History of the Internet

The history of the internet was an interesting insight into how the many small developments made by different groups and people eventually molded into the tool we all use today. The internet truly began with the invention of routing systems, which then developed into messaging and email systems. The World Wide Web was developed in the early 90's and has now continued into what we call the internet today. Of course that is a very slimmed down recounting of what has led to the complex online environment we use everyday.

A description of how the internet works could have two different responses. One, from a technical aspect including the servers, routers, fiber, copper, and satellite networks that interconnect to create the internet from a physical and software aspect. However, I know very little about how that side works. The other response would say that the internet works by the people that connect with each other and share information with each other creating a worldwide network of people and their lives. Regardless of whether the purpose is business or personal related, the fact of the network of communication is still what makes the internet such a useful tool. As one person links to one site, and another links back to the other site, this is replicated hundreds, thousands, or even millions of times a day. The design, programming, and usability enhancements that we benefit from today are just tools developed to meet the need of the massive network of connected humans.

Web Design: Goals and Concerns

I have many more concerns about designing anything for the internet than I have clear goals. I think much of that is due to my lack of understanding about how to create the things I would like to come up with. I have spoken with my husband about this and he has tried to shed a little direction by saying that nearly anything is possible in a website and you shouldn't limit yourself by worrying about what can or cannot be done from a graphic design aspect. I have found various other blogs and articles explaining a similar argument. Not that you shouldn't consider things like time, cost, and relativity, but don't limit yourself to early during the idea phase. I think I can learn a lot by studying other sites and designer/publisher products. Their works could be what I need to be inspired and ready to figure out what I need to do in order to stand out from the crowd and be accomplished at my own designs. I don't believe that I intend to become a professional web designer, but I would like to have this skill in my arsenal later after beginning a career in photography. I think that anyone planning on a career in the near future needs to be internet savvy and have the ability to put themselves out into the social networking culture in order to be successful.

Exercise 4-My Domain

Describe your process in selecting a domain name.

In selecting my domain name was pretty easy, my husband owns a web hosting company and already owns a handful of domain names. So, selecting one was not as difficult a process as most people might encounter. I chose to use my blog site name as the sub-domain name for a domain my husband already owned.

Which initial domain names did you attempt to obtain before finding an available domain name?

I did try a domain registration site called Domain.com in order to see what was available. I tried several including: girlzfish2, willis-photography, aprilwillis.com. I am only using this domain name for this class after I graduate I would most likely go with something more professional.

What features of a web hosting plan seem most important to you?

I think that customer service is one of the most important issues to be concerned with, and since my husband has been a reseller with this hosting company for years and has had great success with their service and reliability. Also one that has a good stability and up time.

Why did you decide to go with the hosting plan you chose?

I decided to go with this plan because my husband has a vast amount of server space and bandwidth he can allocate for customers, so I decided to use whatever custom package he was able to create for me. This not only saved me money but also saved me time.