ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

 

“In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful”

raise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds. I am very grateful to Allah SWT for giving me the time & space and knowledge to finish this assignment. I would like thank everybody who has been helping me to do this assignment either directly or indirectly especially to my Internet lecturer Miss Madihah and to all my friends. May Allah Bless You All!!!

Creating this assignment is a collaborative of – ‘du’a, ikhtiar and tawakkal’. Without sheer determination it’s almost certain that I won’t make it till the end. Therefore, I want to express my deep appreciation for the continuous support and encouragement of my parent. They demonstrated remarkable patience as I worked to complete this assignment on a very tight schedule (we have to hurry rush back home after Hari Raya!!).
INTRODUCTION

he Internet is a vast collection of world-wide inter-connected networks configured with the help of a group of about 100 TCP/IP protocols. It evolved from the US Department of Defense "Advanced Research Projects Agency Network," ARPANET, of the late 60's and early 70's. It has greatly transformed our society in ways unimaginable-let alone foreseen-only a few decades ago. At the close of the 20th century the Internet global connectivity has made us what most people refer to as Netizens: Net Citizens. In this new world geographical separation is replaced by cyber/virtual space and we are all next door compatriot, or netizens. In this new world of Internet connectivity people can share their experiences, ideas, suggestions, and problems, try to exert influence, and get fast responses and reactions from friends and strangers alike, feedback that is in many cases is advantageous to the parties involved.

The Internet society has created its own new culture and Net terminology. Terms such as World Wide Web (WWW), search engines, HTML, web pages, web servers and clients, http, URL, TCP/IP, SMTP, POP, DNS, ISDN, newsgroups, domain names, UNIX, FTP, WS_FTP, clickable images, bookmarks, telnet, BBS, CGI, ftp.fedworld.gov, mailing lists, GIF, JPEG, dot files, LAN, network, Internet Firewall, and many more have become household terms. We are now talking of e-trade, e-travel, e-mail, e-toys, e-commerce, e-banking, on-line services, virtual this and that such as virtual museums, and so on, terms that point to the degree, desire, and ability of our society to adapt to a changing world.

But perhaps the most important thing that can be said about the Net is that it welcomes and encourages intellectual activity. People are welcome to express their views and the things on their minds, share information, and brainstorm and interact with each other. In short, the Net enables people to contribute to an ever increasing human intellectual storage. The outcome is a continuous expansion of human knowledge and information that is having a great impact, unfortunately not all positive, on our social, economical, and political organizations and way of life. Some of this impact will be described in the following pages. This assignment will explore how the Internet has affected our lives socially, politically, and economically. So, sit back, relax and enjoy your reading!

 

SOCIAL IMPACT

he Internet is quickly emerging as a new defining line in society. Access to ideas and information transmitted electronically and to the growing online marketplace available through the Internet will be essential for the economic development of communities, cities, regions, and nations. Many parts of the world are going to benefit from the Internet, but many areas are going to become electronically impoverished, cut off from the rest of civilization without the phone lines or computers necessary to sustain modern industry, agriculture, education, or even culture.

Personal use of the Internet is rising rapidly, and that mixed use for both work-related and personal purposes is the norm. Surprisingly, two-third of all users now tap into the Internet from home, including 37% who do so exclusively from home.

 

1) Freedom of Speech

ccording to the American Law, The first Amendment states congress shall make no low respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, to the right of the people to peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for the redress of grievances.

This means that the Internet is free from any control therefore anybody can create a website or enter a website freely without any permission. To be sure, the Internet opens up a realm of possibilities that perhaps is unsurpassed by any other mediums we have known before. The television was thought to be such a device, along with the cameras, but the Internet is much more interactive and affords us a way to reach others with the ease of making a connection to another computer.  It is relatively cheap, costing just pennies a day to access, and virtually anyone can have access to it. Plus everyone can have a voice of their own!

 

2) Privacy and Encryption

he lack of privacy in communication on the Internet, and especially in transmission of Email and data files or source code is another impact.  It's not just your local Internet service provider, but it could be someone at any router location in between, or anyone, anywhere, who knows how, who could eavesdrop on any transmission they want to. Then, of course, there is also the government.

