1.1.3 The networked world

• As a result of advances in information and communication technology (ICT), our notions of time and location are changing – distance is no longer a barrier to commercial or social contact for those of us connected to suitable networks
• Some people may find it difficult to imagine not having access to the information and services that play a crucial part in their daily lives
• Others may feel that they have no part to play in the digital world because their network access is very limited or even non-existent
• Some simply don't care about the digital world, viewing it perhaps as a waste of time
• Whether we are aware of it or not, digital information is flowing constantly around us
• Computer connected to the internet


  • Part of a complex system consisting of wires and optical fibres, microwaves and lasers, switches and satellites, that encompasses almost every part of the world
  • The oceans are wrapped in more than a quarter of a million miles of fibre-optic network cable with several strands of glass running through it
  • Each of these strands can carry thousands of simultaneous telephone conversations, a few dozen television channels, or any of a range of other forms of digital content (such as web pages)
• This modern communications network enables us to use a mobile phone in the depths of Siberia or take a satellite telephone to the Antarctic, watch television in the middle of the Atlantic, do our banking on the train, or play games with a person on the other side of the world
• It is one of the greatest technological achievements of the last thirty years and it is so reliable, so omnipresent, that we very rarely stop to think about what actually happens when we dial a telephone number, click on a web link or switch TV channels
• We tend not to think about it until something disrupts the network – whether it be a widespread problem such as a power cut, or something more localised such as finding ourselves in a rural area with slow broadband access or no mobile phone signal
• The end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century are often compared to other historical periods of great change, such as the Industrial Revolution, because of the huge technological changes that are happening in many areas of our lives
• These developments are taking place in conjunction with correspondingly large social and economic changes, often characterised by the terms information society and network society
• Policy makers frequently refer to such terms when driving forward changes in the technological infrastructure
• Politicians often refer to the inevitability of technological change in our information society and stress the need to be at the forefront of these changes in order to secure future prosperity
• The development of the broadband network infrastructure, making public services available online, and equipping schools and local communities with computers are examples of such changes
• Knowledge society


  Refers to the way that new information systems can transform human societies
• Learning society


  The pace of change is so rapid nowadays that learning can no longer be confined to our school years and early adulthood. Everyone must continue to learn throughout their adult lives in order to benefit from the economic opportunities that rapid development makes possible
• The biggest change for me has been in my ability to work from home. I'm currently sitting at home typing this text on a computer whilst listening to some music, which is also stored on the computer. I'll shortly email my document to a colleague, who will be able to read it a few seconds later. I can also share my document with colleagues through an online storage system
• Being able to work from home


  Advantages: easier to concentrate, saves time and money on travelling

  Disadvantages: blurred boundaries between home life and work life
• The text-messaging facility on mobile phones, often referred to as SMS (which stands for short message service), was originally a minor feature designed to be used by engineers testing equipment – it was not expected to be used by phone owners at all
• Yet in the first decade of the twenty-first century, SMS messages were one of the most profitable parts of the mobile phone business
• SMS resulted in a whole new method of communication and form of popular culture, different ways of interacting with radio and television, and even a new language form: texting
• Income from SMS messages peaked at around US$104 billion in 2011
• In more recent times, instant messaging (IM) 'apps' used on smartphones, such as WhatsApp, Snapchat and Telegram, have overtaken SMS in popularity
• By 2015, the IM company WhatsApp was handling 30 billion messages every day, compared to the 20 billion SMS messages sent daily
• This difference in usage is partly because there is no extra cost involved in using IM services
• SMS messages can be expensive on some contracts and require a mobile phone signal, but they are still in use
• Multimedia messaging services (MMS) allow for text, audio and images to be sent via the mobile phone signal
• The total number of SMS and MMS messages sent in the first three months of 2016 was 24.1 billion, a decrease of 1.8 billion messages (6.8%) compared to a year previously
• These services and applications are blurring the boundaries between texting and online communication
• Bar chart


  A way of representing numbers pictorially and can illustrate patterns or trends in the data. The numerical values are represented by the height or length of the rectangles. Their particular strength is enabling us to make comparisons.
• The chart in Figure 1.4 represents the percentage of internet users who used instant messaging in 2005 and in 2014 according to age group
• The charts should include a title explaining what is shown or being represented. The two values being described in Figure 1.4 are the percentage of internet users and the age group. Each axis should be labelled clearly to indicate what units are being used, and have a marked scale.
• If your maths skills are a bit rusty, then you may wish to refer to the Using numbers booklet which provides information on various mathematical concepts, including percentages
• Making notes as you study


  The purpose is to check that you've identified the main points from a section and to check your own understanding. Extracting the main points from a piece of writing and then writing them as notes in your own words is the best way of making sure that you have understood.
• Effective note-making method


  Skim-reading, re-reading and underlining/highlighting the main points, then summarising the main points in your own words. Notes can take different forms like linear notes with bullet points or spray diagrams. Using note-making apps for online material.