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The Internet Is a Bad Name

12 points by chrbutler 5y ago

catern 5y ago
This article doesn't really back up its contention that "Internet" is a bad name. It says, briefly: >Some of us call the whole thing The Internet, when technically, the internet is — as once unfortunately put — a “series of tubes,” or the physical infrastructure which enables digital communication. But that's not true. The Internet is the inter-network: A network of networks. And a network includes the nodes in the network. So "The Internet" refers to every internet-connected host in the world, including the internet-connected software on those hosts. The author suggests "Mosaic" as an alternative name for a bunch of reasons. But Inter-network, "Internet", the network of networks, seems better, since it's both technically correct, and equally (or more) evocative of what the internet is, and should be.
- gota 5y ago
  I like that he sort of recognizes that the discussion is moot, since no amount of reasonable effort could change a definition used by almost literally everyone in our lifetimes - but you are right that the arguments against Internet as a name are not strong Also - he mentions Lee's "Nexus" as a possible name
DerekBickerton 5y ago
I like James Joyce's phrase `Mama Matrix Most Mysterious`. He was ahead of his time and probably would have referred to The Internet in similar terms if he was alive to witness it. The web is like The Matrix (as depicted in the movie franchise The Matrix). It's an artificial construct, and the only people keeping it alive are those who think it's some sort of solid, permanent thing, when infact it's more amorphous and ephemeral.
deeviant 5y ago
It's not the word, it's the idea. Changing the word doesn't change the idea. We don't need new words, we need new ideas.
tracerbulletx 5y ago
I'm having a really hard time following the thesis here. Networks are beautiful, the word internet describes "the whole" system and describes it clearly. He also dislikes the terms "information super highway" and "the worldwide web". Why? He seems to want a name the doesn't include references to networks or graph themes.
boublepop 5y ago
Young people never use the term “the internet” these days. If they’re talking about connectivity they say wifi and if they are talking about content they use the name of the specific service out of the 12 available they are talking about. As in “I can’t get Facebook at home, our wifi is broken” Or “the wifi cable for the box computer in the office is broken, I need it fixed so I can go on stackoverflow” If you really find yourself outside of Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest etc. well people just say “I found this page on google that says autism causes vaccines!” If someone older mentions “the internet” some young IT expert will jump in to correct you with “Microsoft doesn’t support that anymore, you need to switch to the Edge”

12 points by chrbutler 5y ago

This article doesn't really back up its contention that "Internet" is a bad name. It says, briefly: >Some of us call the whole thing The Internet, when technically, the internet is — as once unfortunately put — a “series of tubes,” or the physical infrastructure which enables digital communication. But that's not true. The Internet is the inter-network: A network of networks. And a network includes the nodes in the network. So "The Internet" refers to every internet-connected host in the world, including the internet-connected software on those hosts. The author suggests "Mosaic" as an alternative name for a bunch of reasons. But Inter-network, "Internet", the network of networks, seems better, since it's both technically correct, and equally (or more) evocative of what the internet is, and should be.

gota 5y ago
I like that he sort of recognizes that the discussion is moot, since no amount of reasonable effort could change a definition used by almost literally everyone in our lifetimes - but you are right that the arguments against Internet as a name are not strong Also - he mentions Lee's "Nexus" as a possible name

DerekBickerton 5y ago

I like James Joyce's phrase `Mama Matrix Most Mysterious`. He was ahead of his time and probably would have referred to The Internet in similar terms if he was alive to witness it. The web is like The Matrix (as depicted in the movie franchise The Matrix). It's an artificial construct, and the only people keeping it alive are those who think it's some sort of solid, permanent thing, when infact it's more amorphous and ephemeral.

deeviant 5y ago

It's not the word, it's the idea. Changing the word doesn't change the idea. We don't need new words, we need new ideas.

tracerbulletx 5y ago

I'm having a really hard time following the thesis here. Networks are beautiful, the word internet describes "the whole" system and describes it clearly. He also dislikes the terms "information super highway" and "the worldwide web". Why? He seems to want a name the doesn't include references to networks or graph themes.

boublepop 5y ago

Young people never use the term “the internet” these days. If they’re talking about connectivity they say wifi and if they are talking about content they use the name of the specific service out of the 12 available they are talking about. As in “I can’t get Facebook at home, our wifi is broken” Or “the wifi cable for the box computer in the office is broken, I need it fixed so I can go on stackoverflow” If you really find yourself outside of Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest etc. well people just say “I found this page on google that says autism causes vaccines!” If someone older mentions “the internet” some young IT expert will jump in to correct you with “Microsoft doesn’t support that anymore, you need to switch to the Edge”