Encryption is where the contents of a message is encoded to where outsiders can not read or understand the message.  Encryption is used to protect certain information from criminals, corporations, and governments.

There are many ways of doing this, there is Public-key encryption and PGP (Pretty Good Privacy). Public-key encryption is an encryption technology that ensures privacy and security on the Internet. For more information on Public-key encryption and how it works go to the following link:

http://troy.trincoll.edu/~cpsc105/notes/encryptnotes.html

PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) is a software package that allows you to exchange messages with both privacy and authentication.  This is a way to keep your personal information from being placed in these databases.  PGP is FREE for no-commercial use.  For more information on PGP go to:

http://web.mit.edu/network/pgp.html

 

3) Online Gambling

nited States lawmakers have been tried to shut down gambling sites, making the Internet an unattractive place for some casinos.  Some online casinos are staying away from the United States because they don't want to get involved into what the regulatory people may do.

This is how online gambling works.  Players can place credit card wagers ranging for $1 to a maximum bet of $50 per card. There s a $250 per week betting limit per player for all games available.  Winnings will   be credited to an account set up for each player.  When players choose to withdraw funds they can get a cashier's check mailed to them or have the money wired to a bank account.

Online Gambling operations in the United States have been under fire by regulators.  There has been a set of guidelines by the Interactive Gaming Council, which target protecting the privacy and security of Net wagers, raising standards for truth in advertising, and requiring local licenses for gambling operations.

 

4) Free Information

he Internet is the world's largest information appliance.  It is amazing how much information is available free.  There are newsgroups, online library services, and many other services.  To get some of the information you need it is much easier to use search engines to locate topics you are interested in.  To see a list of search engines go to the following site:

http://www.1sf.com/ws/searchengines.htm

 

5) Cheap Publication

ublications of your own web pages are dependent upon the Internet Service provider you have.  Usually the space for the web page is free and you have a certain amount of space available.  For a list of Service providers see the following site:

http://www.cnet.com/content/reviews/compare/ISP/

 

6) Field of Health Care

ransforming Medicine and Health Synergistic discoveries and instant scientific collaborations between researchers working on areas as diverse as hereditary neurologic diseases and the basic biology of microorganisms, it’s all happening thanks to the Internet. In United States, telemedicine allows medical specialists in Boston to diagnose and treat patients in California. How will the Internet affect two aspects of "medicine, fundamental research and medical care?"

One of the impacts of the Internet on our society in the field of medicine is the research capabilities it affords the general public, or the empowerment it affords patients and their families. Before this, the patient or his family, were afforded just one second opinion. Those that could (and still can afford it) can go to as many doctors that they deem necessary. On the whole, the general public can see one "extra" specialist. Today, with the vast knowledge presented on the "Internet" one can glean great sources of information. The patient is much better informed to discuss his case with his doctor, understand alternatives, side affects, the latest treatments available and the statistical probabilities of success.

"The National Institutes of Health" in Bethesda Maryland, afford a wonderful example of sources of up to date medical information for everyone using the Internet. This most prestigious government facility engages some of the best doctors and scientist in the world, that work in pure and clinical research in the fields of medicine. Everyone is most welcome to use their website to learn about any medical aspect that is of concern to them. Not just traditional medicine is available on N.I.H's website. In recent years when alternative solutions to medical problems were gaining much interest, N.I.H added that area of expertise to their facility and of course on the Internet too.

The vast sea of medical information available to the public on the Internet empowers patients and their families as they can gain so much knowledge about the newest research and treatments. One can also gain information about how certain medical problems are treated in other parts of the world. The more traditional cures would come usually from countries in Europe, and the less traditional ones would come from countries in the East Asia.

Alternative Medicine Diabetes Natural Remedies from China - It is estimated that there are over 130 million people in Asia with Diabetes, many of them use these products to control various symptoms of the disease. Now, we are pleased to introduce, for the first time to the Western World, these alternative Diabetes Medicines from China. All of the products have been developed and thoroughly tested in extensive Clinical Trials in Major Hospitals in China and used by thousands of patients since. The Internet has many different websites that deal with the many aspects of Mental Health. There are sites that are interactive answering questions, newsgroups and mailing lists.

