FRPCUG MEETING NOTES – MARCH 4, 2008


A 15 Minute History of the World of Computers


Several Concepts that were discussed in the preparation of this part of were raised to a level of importance. These are as follows:

Concept: Networking Computers has always been a part of the larger Communications System.


Concept: The Internet (or ARPANET) was envisioned long before it was realized... and in many different ways than history finally took it... if it has been finalized in any way.


Concept: Personal Computing is not an accidental by-product of the military need for fast, distributed communications.


Concept: Renegades in the sciences, in education, in the Federal Government and in the military have conspired to build what none could conceive at the onset.


See http://www.computerhistory.org/internet_history/internet_history_80s.shtml


Note, particularly:

  1. The network diagrams of early system concepts evolve throughout this article.

  2. The fragmented approach to developing ARPANET and FTP and TCP/IP protocols.

  3. The concurrent development of super-computers with mini and micro-computers.

  4. The emergence in 70's of CSNET, BITNET with disparate protocols.

  5. The rapid rise of e-mail that has nearly replaced conscious use of FTP of the ARPA protocols.


Other utilities built into various applications of value to you are the following:

ARPANet – Advanced Research Projects Agency Network... The precursor to the Internet which was developed int the 60's and early 70's by the U.S. Department of Defense to allow use of remote computers for communications.


Some common terms: (from http://www.matisse.net/files/glossary.html#A* )


BITNET – Because It's Time NETwork... Peaked in mid to late 80's

Blog -- “WeB log” -- a personal journal or public journaling

bps – Bits per Second .. as in a 56K modem can move about 56-57,000 bits per second.

Browser – a “Client” program that searches Internet sources, web pages or email

CGI – Common Gateway Interface. A set of rules that describes how a Web Server communicates with another piece of software on the same machine...

Client -- A software program (or machine) that is used to contact and obtain data from a “Server” program on another machine.

DHCP – Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol – a program that hands out numeric IP address dynamicallyf

DNS -- Domain Name Server (or System)

Domain Name – A unique name for an Internet site, always having a minimum of two parts separated by periods or “dots”. Examples: frpcug.org or mail.secureserver.net

IP – Internet Provider like Jymis, Qwest, Comcast

TCP/IP -- Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol

etc. Please the source list of items at the link ABOVE.


Additional information:

Lexicon of internet and internet security terms: http://www.genua.de/news/lexikon/index.en.html