Victorian internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Victorian internet - Essay Example 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