 

7) Field of Business

he way people conduct business has vastly changed with the wide use of the Internet. Many businesses have websites that allow people to conduct business "on line". This is a field that all experts say will grow and advance greatly in the years to come, not just in the United States but in other countries around the world too. "Books and CD's" are bought mainly through Amazon, a virtual book and music store with no stores, just am excellent website, and large warehouses. According to Professor Walter Solomon who is a world renowned consultant (commerce) and a professor at Harvard University in the year 2000 Internet sales will be 6.5 billion dollars, although only 34% of Internet users actually conduct business online, 76% of web surfers say they will "e-trade" in the future. According to Solomon those that will not sell airline tickets, home banking and tourism "on line" will be at a disadvantage. Other items that sell well over the Internet are computers. Dell computers sell over the Internet at a rate of $10.000.000 a day, with little expense. Tourism and leisure do well over the Internet. Many people use the Internet to get information before making a purchase. This is a way that the consumer learns much about his next purchase, before he actually goes out to purchase. Half the fun people say, is planning one's vacation. One sits comfortably in his home and surfs the web for interesting places to visit, what can be done in those places, and then which company offers the best deals or prices. The potential tourist has the world to surf through with the help of the "mouse". Different types of cruises are offered over the Internet, for different kind of interests,  ages, destinations and affordability.

 

8) Field of Education

ince the dawn of the Internet age, many have predicted the end of leafy college campuses as schools go virtually. The miracle of the Internet was supposed to let great teachers reach any student, any subject, any time, and anywhere.

Rapid technological advancement may produce problems and challenges for educational institutions when their products and services are rendered obsolete virtually within a short time-horizon. The Web-teacher who has properly learned his/her craft will have transferable skills and knowledge perfectly adaptable to the emerging technology. The benefit of having transferable knowledge in such a volatile marketplace is readily apparent. It is insurance for survival of the Web-based courses. The Web sites have high dynamic rates of birth and death. The Internet is a graveyard of Web sites who tried but failed to keep up with the contents that the visitors really need from them. Many got on the Web very quickly once it was clear that many new sites were choked with flow and did not have any useful and interesting information. There is certainly a power in the Internet communication, development, and delivery of intellectual materials via this medium we are mastering in our educational institutions. The effective and efficient Web-based teaching/learning is just getting started and survival is the test for quality assurance.

The Internet is affecting the twin disciplines of knowledge management, and content management. Knowledge management is the thinking process of converting information to useful knowledge, while the content management is the published information. The author of a Web site must provide the efficient content management, and the visitor who uses a Web site must have the mental ability for an effective knowledge management. The authors need to learn more about the contents alongside the usability of their sites.

Online education is growing too fast to track. It is predicted a widespread shortages of qualified online teachers. However, educational institutions can train and capitalize on the talent of their teachers who may have retired from the traditional setting.

The rapid growth of information, coupled with the ability to exchange it more rapidly among more people than ever before, is creating a new environment for education. Many universities are negotiating for their standing as the de facto source of scholarly knowledge in new environment.

Hundreds of universities of every sort have been putting some basic courses up on the Web, using sometimes pedestrian software. And students seem to think they're okay. Community colleges and regional universities that have slowly, organically moved into the online arena -- doing their old job in a new way -- have succeeded where the flashy business types and big-time private schools have not.

Today, the web-based course offering continues to grow, however, much of the momentum has slowed, and realizing the enormous costs of launching efficacious courses' online. Programs that are pedagogically sound but not fiscally sound may not be endorsed by the administration because of financial strain to the organization. Conversely, the faculty whom it represents will not endorse programs that are fiscally sound but not pedagogically sound. The main approach is to develop or maintain programs that are pedagogically and fiscally sound.

The administrators are focusing on cost-effectiveness in which educators can deliver their intellectual materials whole targeting this transformation in teaching/learning. However, one may ask: What are the driving factors behind technology-based changes in teaching and learning? How does institutional culture fit into the picture? Do they have the necessary resources? Student-fee structures have always been unfair often, when online students live hundreds of miles away, must pay fees for campus services become a source of considerably greater discontent? The main concern is in targeting the transformation of learning/teaching through technology while reducing the cost.

