5 billion people use the internet.
Less than 1% understand it.
This mega thread will get you up to speed—starting today:
1/47 The internet begins in the 1960s as a US government response to the Cold War.
Military leaders are concerned about potential attacks on US communication systems.
And the govt funds the development of a network of computers that can talk to one another—the Arpanet.
2/47 ARPANET
On October 29, 1969, ARPAnet delivers its first message.
The first computer is located in a research lab at UCLA, the second is at Stanford.
By the end of 1969, four computers are connected to the ARPAnet.
3/47 The network grows steadily throughout the 1970s.
4/47 EMAIL
In 1971, computer programmer Ray Tomlinson implements the first email program on the ARPANET system.
He uses the @ sign to separate the username from the name of their machine.
This scheme has been used in email addresses ever since.