Iyini I-Internet?
ESEBENZISA i-Internet, uDavid, uthisha wase-United States, wathola izifundo ayezidinga. Ubaba othile waseCanada wayisebenzisa ukuze ahlale exhumana nendodakazi yakhe eRussia. ULoma, ongunkosikazi onakekela ikhaya, wayisebenzisa ukuze enze ucwaningo olungokwesayensi olukhuluma ngesiqalo sendawo yonke. Umlimi othile wayisebenzisa ukuze athole ukwaziswa okukhuluma ngezindlela ezintsha zokutshala ngeziphuphutheki. Izinkampane zamabhizinisi iyazikhanga ngenxa yamandla ayo okukhangisa imikhiqizo nemisebenzi yazo ezigidini zabantu abangaba amakhasimende. Abantu embulungeni yonke bafunda izindaba zamuva zezwe nezamazwe ngamazwe ngenxa yesimiso sayo esibanzi sokubika nokuthola ukwaziswa.
Siyini lesi simanga sama-computer esibizwa ngokuthi i-Internet, noma i-Net? Ingabe kudingekile ukuba ube nayo? Ngaphambi kokuba unqume “ukusebenzisa” i-Internet, ungase ufune ukwazi okuthile ngayo. Naphezu kwakho konke ukutuswa kokusetshenziswa kwayo, kunezizathu zokuba uqaphe, ikakhulukazi uma kunezingane ekhaya.
Iyini?
Cabanga ngendlu enenqwaba yezicabucabu, yileso naleso siphotha ulwembu lwaso. Lolu lwembu luphothene kangangokuthi izicabucabu zizihambela kalula nje kulo. Manje sewunombono owenziwe lula we-Internet—iqoqo lembulunga yonke lezinhlobonhlobo zama-computer nezimiso zawo ezixhunyiwe. Njengoba ukwazi ukukhuluma ngocingo nomuntu okwelinye izwe onocingo, nge-Internet umuntu usebenzisa i-computer yakhe ukuze abelane ngokwaziswa namanye ama-computer nabantu abasebenzisa ama-computer kunoma iyiphi indawo emhlabeni.
Abanye babiza i-Internet ngokuthi umgwaqo omkhulu wokwaziswa. Njengoba ngomgwaqo ukwazi ukuya ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene zezwe, kanjalo nge-Internet ukwazi ukuthola ukwaziswa ngezimiso zama-computer eziningi ezihlukahlukene ezixhunyiwe. Njengoba imiyalezo ihamba, isimiso ngasinye efika kuso sinokwaziswa okukuxhumanisa nesimiso esiseduze. Indawo oya kuyo kungase kube kwelinye idolobha noma izwe.
Isimiso sama-computer ngasinye “singakhuluma” nesinye esiwumakhelwane waso ngemithetho eqondwa yilezi zimiso eyenziwa abaklami be-Internet. Zingaki izimiso zama-computer ezixhunyiwe emhlabeni wonke? Okunye ukulinganisela kuthi zingaphezu kuka-30 000. Ngokokuhlola kwamuva nje, lezi zimiso zihlanganisa ama-computer angaphezu kuka-10 000 000 nabantu abawasebenzisayo abangaphezu kuka-30 000 000 emhlabeni wonke. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi inani lama-computer axhunyiwe landa ngokuphindwe kabili unyaka ngamunye.
Yini abantu abangayithola kuyi-Internet? Kutholakala iqoqo lokwaziswa elanda ngokushesha, elinezihloko ezisuka emithini yokwelapha kuya kuyisayensi nobuchwepheshe. Inokwaziswa okunzulu ngobuciko kanye nengosi yokucwaninga abafundi abangayisebenzisa futhi ihlanganisa ezokuzilibazisa, ezokuzijabulisa, ezemidlalo, ukuthenga ezitolo namathuba emisebenzi. Nge-Internet ukwazi ukuthola izinsuku zonyaka, izichazamazwi, ama-encyclopedia namabalazwe.
Nokho, kunezinye izici ezingezinhle okudingeka zicatshangelwe. Ingabe yonke into ekuyi-Internet ingabhekwa njengeyakhayo? Yiziphi izinto ezitholakala kuyi-Internet? Yiziphi izinyathelo zokuphepha ezifanelekile? Izihloko ezilandelayo zizodingida lemibuzo.
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 4]
Indabuko Nokuklanywa Kwe-Internet
I-Internet yaqala njengendlela yokuhlola yoMnyango Wezokuvikela wase-United States ngawo-1960 ukuze kusizwe ososayensi nabacwaningi abasezindaweni ezigqagqene ukuba basebenze ndawonye ngokuhlanganyela ama-computer ambalwa futhi abizayo namafayili awo. Ukuze kufezwe lokhu kwadingeka ukuba kwenziwe isimiso esiyinxanxathela esasiyosebenza njengento eyodwa ehlangene.
IMpi Yomshoshaphansi yavusa isithakazelo esimisweni “esingenakushaywa amabhomu.” Uma kubhujiswa ingxenye yalesi simiso, ukwaziswa kwakusengafika lapho kuya khona ngezingxenye ezisindile. Kuyi-Internet, eyaba umphumela walokhu kuhlola, indlela yokuthumela umyalezo yafakwa kuso sonke isimiso kunokuba ifakwe endaweni eyodwa.
Ngokwengxenye enkulu, i-Internet, manje osekuyiminyaka engaphezu kwamashumi amabili ikhona, isithandwa kakhulu ngoba isebenzisa ama-browser. I-browser ithuluzi lohlelo lwe-computer elenza kube lula ukuba umuntu oyisebenzisayo “avakashele” izindawo ezihlukahlukene kuyi-Internet.