On the other hand, the new state and federal policies, advances in services to students, new costing of technology methodologies, evolving accreditation and quality assurance issues, new e-learning projects and new institutional practices.

For example, the impact of class size is of concern to all parties involved on Web-based learning/teaching. It takes 2 or 3 times as much time to teach an on-line course as a face-to-face course. An on-line course that works for 10 or 20 students may be impossible with 100 or 200 students. With face-to-face courses where the students are met simultaneously, the repetition in providing student feedback may be much less than in asynchronous teaching. Thus, on-line teaching may not scale as well as face-to-face teaching.

 

POLITICAL IMPACT

he Internet has largely become the most expansive means of communication the world has ever seen. With open types of communication like this, politics are always involved. Usually the focus is on what is being said, who is saying it, and by which medium. This section will identify and describe a number of issues that impact the Internet today including Religious Propaganda, Rights of Internet Citizenry (Netizens), and Channels for Public Opinion.

 

1) Religious Propaganda

ropaganda is "an opinion expressed for the purpose of influencing actions of individuals or groups". One form that has received much publicity in our society is religious propaganda on the Internet. The World Wide Web is comprised of many sites containing information about different forms of religion. These sites can be divided into 2 categories: Secular, Freethinker and Atheist Sites; and Religious Sites. Each of these categories is comprised of various web sites that portray different doctrines and supporting values to influence readers to believe accordingly.

a. Atheist Sites

The main Agnostic, Atheist, secular and freethinking WWW sites are opposed to Christianity, and primarily use techniques of critical analysis, satire, humor and ridicule to back their positions. Some pages contain critical analysis of the Bible, questioning its accuracy, consistency, validity, inspiration and usefulness. Others criticize the Science of Creation and promote the theory of Evolution. Some provide critical reviews of various efforts by some religious groups, including anti-abortion, compulsory school prayers, anti-choice, and opposition to the separation of church and state. Finally, these sites hold discussions forums regarding discrimination against and persecution of atheists.

b. Religious Sites

Religious sites vary from the extreme Fundamentalists and Evangelical Christian sites to the Liberal and Mainline Christian sites. The so called Fundamentalists and Evangelical Christian sites tend to represent extreme examples of hatred and misinformation, in which various harmless non-Christian groups are falsely accused of gross immorality, ritual murder, cannibalism, and mutilation. These relatively few religious WWW sites, which represent a very small movement within conservative Christianity, direct their hatred and propaganda against small religious groups, homosexuals, persons promoting choice in abortion and physician assisted suicide. The Liberal and Mainline sites which are hard to come by do not condemn any particular group or organization but do preach toward morality.

 

2) Citizens of the Net – Netizens

he Internet can be divided into smaller networks called Community Networks. These networks allow communication to take place amongst the citizens of that community. Links to global communications networks that link to other community networks allow citizens of each community to have virtual relations with the world. Community networks usually promote communications and distribution of information for its citizens at a local and national level. Those people who take part in these community and global networks are considered to be Net Citizens or Netizens. "These individuals utilize the Net from their home, workplace, school, library, etc. and make the Internet a resource of human beings" (Hauben). Therefore, Netizens, are the source for most resources on the Internet. Without human resources, Netizens, it would be virtually impossible to have the vast amount of knowledge and information available to us. This theory makes Netizens very important to the well being of the Internet. Without Netizen's there would be no one to share wisdom and software (shareware), and provide all of the services that the Internet yields. So it is very important that privileges and protection be given to these individuals who play a role.

 

3) Rights of "Netizens"

o formal standard for Netizen rights has come to life yet. However, Michael Hauben, a writer, and researcher of the Internet has proposed a "Declaration of the Rights of Netizens" in his on-line "netbook". He believes that the Internet is " a revolution in human communications that was built by a cooperative non-commercial process", and that the caretakers, Netizens, should have certain rights and privileges as appreciation for their actions. Some of those rights are listed below:

 

a. Universal access at no or low cost

Freedom of Electronic Expression to promote the exchange of knowledge without fear of reprisal

Uncensored Expression

Access to Broad Distribution

Universal and Equal access to knowledge and information

Consideration of one's ideas on their merits

No limitation to access to read, to post and to otherwise contribute

Volunteer Contribution - no personal profit from the contribution freely given by others

Protection of the public purpose from those who would use it for their private and money making purpose

These are all good points but how do we go about enforcing these rules and protecting each other's rights without taking rights away from other individuals? Sure, uncensored expression is a right of every human being in this country but what about the children, who access the Internet everyday for homework resources and by accident, stumble across an uncensored site. There are always issues that make such declarations impossible in these circumstances. We are a long way from establishing a worldwide policy for the Internet. After all, the Internet is not only subject to the United States' regulations, but also the rest of the globe.

