Birth of the Modern-Day Internet
In 1973, ARPA, now DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) developed two communications protocols for the internet that would govern the way messages, including e-mail and data files, would travel through the internet. These protocols were called Internet Protocol (IP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). The first, IP, refers to the Internet address of a computer that is connected to the Internet. This can be likened to a street address. Governing this address is TCP, which regulates the information being sent. It also is in charge of notifying a computer which has sent bad information, or information that has somehow become corrupted on its way, to send the information again. This can be likened to receiving a package with damaged contents and calling for a replacement. These protocols which work together are refered to as TCP/IP.
By the end of the 1970's, networks had appeared everywhere and in 1977, science researchers at the University of Wisconsin decided to create their own network called Theorynet, separate from ARPAnet. However, there was concern that the select number of researchers that were allowed to connect to the ARPAnet would receive an unfair advantage over networks which only had access to slower speed connections, such as Theorynet, which would take a larger amount of time to recieve information.
Prompted by the demand for another network, in 1979 a meeting was held between several universities, DARPA and the National Science Foundation (NSF), the result of which launched the creation of the Computer Science Research Network (CSnet). Then in 1980, what can be considered as the birth of the modern day Internet came about. It was suggested that CSnet and ARPAnet be connected with a gateway which would be managed by the TCP/IP protocols, allowing email to be sent not only within their own networks but to each others. This is why today we can send information to users on services such as America Online and CompuServe as well as to companies and universities.
