the internet, the web, and information reliabilitymar 29, 2017 · the internet, the web, and...

GLOBAL SYSTEMS The Internet - 1

The Internet, the web,

and information

reliability


Our agenda

What is the ‘Internet’?

What is the ‘World-Wide-Web’?

Who runs things?

Using the web: “Trust but verify”


The Internet

A global data communications system – a

hardware and software infrastructure that

provides connectivity between computers and

other devices.


Networks

of

networks

Does

location

matter?

Does time-

of-day

matter?


Global Internet Network

https://global-internet-map-2018.telegeography.com/


Typical network

hardware

• Interface devices

• Computers

• Servers

• Routers

• Transmission

channels

• Physical support


A little Internet history

o 1958: ARPA was created to combat Sputnik

(J C R Licklider, Harvard MIT)

o Packet networks and hierarchical routing (L

Kleinrock, UCLA)

o 1969: ARPANET, leading to TCP/IP ‘Internet’

(Vincent Cerf)

o 1985: NSFNET, university network backbone

opened up access widely

o 1989: World Wide Web invented


World Wide Web

Consortium

o 1989: Tim Berners-Lee invented the WWW.

o 1991: CERN published the WWW project.

o T B-L gave his invention to the world for free.

o WWW Consortium: All companies and institutions had to provide their contributions ‘free’ to gain access.


Internet Host Count


Global Internet usage 2007


Information spread

Progress:Progress:Progress:Progress:

The oral tradition

Library of Alexandria

Domesday book

Gutenberg’s bible

World Wide Web Consortium

Wikipedia

“big data”


Digital World

Inhabitants: natives

A digital native is a

person who has

grown up with

digital technology

such as computers,

the Internet, mobile

phones, and MP3.


Digital World

Inhabitants: immigrants

A digital immigrant is an

individual who grew up

without digital technology

and adopted it later.

A digital native refers to

her phone; a digital

immigrant refers to her

“smart phone".


Digital World

Inhabitants: dropoutsA digital dropout is

an individual who

chooses not to, or

isn’t able to,

understand or use

digital technology.

“I have to drop my film

off to get it

developed.”


Other Inhabitants of

the Digital World

Things are

not always as

they seem …


Update on dogs

Things are

different now …

Oct 2012-Sept 2015


Worldwide Internet users

2005200520052005 2010201020102010 2017201720172017

World World World World

populationpopulationpopulationpopulation

6.5 billion 6.9 billion 7.4 billion

Users worldwideUsers worldwideUsers worldwideUsers worldwide 16% 30% 48%

Users in the Users in the Users in the Users in the

developing developing developing developing

worldworldworldworld

8% 21% 41.3%

Users in the Users in the Users in the Users in the

developed worlddeveloped worlddeveloped worlddeveloped world

51% 67% 81%

Source: International Telecommunications Union


The Internet in

developing countries


The web in developing

countries

Indian fisherman off coast of Kerala deciding

where to take his catch for resale.


Who controls the use of

the web?

o Parents: filtering kids’ use

o Employers: filtering employees’ use

o Public sites: filtering users’ use

o Governments: see GOOGLE vs. PRC

o Businesses: tend to use influence

rather than control , e.g.,

pop-up ads

o Criminals: phishing, scamming


Google data center

in Belgium

Cooling

equipment

Servers

in racks

Stacks

of

racks


Google offshore data

center patent application

United States Patent ApplicationUnited States Patent ApplicationUnited States Patent ApplicationUnited States Patent Application 20080209234200802092342008020923420080209234

Kind CodeKind CodeKind CodeKind Code A1 A1 A1 A1

ClidarasClidarasClidarasClidaras; Jimmy ; ; Jimmy ; ; Jimmy ; ; Jimmy ; et al.et al.et al.et al. August 28, 2008 August 28, 2008 August 28, 2008 August 28, 2008

Water-Based Data Center Abstract

A system includes a floating platform-mounted computer

data center comprising a plurality of computing units, a

sea-based electrical generator in electrical connection with

the plurality of computing units, and one or more sea-water

cooling units for providing cooling to the plurality of

computing units.


Innovative data centers

Startup Nautilus Data Technologies … a floating data

center on a barge that it believes would save companies

money on their energy bills by providing easy access to

seawater.

In Sweden Facebook constructed a data center that

uses chilly Arctic wind to prevent the computer servers

inside from overheating.

Microsoft is researching how to build underwater data

centers that would require less energy to cool.

The World’s 6 Coolest Data CentersFortune, March 29, 2017


The knowledge economy

in the Information Age

• Definition

Economy based on creating, evaluating, and

trading knowledge. In a knowledge economy,

labor costs become progressively less

important and traditional economic concepts

such as scarcity of resources and economies of

scale cease to apply.


The knowledge economy

in the Information Age

• Managing knowledge: an emerging

profession

• Conference: http://advancingknowledge.com/program.htm

• Advances in artificial intelligence

• Data analytics for “big data”


Big Data visualization

We are a Seattle-

based Mixed and

Virtual Reality

studio that

provides platform

solutions and

services for

industries across

all verticals.

8ninths.com


“TRUST, BUT VERIFY”

Assessing the quality

of digital information

sources


Free advice

“It ain’t what you

don’t know that gets

you into trouble.

It’s what you know

for sure that just

ain’t so.”

Mark Twain


The quest for knowledge in

the digital world

What could go wrong?

Can’t find relevant info

Info outdated

Misleading but reasonable

Accurate but incomplete


Unwittingly biasing

your quest

“Self-confirmation bias”

The psychological phenomenon whereby we

tend to give credence to information and views

that support our own pre-existing beliefs and

opinions.

When searching billions of Web pages you are

likely to find many hundreds or thousands of

pages with information that supports your

existing views.


Reducing the bias

in your quest

GOAL: Conduct a search that is

unbiased and interpret the results in

a way that is unbiased.

Search: How do you phrase the question? How many variations do you use?

Verify: How many additional sources do you check?


An assessment strategy

Currency

Authority

Purpose

Objectivity

Website impact


Example: Fake news

and disinformation

Info source tries to appear objective to gain

more credibility.

Most effective in complex situations, like

politics, particularly elections

climate change

flouridation of water

TBL benefits of coal for electric power

bashing of specific groups (e.g., immigrants)


Example: Corporate

Greenwashing

How does the image

make you feel?


Example: Corporate

logo history

In 2001, in response to negative press on British

Petroleum's poor safety standards, the company adopted

a green sunburst logo and rebranded itself

as BP ("Beyond Petroleum") plc.


Why do ‘greenwashing’?

Greenwashing can make a company appear to be

more environmentally friendly than it really is. It can

also be used to differentiate a company's products

or services from its competitors by promising more

efficient use of power or by being more cost-

effective over time.


Greenwashing,

the real thing


Trust,

but

verify …


How can you tell about

the credibility of online

information?

Try Googling “fake news”

http://www.opensources.co/

http://www.factcheck.org/

http://www.snopes.com/

http://www.politifact.com/subjects/environment/

the internet, the web, and information reliabilitymar 29, 2017 · the internet, the web, and...

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