 

4) Channels for Public Opinion

ne of the oldest and most well established mediums on the Internet is the Usenet. The Usenet is defined as "a loose organization of newsgroups (discussion forums) dedicated to almost every imaginable interest, from the mundane to the bizarre, from friendly meeting grounds to controversial political forums". Unlike traditional news mediums that are controlled by a small group of people, the Usenet welcomes all individuals who want to post their opinions and observations and to reply to those of others. Perhaps some of the most heated conversations of opinion and controversy have occurred in this virtual interaction setting. In an effort to control hostility of words, system administrators among the users of Usenet have established a cooperative activity called ‘Netiquette’. Netiquette (network etiquette) has no formal enforcer and the only way it works is if established participants of Usenet are willing to explain things to "newbies" and to politely correct them when they step out of line. However, Usenet and other established Newsgroup settings bring out the worst and the best in our personalities. Without an official standard for how we conduct ourselves in these groups many feelings are disregarded just because of the impersonal nature that the Net represents.

Usenet, as well as other related mediums such as bulletin boards, are "a two-edged sword much like democracy itself". Free speech is even "more than an ideal, it is a fact" when used in an anonymous electronic community. In a 1994 Wall Street Journal article, David Hamilton shows how the Internet has become for the Asians, the greatest medium of free expression of all time. Users complain and criticize on-line about the government's policies and actions but never would these same individuals act in this manner face-to-face. As stated in "Netizens", the Net is the only communication medium that allows all parts of the world to communicate. Like the example shown above, the Net has also been known to provide a forum for pockets of individuals in search of democracy in less fortunate countries. In America, the Internet has given a voice to a number of groups. These groups consist of the following: White Supremacists, Marijuana activists, and Nazi propagandists, many of which would not have done so due to the extreme nature of their beliefs and possibly because of the lack of funding, as described in an article by Jared Sandberg. James Warren, an "expert on on-line sources of political information," goes so far as to state that "the more the group is shut out of the mainstream, the more likely it is to go on-line" (Sandberg). One reason that groups can speak out on-line and do it with boldness is that there is less chance of them getting caught by officials because of the anonymity. Furthermore communication with "fringe" subjects is safer over the Internet because individuals are less likely to come in contact with each other resulting in violent activity, according to Sandberg.

In contrast to asynchronous forms of communication, Usenet and electronic mail, there are forms of net communication, which are more comparable to a real-life encounter or phone conversation, such as IRC, ICQ, other chat programs, and text-based virtual realities such as MUDs and MUSHes. However, these forms of communication are still not as synchronous as real-life interaction--one still has time to carefully think a message through before sending it, without any of the awkward pauses and interjections of a real-life conversation. We must also take into account that our location (besides being somewhere in cyberspace), appearance and tone of voice are oblivious to the person we are communicating with. This plays a key role in how much of our inner selves we show to others over the Internet when we are not worried about the consequences, embarrassments or even capital punishment. If nothing else, this insulated environment can help isolated individuals out of their shells and help people to hold fewer prejudices by which people do in real life.

 

ECONOMIC IMPACT

ut of the 100 million Internet users worldwide, 62 million are Americans, who buy everything from shares and books to cigar humidors and flowers with a click of their computer mouse.  The way we bank, shop, and invest has changed from a standing in the line at the market mentality, to a get in and get out as fast as I can state of mind.  The economical impact of the Internet on today's society is far reaching, affecting more than just the individual consumer.  It affects the local businessman to the conglomerate, and it affects our society as a whole.

The newspaper delivery person competes with the online news services.  Get the top stories by clicking on a link, which is neatly listed by category or topic, rather that having to flip through the pages to find the latest news.  The stock broker competes with the educated home PC user who checks on his/her stock portfolio with real time quotes and gets information on mutual funds as well.  You might be able to conduct business with the phone and a few phone books, but the Internet gives you far more resources and you have better control of the information flow with various search engines, which also provide information for research.

