OLLI Course: ?Internet History and Issues

Course Description

  • to be replaced by shorter (2-session) course?
    Ashland: Winter; [Evolution of the Internet]: Medford: Winter 201; Ashland: Fall 2010, Fall 2011 [Internet Issues Lecture]
  • Sessions: 5
  • Course URL: https://communicrossings.com/olli-course-internet-history-and-issues
  • Are you interested in how the Internet developed, and how it and other technologies are affecting us? This course will highlight milestones in the 50+ year history of the Internet -- 25+ years for the World Wide Web, and delve into selected issues, trends and technologies. The course will include lectures and web sites, along with Q&A. More about course topics below.

steve About the Instructor

Course Topics

  • course menuOver five sessions, this course will highlight milestones in the 45-year history of the Internet (20+ years for the World Wide Web), and delve into selected issues, trends and technologies. It replaces my earlier OLLI course (Evolution of the Internet: History, Technology, Issues), which had been both too broad and too technical.
  • This course is neither a basic introduction to using your web browser or email program, nor a guide to buying or troubleshooting a computer, mobile device, or network. Of course, practical questions, suggestions, tips and tricks regarding specific needs, applications & systems will naturally arise, but please realize that I may defer questions like these to breaks or after class. I also provide links to various how-tos that you can browse on your own.
  • The overall pace of course and actual division of of topics among sessions will depend on your questions, interests and discussion; initial division of topic is listed below. More course details via the OLLI course menu links at the top, or via the table of contents links at the bottom of this page.
  1. Introduction. Past - 1950s
  2. 1950s - 1970s
  3. 1970s - 1990s
  4. 1990s - 2000s
  5. 2000s - Future

Course Materials