The Internet as a Global Structure of Interconnected Computer Networks - Essay Example

The Internet Name: Course: Tutor: Date: Introduction The internet is defined as a global structure of interconnected computer networks that apply the standard internet protocol suite to connect its users globally. The internet entails millions of public, private, business, academic and government networks. These networks are of both local and global span and are linked by a wide array of wireless, electronic and optical networking technologies (Schneider, Evans, & Pinard, 2008, p. 2; Schniederjans, 1998, p. 65). Most traditional modes of communication including music, telephone, films, television and so on are redefined or reshaped by the internet. The redefinition of these classical modes of communication has culminated to new services like voice over internet protocol (VOIP) and so on. Additionally, books, newspapers, and other print publishing are gradually taking up web site technology. The internet has facilitated and amplified new forms of human interactions through internet forums, social networking and instant messaging (Schneider, Evans & Pinard, 2008, p.2). This paper seeks to ascertain how the internet has helped to promote and strengthen communities of non western societies with regards to culture and business. Cultural impact With regards to culture, the internet is deemed as a global phenomenon which in effect has given birth to what is referred to as a global net village. A typical example can be drawn from Taiwan which has the highest per capita internet consumption rate globally. Net users in Taiwan share many common trends with regards to cultural habits and language (Mai, 2001, p.181). There are basically two areas where culture with regards to internet habitually manifests itself in Taiwan. First, the impact of internet on culture is evident in the globalisation of business culture. For instance, Taiwanese businessmen have portrayed same trends in terms of language, dressing, and viewpoints to those of businessmen in other countries (Mai, 2001, p. 181). All these are attributed to internet influence. The second area is on lifestyle. The internet has had a significant influence on the lifestyle of Taiwanese people in the sense that it has not only changed their way and pace of life. It has also changed the outlook of many towns. Consequently, this has led the Taiwanese to become an inseparable element of global consumer trend (Mai, 2001, p 181). Another example can be drawn from Africa where the internet has had a significant impact with regards to culture. According to a study carried out in West Africa, it was revealed that the internet has major influences on culture, both positive and negative. The internet has facilitated the shift from classical modes of communication like using the telephone to emails. It should be noted that in countries like Ghana, calls rarely get through, making people wait for long to get connected. With the advent of emails, all this has changed. The use of emails is not only far more effective compared to the use of phones, it is also a cheap means of communication (Bertagni et al, 2010, p. 402). The internet has also facilitated people in non-western nations, more so Africa, to understand other people’s way of life. In this regard, cultural diffusion can become a way of learning and deriving new experiences as well. For instance, Africans who go to live or study in other parts of the globe may learn about the cultures of these new societies within which they live through the internet (Indabawa & Mpofu, 2006, p. 137).This in turn causes them adapt to these new cultures and reduce incidences of cultural shock encountered by most people. In the Middle East nations the internet has not had a major impact. This is mostly because of the restrictive measures imposed by governments in the Middle East. However, the restrictions have not completely barred people from the Middle East from accessing the internet. A good example is Syria which restricted local access to the internet despite being connected. However, towards the end of the century the authorities had difficulty in implementing this ban. Col. Bashar Hafez-al-Assad, son to the former Syrian president Hafez-al-Assad, told a Beirut newspaper that the internet would become an integral part of their culture (Franda, 2002, p. 70). Some of the countries which have espoused use of the internet in the Middle East are Dubai and Qatar. In Qatar for instance, the Internet has been embraced by the government in an attempt to create a completely electronic government. This therefore implies that all government services for both businesses and individuals are carried out through the internet. Nevertheless, there are other Middle East governments that have developed interactive sites where government authorities can interact with its citizens. This is in deep contrast to how countries in the Middle East are governed, and depicts a heavy influence of cultural change attributed to the internet. A typical example of a country in the Middle East that governs its citizens through the internet is Jordan (Franda, 2002, p.72). The paragraphs above only highlight the positive impacts attributed to the internet, but there are negative attributes linked to the internet use as well. In Africa for instance, the use of internet has led to the spread of ideas and cultures deemed inimical to local norms and values (Indabawa & Mpofu, 2006, p. 137). Even though Africa is not homogeneous in terms of culture, there are shared common cultural values across the African continent. For instance, sexual permissiveness is deemed a taboo in Africa. Through the internet however, pornographic sites are posted from various sources across the globe. Subsequently, these sites are patronised widely by Africans, including minors. This in effect leads to moral decay in the society. Incidentally, cyber cafes are fast growing into sexual cinemas. This trend is deemed to be enhancing sexual permissiveness among Africans, especially the young ones. This to some extent is deemed to contribute to the spread of HIV and rise in early pregnancies (Indabawa & Mpofu, 2006, p. 137). In Saudi Arabia, state regulations restrict how Internet Service Providers (ISP) and users access the internet. This happens on grounds that the state is preventing what it consider as immoral activities from penetrating Saudi Arabia. This depicts the strong negative influence borne by the internet. In April 2000, a café internet for women in Mecca was closed following complaints that