Victorian internet - Essay Example

Victorian Internet Introduction The 19th century saw, what we could call, a telecommunication revolution. The telegraph and the pneumatic tube were two major breakthroughs in the field of telecommunication. The Victorian Internet is, thus, a term fit to describe the advancements in technology at that time. This expression is, actually, a title to Tom Standage’s 1998 book in which he describes how the telegraph technology changed the way people communicated; how it revolutionized business, and made way for new levels of contact and communication, be it romance, crime or professional.

The Victorian Internet – where the future beganIf we look at it, telecommunication technology in the 19th century was a bigger breakthrough than the internet today. The telecommunication we have today is an extension of that breakthrough. In his book, Standage goes in to detail about how that early form of communication was similar to the one we have today. Telegraph gave way to what we could call as ‘the first online dating service’. Telegraph operators would use the service for their own personal use and soon to follow were the first ‘online affairs’.

The Victorian internet had social, political and economic implications. The telegraph was the first ever network. Its growth during the time is comparable to the growth the modern day internet saw during the 1990’s. This growth gave rise to competition. Patents for proprietary property were as important then as they are today. Also, both the eras saw massive investments followed by explosive growth.  (Book Review: The Victorian Internet, 2007)Security and privacy are 2 of the biggest concerns when it comes to telecommunication.

Today we have firewalls, logins, passwords and encryption. These existed back then as well, in fact, that is when it all began. Concerns about lines, routes, wires and operators existed even back then. The telegraph created the first ever online social network, with telegraph operators being a part of an exclusive group of people with their own short-hand jargon compared to the one that exists today in e-mails, instant messaging etc. both the internet and the telegraph of the 19th century can be compared to in terms of defying distance.

It served its primary purpose which was the transfer of news and information faster than anything at the time or that had existed in the recent past, like land and sea-routes. It changed the notion that nothing could reach a ship’s destination faster than the ship it self. (Review of "The Victorian Internet", by Tom Standage)Many would say that the telegraph failed at one of its purposes, which was to bring the world together, use this networking in the way of peace. Some think that the modern day internet would end up the same way.

The topic is debateable, but you have to disagree with Standage; the internet has surely advanced at a level that would impress the Victorians. The amount and type of data we deal with today and at such rates, would only be a fantasy in the time of The Victorian Internet.ConclusionThe Victorian Internet gave the world something remarkable. Imagine a world where you would have to wait for weeks before you received a sent letter or international news. The speed of information today is at the speed of thought, but back then, this wasn’t the case.

The telegraph would enable the people to bridge this gap of time and space, and make the world smaller and form the roots of the concept known today as the global village.Works Cited1. Book Review: The Victorian Internet. (2007, October 21). Retrieved June 8, 2008, from coreygil.wordpress.com: http://coreygil.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/book-review-the-victorian-internet/2. Review of "The Victorian Internet", by Tom Standage. (n.d.). Retrieved June 8, 2008, from memebers.aol.com: http://members.aol.com/dmchess/www/vicint.html