Intelligent Machines and the Networked world – the Networked World
The Internet and World Wide Web connect computers, people, and ideas around the globe. The Internet’s commerical opportunities were quickly discovered, and new forms of community emerged as well.
The Internet has changed society. There is no faster way to disseminate information and make it available worldwide. Opinions and ideas can be published on personal Web pages and blogs (online diaries) and new projects have been made possible by this interconnectivity. Wikipedia, for example, is an online encyclopedia created and constantly expanded by users around the world.
Open-source software is developed in a similar manner. Groups focusing on political and social issues also use the Internet to organize. Because of this, many non-democratic governments restrict Internet use among their populations, blocking access to undesirable political or religious content.
E-mail makes it easy to transmit documents and keep in touch with clients and colleagues around the world. In addition, specialists around the world can work together on the same project. Companies and tradespeople advertise goods and services online, and an enormous variety of products can be purchased directly on the Web, with payments made by credit card or through other payment systems.
Encryption protects account information and passwords and makes online banking possible. Absolute security, however, is not assured—just as it is not when you pay by credit card in a store or conduct transactions with a bank teller.
Crime
Unauthorized users can gain access to sensitive information via the Internet, and data can be falsified or destroyed. Servers containing privileged information are protected by firewalls; however, computer specialists can sometimes breach these by exploiting errors in the security system or using spy programs or Trojan horses.
Such techniques are not only used by criminals and spies. In some countries, similar procedures are under consideration or in use by the police to search private computers. Critics point to the secrecy of these investigations in contrast to legally authorized searches.
THE INTERNET OF ORDINARY OBJECTS
Everyday objects could one day be equipped with tiny computers. In this vision, the refrigerator knows when to order more milk and the front door accepts packages when no one is home.
These things could become reality through a combination of RFID, advanced sensors, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology.