Question Of The Day – How Do You Explain the Internet To Someone?

internettubes For the past week or so, we have been running something called “Question Of The Day” on our internal MUO writers mailing list. I started it to get all of the writers communicating more with one another and perhaps also to generate some good story ideas.

It’s been such a success that we decided to roll this feature out to our readers as well. We want to know what you think.

Around two or three times a week, we will be asking you a question on some internet & technology-related subject and we hope you will respond in our comments section and generate some good discussions.

So without further ado, here is the first question :

Have you ever had to explain the internet to your parents, older relatives or non-techie friends? If so, how did you explain it to them, were you successful, and how would you recommend others to explain it?

Tell us all your stories in the comments below.

Image Credit : wheresmysocks

Tagged: internet • question of the day

Mark O'Neill

Mark O'Neill is the managing editor of MakeUseOf.com

Numair

A global network connecting millions of computers. More than 100 countries are linked into exchanges of data, news and opinions. Unlike online services, which are centrally controlled, the Internet is decentralized by design. Each Internet computer, called a host, is independent. Its operators can choose which Internet services to use and which local services to make available to the global Internet community. Remarkably, this anarchy by design works exceedingly well. There are a variety of ways to access the Internet. Most online services, such as America Online, offer access to some Internet services. It is also possible to gain access through a commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP).

http://www.markoneill.org Mark O'Neill

and do you get the other person nodding in understanding? Or are they throwing themselves off a roof?
http://automaticphotoscanner.com/ A.P.Scanner

Two years back, this would only elicit a blank stare from my mother. What I did instead is just teach her how to use it to surf, to email, to chat, to call, etc. I left it to her to see what she’ll understand about the internet eventually. By now, she’d have a pretty good idea what it is sans the geeky terms.

http://www.asktheadmin.com Karl Gechlik

Ah is this where our qotd has gone?
http://www.google4arab.org mwafi

something! make life easier and world smaller
Shanem21

I found this movie years ago and it is still around. A very good visual explanation of how it works.
http://www.warriorsofthe.net/
Jerry

Its a typewriter with a tv that plays porn

Larry B.

Best answer to a question ever.

Vadim P.

Just that it’s an interconnected network where you can reach others or visit static places called websites.
David

Ahhh… so it IS a series of tubes!
http://www.jackcola.org Jack Cola

You could always think of it like this:

The Internet is simply a road. Your house is a computer. If you want to get something from another house you have to go on the road pick a route, drive to it, get what you want and drive back. If you want something else from another place, you go on the road, drive to where it is, get it, and drive back.
Substitute Road with Internet, Car with Packet, House with Computer.

As with the internet, there may also be congestions and roadblocks.
http://hardiannazief.com Dian

) it’s a freakin hard questions,
it’s like “where do babies comes from?” question
The answer for the question is similar with the one that i’ve explain to my father.

Internet is the source of information, you can get anything on the interwebs, if you didn’t get it, it means you didn’t try hard enough
Beside being the source of information, you can send anything to anyone as long he/she had internet connection too (this is what is called email). There are a lot information in the web, to help finding the right information that we need, we can use google (a search engine)…
stupiduser

world wide computer that connected with wires
http://fullfx.antzfx.com fullfx

Internet is almost like a telephone system –

you have a telephone here – its connected to your friend’s telephone through telephone wires . similarly Internet is a mechanism of interconnecting PC’s

– i think anyone can imagine and understand such a mechanism, what do you guys think?

http://virtualearn.blogosfere.it/ Alessio

Very good explanation, I like it. The telephone system is familiar and everyone can understand it.

Al Gore

You know, the thing I invented. No, not Global warming. The other thing…yep that one!

http://makeuseof.com Aibek

good one!

darkangel_riq

Internet is like an ocean, Anything u need is like a fish. All u need is a boat(Computer) and a fishing rod(Browser) and fish them out(Download) from the right sight(website).

Works for me all the time wit kids and elders.
Renato Gomes

Internet is like the universe: no one knows it in full or can explain it simply. One must get in to feel it. It is…. uau!