| | Internet : Pros and Cons | 
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There are advantages and disadvantages to each of the individual services such as the world wide web and email that are available on the Internet. Listed below are some general advantages and disadvantages.
There is an incredible amount of information available on the world wide web and through USENET. From home an Internet user can gain access to hundreds of thousands of times more information than could be stored in a large library. This information comes from a wide range of sources and can be of many types such as text, photos, sound and video. Information on the world wide web can be automatically located using a search engine.
In countries where the government usually restricts what the population can do and say the Internet has promoted freedom of information by making it harder for the government to control access to it.
Information Can Be Instantly Updated
Information that is accessed through the Internet can be instantly updated. You can obtain the latest information on many topics straight away using the world wide web.
Speed/Convenience of Access to Information
The Internet is very convenient to use as it can be accessed from home. Information on the world wide web can be located very quickly using a search engine. Email can send information from one user to another almost instantly.
Through the Internet it is possible to access information from anywhere in the world. Email can be sent to family members or friends wherever they live. This helps to make people aware of other cultures and beliefs. It also encourages people to feel part of a global community instead of just a national one.
There is very little regulation of the information that is available on the Internet. Because the network is spread across the entire world, it is impossible for national governments to control what information is available in their countries. This may be a good thing for freedom of speech but it does mean that you have to be careful when you assess information that you have obtained from the Internet. In particular you can never really be sure of :
Most users connect to the Internet from home using a modem. The speed that modems can send and receive data at is quite slow. This means that only some types of information can be transmitted in a reasonable time period. Users are not prepare to wait too long for information to arrive.
Text can be sent quickly, but pictures can take a while to transfer. Audio files take a long time and downloading video sequences is very slow. This places restrictions on how web page designers can set out their pages. As well as considering how a page should look a web page designer must also consider how long a user will be prepared to wait to access the page.
Because anyone with the appropriate equipment can access the Internet, there is some concern about the security of information on the Internet. In particular concerns exist about :
| Security of Payment Details | To purchase items from many e-commerce web sites you must enter your credit card number. If an unauthorised person were to obtain these details he could use this information to purchase goods and services with your credit card. Credit card numbers are encrypted before they are transmitted over the Internet, so they are relatively secure during transmission. Once an e-commerce company has your credit card number it will store it in a database. There have been a number of cases recently when hackers have managed to access these stored details and obtain credit card numbers which belong to other people. |
| Email Privacy | Electronic mail messages are not encrypted before they are sent. An employee of an Internet Service Provider or anyone who could obtain the appropriate level of access could read your emails. |
| Viruses | Viruses can be spread across the Internet. Some viruses such as Melissa have been developed specifically to infect computers via the Internet. Most Internet viruses are hidden in electronic mail messages. When you read an email message with a virus attached to it, the virus will infect your computer. |
Because it is relatively expensive to connect to the Internet, access is restricted to those who can afford it. This means that many people will be unable to receive email or to access the world wide web. As use of the Internet becomes more widespread this could amount to discrimination against the poor and those who are not technically aware.
GCSE ICT Companion 04 - (C) P Meakin 2004