The End Marks The Beginning Of Something (Better).

by Chryl Martinez

I was born on February 17, 1990. Unfortunately, I can’t find anything related to the internet on the exact date of my birth. But I did find a lot of interesting events that happened on the same month and year.
The Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) was tasked by the government to do research and improve on defense-related fields. One of the advancements made was the creation of an “intergalactic network of computers and people.” The ARPAnet started as a military experiment funded by the government. But later on its potential as a communication tool was recognized.
Then came a time when the ARPAnet can no longer cope up with fast-growing internet. ARPAnet users encountered several problems like difficulty to connect, expensive cost for set-up, unauthorized users, etc. So on February 1990, the ARPAnet was terminated. But the end of something marks the beginning of another thing. Although the ARPAnet has ended, it signified the beginning of the NSFnet.
Like radio, it can be said that the interconnectivity of computers also started from the military. The initial objective was to use the technology for defense, then for communication. Now, we call these technologies as mass media and we use it not only for communication but for entertainment as well. Come to think of it, at first only soldiers who has gone through rigid training can use these technologies but now almost everyone has access to the internet. Even children knows how to surf the net. Another thought, these technologies were made by the military to help them protect or defend what it is that they wanted to protect. But now it seems like it's the same technology that is becoming their enemy. It is because the internet can now be used to spy on the government and the military. It is like the internet has become a "tool
for transparency."

P.S.
Aside from the arrival of the NSFnet, I’ve also learned that Pegasus Mail “has been made available as a free service to the internet since February 1990.”
Adobe Photoshop 1.0 was also released on February 1990. This marked a history for the digital imaging world. We can see the immense influence of Adobe Photoshop through the processed digital images rampant on the internet.

References:
http://www.randomhistory.com/2009/01/12_internet.html
http://www.cybertelecom.org/notes/internet_history90s.htm
http://www.pmail.com/history.htm
http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/compsoft/soft1990.htm
http://photoshopnews.com/2008/02/19/most-important-date-in-digital-imaging-history/
http://www.answers.com/topic/adobe-photoshop#ixzz161nGfpoV