(A short history lesson for those who can now confirm that #WebafricaCares. Enjoy the read and stay informed )
Long ago in a distance past there was a world with no internet. Can you even imagine what the earth would be like without a search engine at your fingertips to assist you with your, everything? A scary thought to say the least.
The genius minds of the early 1900’s (such as Nikola Tesla) often played around with the far-fetched idea (at the time) of a “world wireless system”.
In the 1930’s and 1940’s the idea began to form into a type of reality, with super visionaries such as Paul Otlet and Vannevar Bush building a mechanized storage system for things like books and media.
The 1960’s however, marked the true beginning of the internet adventure.
An incredibly smart dude named JCR Licklider popularized the first practical schematics for an “Intergalactic Network” for computers. Very soon after, the concept of “packet switching” came into existence, loosely defined as “a method of effectively transmitting electronic data”.
The first working prototype built with the above-mentioned concepts was called ARPANET or Advanced Research Projects Agency Network. It was funded by the U.S Department of Defense and worked by using packet switching to allow multiple computers to communicate on a single network.
In the 1970’s the internet had a major growth spurt when leading scientists such as Robert Khan and Vinton Cerf developed the Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol better known to us as TCP/IP.
A simple explanation for TCP/IP:
This is a communications model that sets the standards for how data is transmitted between multiple networks at a time.
Once ARPANET adopted the TCP/IP in 1983, the researching techs of the time began to assemble the “Network of networks” that has since evolved into what we use as the internet today.
It took some innovative thinkers, true out-of-the-box initiatives and tech visionaries with the determination of Thor to get this ball rolling over the decades with more than a few trial and errors to get it to its present, impressive brilliance and magnitude.
A shout-out to the geniuses of their respective times for their most valued work, warrior-like determination and efforts – cheers to our proverbial “tech dads” and a huge salute to sacrifices made to lay the foundations for the technology we all use with the convenience of just a click of a button.
