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Internet

vr.tr.internet · thing-q75

Let an agent explain what the Internet is and how it works, relay history, governance and access statistics from authoritative sources, describe social and political dimensions with attribution, and distinguish the Internet from the Web and from specific access technologies.

Thing Registry Physical world and living systems PHY.OBJ
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Understand What the Internet is.

Definition

Definition and architecture.

Definition

Definition.

  1. What is the Internet, how does packet switching work, and how do networks interconnect? definition
  2. Is the question about the Internet, the Web or a specific service or access technology? boundary

Access

Access technologies.

Access

Access.

  1. How do cable, fibre, mobile and satellite access work, and what was WiBro? definition
  2. Which entry fits the specific technology? action
Govern Governance and policy.

Governance

Governance.

Governance

Governance.

  1. Who governs the Internet, from IETF and ICANN to national regulators? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance

Politics

Data politics and debates.

Politics

Politics.

  1. What debates surround data politics, censorship, net neutrality and platform power, with positions attributed? provenance
  2. Is the presentation neutral? boundary
Measure Access and use.

Statistics

Statistics.

Statistics

Statistics.

  1. How many people use the Internet, and how does access vary by region, from ITU data? measurement
  2. Which sources are cited? provenance

National

National networks.

National

National.

  1. How are national Internet segments such as UAnet organised? provenance
  2. Which entry fits the specific country? action
Context History and culture.

History

History.

History

History.

  1. How did the Internet develop from ARPANET through TCP/IP to the commercial and mobile eras? provenance
  2. Which entry fits the history of the Internet? action

Culture

Internet culture.

Culture

Culture.

  1. What is digital folklore, and how has the Internet shaped culture? provenance
  2. Which entry fits Internet culture? action

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Physical world and living systems
Entry kind
thing
Plane
PHY
Domain
PHY.OBJ
Other names and narrower kinds
mobile web, data politics, digital folklore, WiBro, UAnet, cable Internet access, Internet in Hong Kong, digital landscape, Internet in North Korea, eCRM, Global Multistakeholder Meeting on the Future of Internet Governance, information superhighway

What it is Filled

The global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite to link devices worldwide, carrying the World Wide Web, email, messaging, streaming and countless services over fixed connections such as cable Internet access and mobile networks including the mobile web and technologies such as WiBro, with national and regional networks such as UAnet in Ukraine; the Internet has reshaped communication, commerce, culture including digital folklore, and politics including debates over data politics, governance and access.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent explain what the Internet is and how it works, relay history, governance and access statistics from authoritative sources, describe social and political dimensions with attribution, and distinguish the Internet from the Web and from specific access technologies.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Packet switching and TCP/IP
  • Decentralised governance
  • Global reach
  • Layered services

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Access systems or networks without authorisation, or scan and probe them without permission.
  • Help censor, surveil or cut off people's access to the network.
  • Flood a service or network with traffic that degrades it for others.
  • Collect personal data from across sites to build profiles of people without a lawful basis.

Only with a human decision

  • Any action that changes network configuration others depend on.
  • Publishing or acting on data gathered from across multiple services about a person.

May

  • Use Internet services the agent is authorized to access, within each service's terms and the law.
  • Explain how Internet protocols, addressing and routing work.
  • Report connectivity, outage and performance information from public sources.

Moral aspects Filled

  • Access to the network is now how people reach work, care, money and each other, and shutdowns silence whole populations.
  • The same infrastructure carries mass surveillance and the means to resist it.

Who is affected

  • Everyone who depends on connectivity
  • People under censorship or shutdowns
  • Users whose data crosses it

Owners Filled

Steward

Nobody owns it; network operators run their parts and multi-stakeholder bodies coordinate standards and names.

Master systems

  • Regional Internet registries
  • Domain name registries

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • Q1068715 - registry parent class

related

  • telecommunications network - in registry terms
  • World Wide Web - as its best known application
  • Internet protocol suite - TCP/IP
  • ICANN - and other multistakeholder bodies

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.internet
  • Wikidata: Q75 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q75)

Direct properties required Filled

  • users worldwide: about 5.5 billion - ITU 2024
  • ARPANET first link: 1969 year
  • TCP/IP adoption: 1983 year

Recognition required Filled

  • Global network of networks using TCP/IP
  • Fixed and mobile access, national networks, the Web and services on top
  • The World Wide Web is one application; intranets are private networks
  • Not a visible object; cables, routers, data centres and devices.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • explain architecture and protocols
  • relay history and governance
  • relay access statistics
  • distinguish from the Web

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Outages and cable cuts
  • Cybercrime and misinformation
  • Digital divide
  • Presenting governance and data politics debates as settled

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • IETF standards and RFCs
  • ICANN and regional registries for names and numbers
  • National telecommunications and content laws
  • Data protection and net neutrality rules

Context of use required Filled

  • Global communication and information exchange.
  • core infrastructure: backbones, exchange points, submarine cables
  • access technologies: cable, fibre, DSL, mobile, satellite, WiBro
  • the mobile web
  • national and regional networks such as UAnet
  • services and applications: Web, email, streaming, social media
  • Internet culture including digital folklore

Sources Filled

  1. Wikidata item Q75: Internet - identity and sense of the item
  2. Wikipedia: Internet - general description of the item

Open questions

  • Should the World Wide Web and Internet governance be separate primary entries?
  • How should ITU and IETF sources be linked?
  • The registry entry has merged aliases naming access technologies and cultural topics; should they be split off?

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q75/spec.json