How did the early internet develop?
The internet developed as different computer networks came to communicate through shared protocols in the late twentieth century.
Historical context and developments
ARPANET was one research network. Packet switching and TCP/IP drew on many institutions. Networks expanded in the 1980s; the Web made access widespread in the 1990s. The internet and the Web are different things.
Consequences and interpreting sources
A single-inventor story hides infrastructure, public funding, standards and user communities. Commercial growth widened access and brought debates over inequality, privacy and governance.
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