It is more than likely that the reader of this book has used the internet (the ‘net’ in short) at least occasionally, and has a fair idea as to what it is, but a definition is still necessary for the sake of clarity. According to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 11th Edition (2004), it is a “global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities, consisting of interconnected networks using standardized communication protocols.”

We should note that while the physical infrastructure is owned by companies, governments and individuals (as in the case of subscribers' computers), the network as a whole is not owned by any individual or organization. It is organized on a cooperative principle. It functions through the cooperation of various national governments, global and multinational organizations, corporate and non-corporate bodies, and individuals. The question of governance is of fundamental importance in understanding the internet and its place in human society. It will be discussed in greater detail in chapter two.

An online tutorial of the University of California in Berkeley defines the internet as “a network of networks, linking computers to computers sharing the TCP/IP protocols.” It is enough to note that the net is a worldwide network of computers, which are able to communicate with one another, that is, exchange information in digital form. The TCP/IP protocols are rules implemented by computer programs that allow different kinds of computers to ‘understand’ one another.