A Succinct Definition of the Internet? 498
magnamous asks: "Ever since Senator Ted Stevens used the phrase 'series of tubes' to describe his understanding of the Internet, I've noticed several stories and comments referencing how silly that is. Although I agree that that description is rather silly, each time I've found myself trying to come up with a -succinct layman's definition- of what the Internet is, and I come up short. Wikipedia has a gargantuan page describing the Internet, and Google's definitions offer pretty good descriptions of what the Internet is in a functional sense (with some throwing in terms that the layman wouldn't understand, or take the time to understand), but not really a good description of what it -is- in the physical sense that I think Sen. Stevens was trying to get at. What are your suggestions for a succinct layman's definition of the Internet?"
I know some would say that laypeople should take the time to learn the technical, more accurate meaning of what the Internet is. The problem is that they won't. We all know laypeople. I live with two of them. When you start talking about 'TCP/IP' or 'DNS', or if you get far enough to start describing those terms, their eyes glaze over. That's what makes them laypeople — they don't care about the subject enough to learn about it in-depth; if they did, they'd be computer enthusiasts. So please keep in mind that, in order for this discussion to be useful, 'succinct' and 'layman' are essential parts to any definition of the Internet given here. Also keep in mind that 'succinct' doesn't necessarily mean one sentence; a relatively short paragraph would be fine, too — the main goal is to come up with something that physically describes the Internet in a way which laypeople can actually understand."
Youtube answers (Score:5, Interesting)
The Internet is a model train set (Score:5, Interesting)
There are a bunch of computers - big and small, like the one on your desk and big ones that live in big rooms full of other computers. In between them is a lot of fiber optic cable. And organizing all the fiber optic cable is a set of junctions, like you would have in a model train set, only functioning at a bazillion miles an hour.
Each little bit of data that you ask for, and the request itself, is like a little train, going down a track. It keeps hitting these junctions that read where it is going and shunt it onto the right cable to get there. When it gets there, in all likelihood the computer at that end sends something back, which travels the same way.
Re:Pipes okay, but not tubes? (Score:5, Interesting)
"They want to deliver vast amounts of information over the Internet. And again, the Internet is not something you just dump something on. It's not a big truck. It's a series of tubes. And if you don't understand those tubes can be filled and if they are filled, when you put your message in, it gets in line and it's going to be delayed by anyone that puts into that tube enormous amounts of material, enormous amounts of material."
Re:Best one short sentence description? (Score:4, Interesting)
"It's the phone system for computers. It allows your computer to contact other computers and exchange information, just like you do with your home phone. And as with your phone, there's lots of physical ways to make that work (cells phones, old black rotary phones, big office phone exchanges with hundreds of handsets, and so on. To important thing is the information that flows, and that the actually connection part has been automated so you don't have to worry about how it works, you can focus on the communication part of what you're trying to do..."
- peterd (not signed in)
Re:Pipes okay, but not tubes? (Score:3, Interesting)
The Internet is like the road/highway system (Score:2, Interesting)
There are lots of different types of vehicles (protocols) that are used to send data along the Internet -- regular cars (HTTP), buses (FTP), trucks (other protocols), etc. Often computers will send data piecemeal in multiple vehicles. These vehicles often need to get directions (routing) at various buildings (computers) to reach their destinations. When one road is blocked (network downtime) the vehicles with the data can find their way along other routes to reach their destinations, or the source of the data will write the stuck vehicle(s) as lost and resend them on new vehicles.
Re:the internet in a nutshell (Score:3, Interesting)
My definition (Score:4, Interesting)
People describing IP, TCP, Web, Usenet, VOIP all miss out on what the internet REALLY is, communication. The means, methods, routing and all of that is what makes it work, but not the purpose. Purpose is ONLY communication, nothing more, nothing less.
Re:Series of tubes (Score:5, Interesting)
Its not just pathetic, its utterly embarrassing. If you're regulating something it would be nice if you have some idea of what that thing is. Saying stuff like:
"I just the other day got... an Internet was sent by my staff at 10 o'clock in the morning on Friday, I got it yesterday. Why? Because it got tangled up with all these things going on the Internet commercially."
does not exactly inspire confidence that he knows what he's regulating.
However I think he's far less unusual then you suggest. You might be right that most people have heard of the internet, but I'd guess loads don't really know what it actually is or how it would work. Try asking a couple of non-geeky people you know to explain how they think the internet works. My Mother who has been using e-mail and the web for quite some time, still doens't really understand the difference between the internet, Google and the browser. She didn't even realise there was a difference for many years. When I tried to introduce her to firefox she thought it was a different 'internet' because I didn't have google as the homepage (which is when I tried to explain google is a website, not the web. She didn't get it). Just because people have heard of or use the internet doesn't mean they actually know what it is, how it works, or anything other then how they access it.
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How exactly do rats desert a sinking ship?
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Re:The Internet is a model train set (Score:2, Interesting)
I'd describe it as like a telephone network, where any computer can dial and talk to any other computer, but that's cheating because that's what it is.
Re:Series of tubes is a good metaphor (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Series of tubes (Score:4, Interesting)
For these people I say:
"It's computers talking to other computers over cables. The cables are connected via a sort of automatic phone dialer called a "Router" using a sort of electronic phone directory called "DNS" where the name of the site you click on to is translated into the that site's phone number. That's simplistic, and there's a lot more to it than that of course, but that's basically it -- cables, routers and electronic directories".
Disclaimer -- I'm a senior architect for a major telco's VoIP transformation, so nothing I'm likely to say is authoritative. But I do have to say these words to people...
A Network of Networks (Score:3, Interesting)
They don't have to understand how it actually works. But they understand the concept of networking through social networking. It's a concept that's innate to human nature. Computer networking really isn't any different, and isn't a hard topic for people to grasp in general terms.
Re:The Internet is a model train set (Score:3, Interesting)
That's quite good.
I would also say:
- You are sat at a desk just outside the door which you can open when you "dial-up" to pass notes to the nearest desk inside.
- The notes have:
- Who they are to.
- Who they are from.
- Are only allowed 3 words of actual message.
- A sequence number to allow you to send a long message by breaking it into 3 word chunks and the re-assembling the it at the other end.
- The other end will send you notes back saying "I have up to message 10", but they will write it "ack 10" and they can also send 3 words on that note if they want to.
- There is no teacher in the class room.
BrynRe:Series of tubes is a good metaphor (Score:3, Interesting)