On the basis of how the communication possibilities have changed (for) most people during last decades, what’s my idea of the normal human interaction in 10..20…50 years?

To understand the present we must first understand the past. The Internet has revolutionized the computer and communications world like nothing before. The invention of the telegraph, telephone, radio, and computer set the stage for this unprecedented integration of capabilities. The Internet is at once a world-wide broadcasting capability, a mechanism for information dissemination, and a medium for collaboration and interaction between individuals and their computers without regard for geographic location.

The Internet represents one of the most successful examples of the benefits of sustained investment and commitment to research and development of information infrastructure. Beginning with the early research in packet switching, the government, industry and academia have been partners in evolving and deploying this exciting new technology (Barry M. , et al., 2011).

The Internet today is a widespread information infrastructure, the initial prototype of what is often called the National (or Global or Galactic) Information Infrastructure. Its history is complex and involves many aspects – technological, organizational, and community. And its influence reaches not only to the technical fields of computer communications but throughout society as we move toward increasing use of online tools to accomplish electronic commerce, information acquisition, and community operations(Barry M. , et al., 2011).

Likelihood, computers have changed the face of communication to an extent that we can’t consider our routine life without presence of these machines. With the availability of technologies like internet, instant messaging, emailing and others, the computers has fast replaced conventional means of communicating with each other(Communication Type, 2008).

No one writes letter anymore. It’s been said that longhand or cursive is no longer taught in grade school. No need for it. People don’t write anymore. As technology defined the late Twentieth Century, we became both closer together and further apart. People had more time for an online chat via the fast growing Internet than they did for a day at the park with a dear friend. That was bad. On the other hand, we connected to people all over the world that we might not otherwise get to enjoy. Today, computer technology constantly changes the way we communicate (Friends of Time, 2011).

When we look through the history of computer communication from 1968 to nowadays there are three unique market sectors: Data Communication, Networking and Internet (Internetworking). Data communication is an electronic transmission of information that has been encoded digitally (as for storage and processing by computers). Computer Networking is an interconnection of various computer systems located at different places. In computer network two or more computers are linked together with a medium and data communication devices for the purpose of communicating data and sharing resources.

When the Internet is a network of networks?

Millions of computers all over the world are connected through the Internet. Computer users on the Internet can contact one another anywhere in the world. If your computer is connected to the Internet, you can connect to millions of computers. You can gather information and distribute your data. It is very much similar to the telephone connection where you can talk with any person anywhere in the world.

As digital media takes flight, the grand slam of computer communication has arrived. Skype . It’s free, it’s live, and it’s real face time. Not only can people talk, but they can see each other as they talk. There are even Skype and “skype-like” apps for Smartphones. To an extent, communication has a more human feel again. People can see friends and family a world away and keep very close contact. And leave it to teenagers to figure out how to make Skype the new bedroom powwow. Teenagers simply turn it on and hang out. They may not even be talking to each other, but they know the other person is there (Friends of Time, 2011). With a free access of the Internet though the wireless local area network (WLAN 1) we can chat and talk with anyone from anywhere, without the consideration of graphical location.

The internet and computers are offering a wide range of communication influence. We can communicate to text messages to your friends through computers and communication tools provided by it. From emails and newsletters to text chats and instant messaging, micro-blogging, computers can help you to reach your friends, relatives, business associates and others in the matter of few seconds. Communication tools to communicate your voice messages without facing the geographical restrictions. Voice mails and voice chats, brought revolutionary changes how have computers changed the way we communicate. Business communication with the help of audio and video conferencing. The executives of different branches of a company, located in different geographical locations, can communicate with each other and distances can pose no hurdles in establishing these communication systems. Other influence of computer communication are helping and proving the education system of offering a distant learning, gaining a degree without being at the university location, etc. One of the popular concepts in nowadays communication is online social networking, instance of communication, joining different online clubs and communicates with individuals from various parts of the world.

On the other hand, imagine a day without computer in your room or on the office desk. For instance no emails, no chatting, no instant messaging and no web camera interactions, how we are going to feel? Therefore, we all can understand how computers have changed the way we communicate. Life can come to a standstill without computers and similar devices around us. Consequently, communication through computers is an important aspect of every individual today.

The best part of communicating through computer and Internet is that you can practice it from any part of the world. All computer technology is wonderful and the more access to communication the better. But it will be a shame if the world becomes so shrouded in technology that good old fashioned face to face people skills become a rare art instead of an everyday norm.

In summary, all the above describes how the computers changed the way we communicate. This is because computers have become great contributors towards the world of communication.

Reference

Barry M. , L., Vinton G. , C., David D. , C., Robert E. , K., Leonard , K., Daniel C. , L., et al. (2011). A Brief History of the Internet. Retrieved from Internet Society (ISOC). Link

Communication Type. (2008, October 29). Computers and Communication – Technology Giving Way to Technology. Retrieved from Communication Type. Link.

Friends of Time. (2011). Computer Technology Constantly Changes the Way We Communicate. Retrieved from Friends of Time. Link.

Footnote:

[1] WLAN: a local area network that uses high frequency radio signals to transmit and receive data over distances of a few hundred feet; uses Ethernet protocol