspected criminals. Its functions are as numerous as they are useful, and today’s society would be struck a terrible blow if we lost this network for a single day. It is the epitome of efficiency in current civilization and we all would be lost without it.