The Materiality of the Internet

  • Authors:
  • Paul E. Ceruzzi

  • Affiliations:
  • Smithsonian Institution

  • Venue:
  • IEEE Annals of the History of Computing
  • Year:
  • 2006

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Abstract

The Internet is a technological construction with a magnitude and scope comparable to thehydroelectric dams, railroads, aircraft, and electric power systems of an earlier era. Yet, it has noobvious physical manifestation--no physical object we can point to that obviously and unambiguouslyrepresents it. This article suggests some of the reasons why that is and whether a physical essenceis important in defining large-scale technological systems.