Does/will the internet have an alternative?
http://www.quora.com/Does-will-the-internet-have-an-alternative
probably… some type of mesh network technology that creates networks inside of networks (VPN) or an alternate method of infrastructure to distribute capacity/bandwidth (locally), independent of existing providers. But the latter is only likely to happen based on need/demand, such as if we do not secure net neutrality rights in the United States… and enough people get fed up and join said movement.
The Internet is not really an “entity.” It’s a concept, a “network of networks.” Or really just a collection of networks. I mean, aside from the “numbering authorities,” there is no organization that controls the Internet. It’s a bunch of independently run/operated networks, that agree on an addressing scheme (allow said authorities to delegate numbers: IP addressing, mostly).
if the human species survives long enough, there will be a new “Internet” that is not compatible with todays version. The two “entities” may co-exist or one may replace the other. I am sure “alternate” versions, like private clubs (networks) will exist; again they may be overlays… private clubs as a soft construct on top of the existing infrastructure, “SD” networks inside a network.
The thing is, the internet isn’t a single protocol, so unless there’s a deliberate attempt to partition things, anything new will just get added to the existing internet. Heck, web pages didn’t even exist when the internet first appeared, so what most people think of as “the internet” itself is just one more communication protocol layered on top of the internet.
The old stuff is this:
The Terminal Emulator(Telnet): These used to come on floppy discs and were small programs intended to do just what the name says - mimic a monitor-keyboard combination as were used on very old computers - thirty of those talked to one CPU. What's the use of this on a PC? OK, you have a file I want. I can 'phone your computer (via modem) and send to your terminal emulator. We can talk, and you can connect me to your file system. I can then start downloading. Disadvantage: One connection, one download at a time. If I want to go to another “site”, I ‘phone that PC.
The BBS: The Bulletin Board System was basically a bigger computer with lots of memory. Let's say I got about 20 floppies full of data, from the 2600 digest to a few issues of From the Barricades to the new game (in colour!) Golden Axe! Because of my essential coolness, and because I want everyone to appreciate the above (my coolness, not so much the ‘zines) I call up the regional BBS. This will permit me to dump the stuff in their directories, which have esoteric names like GAMEZ, ZINES, PORN, etc. I will (for example) go into Gamez, make a subdirectory called 54M3D1 and upload AXE.EXE. The name spelling was obligatory for the people considering themselves 31337(elite). You then come along later and help yourself, so we don't have to be online simultaneously. However, if the BBS gets busted and the lines traced, we're all stuffed.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP): This is similar to HTTP, but had different browsers and no search engines. Basically for sending files back and forth.
Hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), and now with SSL encryption,
HTTPS (S is for “secure”). What you are probably using. Today's Internet. Disadvantages: Too easy to hack. Paranoid characters from dubious spy organisations like the NIA and GCHQ like to “listen in”. Encryption not high level enough.
WinMX was a utility developed to share files without the disadvantage of channelling them through a central server (like Napster did). This saves on bandwidth, and prevents the server operator from ever being in possession of any illicit data.
See
Tor.com and
https://www.freenet.com/. Please note that the NIA pays special attention to people visiting (and especially downloading) from these sites.
What is the dark web?
The dark web is a part of the internet that isn't indexed by search engines. You've no doubt heard talk of the “dark web” as a hotbed of criminal activity — and it is. Researchers Daniel Moore and Thomas Rid of King's College in London classified the contents of 2,723 live dark web sites over a five-week period in 2015 and found that 57% host illicit material.
The terms “
deep web” and “
dark web” are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are not the same. Deep web refers to anything on the internet that is not indexed by and, therefore, accessible via a search engine like Google. Deep web content includes anything behind a paywall or requires sign-in credentials. It also includes any content that its owners have blocked web crawlers from indexing.
Medical records, fee-based content, membership websites, and confidential corporate web pages are just a few examples of what makes up the deep web. Estimates place the size of the deep web at between 96% and 99% of the internet. Only a tiny portion of the internet is accessible through a standard web browser—generally known as the “
clear web”.
The dark web is a subset of the deep web that is intentionally hidden, requiring a specific browser "
Tor" to access, as explained below. No one really knows the size of the dark web, but most estimates put it at around 5% of the total internet. Again, not all the dark web is used for illicit purposes despite its ominous-sounding name.
12 categories of tools or services that could present a risk in the form of a network breach or data compromise:
Infection or attacks, including malware, distributed denial of service (DDoS) and botnets
Access, including remote access Trojans (RATs), keyloggers and exploits
Espionage, including services, customization and targeting
Support services such as tutorials
Credentials
Phishing
Refunds
Customer data
Operational data
Financial data
Intellectual property/trade secrets
Other emerging threats
The report also outlined three risk variables for each category:
Devaluing the enterprise, which could include undermining brand trust, reputational damage or losing ground to a competitor
Disrupting the enterprise, which could include DDoS attacks or other malware that affects business operations
Defrauding the enterprise, which could include IP theft or espionage that impairs a company's ability to compete or causes a direct financial loss
Dark web sites look pretty much like any other site, but there are important differences. One is the naming structure. Instead of ending in .com or .co, dark web sites end in
.onion.
Gotta remember all of it...ALL OF IT depends on some type of inter-connectivity. Either wired or wireless and all of it makes up what is the internet or intranet (secured/isolated).
The only true alternative to the internet would be some form of species telepathy. A method of exchanging information over long distances with many people, without hardware (wires, modems, servers, transmitters, etc...).
Or we all just yell out the window.
