The first website, which included a text introducing the “World Wide Web” (www) project by British scientist Tim Berners-Lee, was published on December 20, 1990.
At that time, the website, which could only be accessed from within the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland, did not yet operate as “www”.
Berners-Lee opened this site, which introduced his “World Wide Web” project, to outsiders on August 6, 1991, and the first example of today’s web pages emerged.
In this way, the internet, which is considered one of the greatest inventions of the age, has become the most used tool in all areas of life, from communication between people to trade, education and transportation.
With the increase in social media platforms, the internet has become an opportunity to create online communities and share personal content. Over the past 33 years, it has become a dynamic ecosystem that is constantly evolving and integrated into every aspect of daily life thanks to mobile access and artificial intelligence technologies.
“APPROXIMATELY 5.5 BILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE USE THE INTERNET”
Istanbul Technical University (ITU) Computer Engineering Department Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Burak Berk Üstündağ told AA correspondent about ITU’s contribution to the development of the internet in Turkey, how internet technologies shape daily life and their future.
Üstündağ stated that the idea of the internet emerged during the Cold War due to concerns about nuclear attacks, and that Turkey was first connected to the internet in 1986.
Prof. Dr. Üstündağ explained that ITU joined the US university computer network BITNET in 1987 and communication with academics abroad began through this network.
Üstündağ said that the first internet applications were text-based, but modern internet services such as web pages and e-mail became widespread in the 1990s.
Üstündağ noted that ITU has an important role in the history of the internet and said:
“There are approximately 5.5 billion people using the internet worldwide. That’s an incredible number. What’s even more incredible is that there are more than three times that number, 17 billion non-human internet users, and it’s growing very rapidly. Because as humans, almost all of our communication, including the equipment we use in our lives, auxiliary tools, security systems, cameras, and even voices carried over the internet protocol that has replaced our traditional phones, has turned to the internet.”
– “Today, the internet has moved from being static to dynamic and distributed”
Noting that Web 1.0 was the first period of the Internet, where there were static websites, Üstündağ said that Web 2.0 refers to a more dynamic Internet period where users create, share and interact with content.
Üstündağ stated that web 3.0 is a smarter, data-driven and user-focused internet, and continued as follows:
“Today, the internet has moved from being static to dynamic and distributed. Data is now processed at many points instead of a single server. Blockchain technology supports this distribution and increases security. This has caused the internet to experience a major transformation like a second industrial revolution. The spread of fiber optic networks, 5G technology and other new communication methods have increased internet speed and real-time. In addition, new solutions are being provided in agriculture and city management thanks to devices with long battery lives. These technologies have created a large data network by connecting billions of points.”
Emphasizing that the projects carried out by ITU show how these new technologies provide advantages in terms of mobility and speed, Üstündağ said, “In the coming years, these developments will be carried even further with artificial intelligence and other technologies. Terms such as Web 3.0 and Web 4.0 are used to describe these technological advances. Artificial intelligence and the internet will inevitably affect our lives and will form a kind of twin of the digital texture around us. This will bring both opportunities and controversial issues.”
SMART CITIES CONCEPT
Noting that ITU has made various initiatives to ensure that each application of the internet is spread to the field, Üstündağ explained that one of these is the smart cities concept.
Üstündağ noted that the smart city concept provides optimization of movements and environmental factors within the city, and that they do this with the 5G technology available at ITU, and continued as follows:
“For example, savings can be achieved by analyzing your movements in a city. Data such as movements in the morning and evening, how many times you go from point A to point B, which means of transportation are used are collected. Risks and transition times from one vehicle to another are taken into account according to precipitation. Rule-based systems are replaced by smart systems that track your personal movements and location. These systems collect and analyze data to provide you with the best organization. Automatic warnings are also made for urban safety when there is a problem in waste systems due to precipitation. Risks on the route you will take are determined and the suitability of your clothing or route is evaluated according to the possibility of short-term precipitation. In this way, solutions that support your daily life are offered by following only a digital twin of you from beginning to end. Such smart systems provided by the internet mean a daily saving of 20 minutes for each individual. Similar savings can also be achieved in the production economy.”
“CLOUD AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGIES HAVE PROVIDED A TRANSITION TO A NEW ERA”
Üstündağ pointed out that cloud and artificial intelligence technologies have enabled the transition to a new era and that this transformation offers both threats and great opportunities, from the production economy to services.
Prof. Dr. Üstündağ continued as follows:
“Dealing with these threats and seeing opportunities should be an important strategy for us. There is no point in being afraid. We need to transform these threats into business opportunities. In this context, our youth have great responsibilities. Young people have higher adaptation skills with today’s education systems. Compared to education 30 or 50 years ago, today’s youth have much higher education and adaptation skills. Therefore, young people’s ability to see opportunities and find solutions to problems is one of the most important facts that the internet age has presented us.”
Indicating that countries and individuals who want to achieve success in this era must evaluate opportunities well, Üstündağ said, “Although the internet may seem like an ordinary protocol at first, it has completely changed our culture and will continue to change from now on. If we want to progress while preserving our own culture, young people and society need to adapt to this digitalization process. In this way, we can fulfill the requirements of being an information society and be successful in the future. Otherwise, we may have missed these opportunities and become a subject of discussion. Being an information society and being able to compete is a beneficial and necessary situation for our country.”
