When the internet first launched in 1969, it was a far different beast from that which its users know it as today. As opposed to the huge information resource center that it now is, the web from that was created almost forty years ago was part of an American program for space research called ARPA, or Advanced Research Projects Agency. When NASA was formed, ARPA moved away from space and air flight and concentrated on computers.
As part of their research, a framework to connect all their computers was established, called ARPAnet, and thus the internet was born. Jump forward thirteen years, and a whole host of web servers are now live. Not only does this cause problems trying to connect all the different time zones and languages, it leads to conflicting hardware, meaning some computers simply refuse to talk to each other. Therefore, a standard had to be agreed. This happened in 1982, when TCP/IP became the standard communication tool. Standing for Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol, its the universal language worldwide for the internet and has been for the last twenty years plus.
Now, however, the internet is changing. Whereas before you might look...