Historical Context

The Internet is a worldwide network of computer networks. The "Net" was born out of an American initiative intended to provide a communications link for researchers working on military projects and to preserve network links in the event of an attack on the US. If any one section of the ARPANET (as it was then called) was taken out by a "strike," the system was designed so computer-to-computer signals would automatically reroute to their intended destination (provided the destination still existed!). Over time, ARPANET expanded throughout the US and then through much of the world. It is now known as the Internet.