How many of us have suffered with the longs lines at the supermarket,  waiting for the cute little tike in front of you to get off your foot, and waiting for the "new" clerk to figure out how to get that next item scanned. The last decade brought about a change with mass marketing by introducing "Home Shopping" channels on television.   This brought about the first mass visual media of shopping, and has proven extremely successful.  This innovation is still around, but Internet Shopping has become more of a major commercial success. The Home Shopping Network developed the The Internet Shopping Network in 1994. This spin-off now boasts millions of customers.  You can buy everything from the latest in computer hardware to regular grocery items.   Want to shop at a mall, then just follow this link.

Perhaps the ease of shopping is not what it is cracked up to be though. Can this easier access be a cause of economic misfortune for those that can not resist the temptation to buy any new and glitzy gadget that appears?  Logic will dictate that if an item is advertised enough times, more and more of the "weaker conditioned human beings" will not be able to resist the urge to buy.  For those that are living on a fixed income or those that live day to day on credit, this is just another way for them to spend their money. To be sure, there is a niche on the Internet for those that are in the advertising business to latch on to these customers by bombarding them with banners of products that they can not do without, or at least they think they can not do without them. However, for most of us, the Internet as a shopping mall is another convenience to be utilized as a smart shopper, looking for a bargain. 

Business or e-commerce continues to grow abundantly on the Web, with less capital investment. Electronic banking predated the Internet, as well as the ATM machine, but the Internet provides abundantly more resources, such as planning tools, business contacts, business news and articles, and other information you can print, save, or download to your computer. Many entrepreneurs have amassed a small fortune by capitalizing on this technology and, because a mass market has been created making computers cheaper, the Internet is also helping keep inflation low. American inflation would have been 3.1 percent in 1997, rather than the actual two percent if the Internet had not existed. Currently, Asia is reeling economically, and Europe is hobbled by regulation and social costs. Perhaps some would scoff at the way many faithful Internet users rely on the computer to do financial transactions, to shop, and to buy stocks, but most of these are probably entreated in the traditional means to do so. They probably smile when the clerk short changes them a dollar, and the beggar outside the store asks for another dollar. Perhaps this is a bit harsh, but many should wake up and smell the roses, before the future passes them by.  In 1997 the idea of ‘Multimedia Super Corridor’ (MSC) by the government has brought up new term such as ‘e-dagang(e-commerce) into this country since then we have never turn back!  
CONCLUSION

rom all the above we can see that the Internet is a whole new world emerging at the conclusion of the 20th century. Everyday, the Internet expands by the social, political, and economic activities of people all over the world, and its impact growth exponentially. Some of this growth in impact has been described here. In this new world there is no geographical separation and there are no borders, and all people are encouraged to participate and contribute drawing on their experiences and resources. In cyberspace actions and reactions are essentially instantaneous, and this is why the Internet is so gratifying and attractive. This is why it has impacted our society in almost all areas of human endeavor. In this report we touched on the positive aspects of the influence of the Internet on our society. As in any other field in life there are the negative aspects too. In the field of education children can gain access to areas that are not suitable and dangerous, (Littleton Colorado, April 1999). In the areas of business, security is of great concern and importance. The topic of "Firewalls" is in great demand, constantly evolving expanding and changing. In the health care area, the accuracy of what is available to read over the Internet is a topic of concern. The whole new industry of purchasing drugs "on line" is another area where care and prudence are imperative. All in all, the Internet is affecting so many peoples' lives, in a most welcome, exciting and challenging ways.

 

REFERENCES

1.      www.isoc.org/internet-history/brief.html

2.      http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/

3.      www.math.umd.edu/~bnk/CAR/project.htm

4.      http://www.questia.com/

5.      www.cpsr.org/

6.      www.citizensonline.org.uk/

7.      http://polaris.umuc.edu/~rclark2/social.htm

8.      www.angelfire.com/ak4/hafiz30/index.html

9.      www.usdla.org/html/journal/MAR02_Issue/

10.  www.course.com/NewPerspectives