it was being used for immoral activities (Franda, 2002, p. 68-69). The internet has also led to rise in scam cases. A good example is where the mark receives emails from some formal source. This source invites them to take part in a foolproof scheme to transfer funds out of the country - all they have to do is to provide their bank account numbers. Most of them discover when it is already late that it was a scheme to rip them off (Bertagni et al, 2010, p. 407). From this end, it can thus be deduced that the internet promotes an inimical culture through fraud. That is, fraudsters are on the constant rise and would not relent since the chances of them being caught or arrested are thin. Business impact The internet has facilitated and amplified the business environment in non-western nations. This has been made possible through efficient communication, e-commerce, and so on. In the Middle East, e-commerce is rife. Dell, the top global direct computer sale company has been selling its products successfully to the Middle East through its global websites. It is also worth pointing out that Dell established a site in the United Arab Emirates, together with the Emirates computers. The reason behind establishing this site was to attract key Middle Eastern Corporate accounts (Franda, 2002, p. 75). Dubai hosted a major global forum which encompassed world class IT experts from across the globe. In 2000, the Dubai shopping festival which was initiated in 1994 featured best bargains in commercial products appealing to the Middle East people. This was made available online, enabling consumers to make purchases without being physically present in Dubai (Franda, 2002, p. 75). Even with no infrastructure for fast growth of e-commerce and e-business, the internet has played a growing role in intra-Arab trade. One of the Arab infotech firms that have come up is Arabian Online, based in Jordan, which commercially designs web pages. Additionally, the firm maintains several of its websites together with other related ventures. It also runs promotions and sells advertisements like Yahoo. All this is attributed to the internet (Franda, 2002, p. 75). The development of e-procurement and e-market places solutions to assist business management relationship creates an integral piece of business-to-business alliances. South Africa is deemed to be a budding economy with no extensive technological history of developed first world nations. Businesses have therefore attempted to leapfrog this backlog in technology. However, this attempt has been met with varied success. Potential participants, participants and investors are apprehensive of committing themselves to ventures that have not been proven to succeed. Despite this apprehension, the phenomenon of e-market place is a highly appropriate technology solution to South African firms which aim to enhance their operations within online supportive framework (Remenyi et al, 2006, p.149; World Bank, 2006, p. 65; Bidgoli, 2004, p. 479). Of Africa’s e-commerce, 90 percent is attributed to South Africa. It should be noted that South African firms are more or less technologically involved in e-commerce compared to their counterparts in the United States. As opposed to common belief, South African firms can also frog leap to modern technology without having to through the same learning process that was undergone by first world nations (Remenyi et al, 2006, p. 149-150). Even though there are numerous advantages derived from using e-business by South African firms, research have revealed lack of e-business usage. A study carried out in 2001 revealed minimal e-business utilisation in manufacturing, trade, and construction sectors. Firms that apply internet to carry out business however experienced several benefits, including speed in communication, online banking, enhanced productivity, time saving, enhanced customer relationship management, global reach, a competitive edge and improvement in supply chain management (Remenyi et al, 2006, p.150). To this end it can be deduced that even though the internet has a major impact with regards to business in non-western countries, it is not homogeneous. For instance, it has had major impact in most countries in the Middle East but its effect is little in most countries in Africa. This fact is further emphasised by Indabawa and Mpofu (2006, p 406), who state that West African Nations do not make online purchases. The authors further indicate that with Nigeria and Ghana being cash economies, credit card transactions necessary to carry out e-commerce are virtually impossible to secure for most people. Basu (2007, p 22) adds to what Indabawa and Mpofu have highlighted above. He is of the opinion that penetration of e-commerce in non-western nations varies from one region to another. The Asian Pacific region has been ahead of other regions. It has added roughly 30 million users annually. Many major cities in Africa are internet enabled. However, markets in these regions have low e-commerce operations, party due to poor infrastructure. Conclusion The impacts attributed to the use of internet in non-western nations are not limited to the ones highlighted above. However, with regards to business and culture, some of the areas in which the internet has had significant influence are those pointed above. Internet use is a powerful instrument within which cultures interact in surprising and novel ways. The different languages written and spoken by many nations of course present impediments with regards to inter-cultural interactions. However, dialogue is still carried out despite such impediments. Therefore, internet influence with regards to culture can to a large extent be attributed to the inter-cultural interactions. In terms of business, major influences attributable to the internet have been observed. Though not homogeneous, the impact of the internet have been observed, with major effects being observed in the Middle East and Asia and minor ones in Africa. Reference List Basu, S, 2007, Global perspectives on e-commerce taxation law, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd, London. Bertagni, La Rosa, & Salvetti, 2010, Global Working: Living and working across the world with cultural intelligence, Franco Angeli, New York. Bidgoli, H, 2004, The Internet encyclopedia, Volume 1, John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, New Jersey. Franda, M, 2002, Launching into cyberspace: Internet development and politics in five world regions, Lynne Rienner Publishers, London. 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