Victorian Internet

Victorian Internet

Nowadays , our World Wide Web that spreads information rapidly and freely , but the sunset of information society took place much earlier as Standage argues . Our contemporary communities and companies , winning and losing in a half of second , would probably be amazed by the influence of telegraphy on Victorian society . Comparing the speed and pace of life in today 's and Victorian societies , one can understand how crucial are these inventions in terms of the saturation of information across al social circles , classes and communities , includes the most remote ones

(Henkin , 1994 . The present is designed to compare telegraphy and Internet in their social and technological contexts . In fact , the view on telegraphy as `Victorian Internet ' is justified : in spite of all historical and physical differences between these two communication tools , they influenced the contemporary societies in similar ways (Sloan , 1991

First of all , it is important to look into the social contexts in which both inventions were implemented . The development of telegraphy as information technology actually began from human need for the increase of the speed and safety of communication . At that time , the only message service was mail , yet post offices were situated only in the centers of civilization or towns with more or less developed infrastructure (Sloan 1991 . More affluent people afforded special messengers , i .e . hired people who delivered important messages . Nevertheless , such communication was both unreliable and unsecured , as letters and messages often got lost . As for mass communication (Sloan , 1991 Harlow , 1971 French , 1990 , newss were the primary mass communication in the 19th century America and England . They not only told the news , but they pervaded social and political ideas of the times . Horace Greeley was one of the most colorful and outspoken newsmen of his day . Read and judge yourself , was a slogan of his , almost as well known in his lifetime as his slogan `Go west , young man , go west ( Sloan , 1991 br

.218 . Nevertheless , there existed delays in news delivery , so that certain information was publicized several days after the event itself Political and social changes in the middle of the 19th century that included the profound penetration of humanism and such new social movements as socialism and liberalism into political circles , thus , such vibrant sociopolitical dynamics required additional tools of communication and informing broader communities (Harlow , 1970 French 1990 . As for the intrinsic social transformation , there were associated with the progress of science , culture and education , which required the arrangement of conferences , meetings and the intensification of communication in general . In addition , the growth of transport volumes necessitated more thorough safety measures , based primarily upon more transparent information exchange between different points (at inventors .about .com , 2007

As for the Internet , it was created for absolutely different purposes In 1964 , the height of the Cold War , and Americans spent their free time building bomb shelters and stockpiling canned food in preparation for the impending nuclear attack . The government , however , had a more pervasive problem . If war did come...