NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: DAVE KEARNS ON WINDOWS NETWORKING TIPS 09/08/04 Today's focus: The big 'I'
Dear [EMAIL PROTECTED], In this issue: * Should "Internet" be capitalized? * Links related to Windows Networking Tips * Featured reader resource _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by Xerox Want to learn the key steps to building a document output strategy that will enhance productivity and reduce costs for your organization? Start by downloading Xerox's white paper, Optimizing Document Output ROI. See how Xerox's solutions can help you manage devices, reduce costs and even boost productivity. http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=80880 _______________________________________________________________ DOWNLOAD THE LATEST SPECIAL REPORTS FROM NETWORK WORLD Focused reports on compelling industry topics, Network World Special Reports are available online at Network World Fusion. Network World Special Reports on IP Telephony Security, the State of Wireless LANs, trends in the networked world and more are currently available. Download any or all of our Special Reports at: http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=79660 _______________________________________________________________ Today's focus: The big 'I' By Dave Kearns Let's take a break from Longhorn, Windows XP Service Pack 2 and servers for a moment to talk about the subject of networking overall. It'll get a bit philosophical, but it might be interesting. Recently, Wired magazine declared it would no longer capitalize the word "Internet" when referring to the network itself. The editors also decided to lowercase both "Web" and "Net" (when used to refer to the Internet, presumably). Their reason was stated, fairly succinctly, as: "The simple answer is because there is no earthly reason to capitalize any of these words. Actually, there never was." It's that second sentence that does them in. The Internet has always sported a capital "I" to differentiate it from an "internet" - any collection of interconnected networks. Twenty years ago that was an important distinction. Most commercial enterprises were not connected to the Internet, but they were just beginning to form internets. In the mid '90s, of course, we invented the term "intranet" to describe an Internet-like arrangement (using HTTP, FTP, SMTP and other Internet protocols) within the enterprise. No one ever capitalized "intranet." Coming out of the '80s into the '90s, though, internets were a hot item. In the intervening years we've called these interconnections of networks by different names. We've talked about "value chains" and "federated systems" just to name two. But both of these refer to a number of individual networks (two or more) which have a relationship using well-defined protocols to exchange (usually business-related) data between and among them. While 20 years ago these connections would have been over a private network using point-to-point connections, today they use the public, TCP/IP-based Internet to connect with each other. Still, the value chain connections you set up with your organization's suppliers and customers can be called an internet. <aside> For a number of years people tried to use the word "extranet" to define this type of relationship between organizations. This was seen as the opposite of an "intranet." Both terms appear to have dropped out of favor. </aside> We do tend to use more specific names (such as "value chain" or federated "circle of trust") today rather than the generic "internet" - possibly so that in casual conversation (where we can't see if the "I" is capitalized or not) there's no confusion. I'll continue to capitalize Internet when I refer to the, well, "Internet" and lowercase it in other uses (even if they seldom occur). But I'm willing to listen to you, out in the trenches, if you think usage has changed enough that this is an arcane usage. Next time out, I'll wander through the usage of client, server and peer-to-peer. Stay tuned. _______________________________________________________________ To contact: Dave Kearns Dave Kearns is a writer and consultant in Silicon Valley. He's written a number of books including the (sadly) now out of print "Peter Norton's Complete Guide to Networks." His musings can be found at Virtual Quill <http://www.vquill.com/>. Kearns is the author of three Network World Newsletters: Windows Networking Tips, Novell NetWare Tips, and Identity Management. Comments about these newsletters should be sent to him at these respective addresses: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. Kearns provides content services to network vendors: books, manuals, white papers, lectures and seminars, marketing, technical marketing and support documents. Virtual Quill provides "words to sell by..." Find out more by e-mail at <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by Xerox Want to learn the key steps to building a document output strategy that will enhance productivity and reduce costs for your organization? Start by downloading Xerox's white paper, Optimizing Document Output ROI. See how Xerox's solutions can help you manage devices, reduce costs and even boost productivity. http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=80880 _______________________________________________________________ ARCHIVE LINKS Breaking Windows networking news from Network World, updated daily: http://www.nwfusion.com/topics/win2000.html Archive of the Windows Networking Tips newsletter: http://www.nwfusion.com/newsletters/nt/index.html _______________________________________________________________ FEATURED READER RESOURCE CHECK OUT NW FUSION'S NEW WHITE PAPER LIBRARY NW Fusion's White Paper Library was recently re-launched with new features and improved capabilities! Sort NW Fusion's library of white papers by Date and Vendor, view white papers by TECHNCIAL CATEGORY, mouse over white paper descriptions and take advantage of our IMPROVED white paper search engine. 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