A Half Century of Internet: How it works today
Prof. Dr. Christoph Meinel

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The Internet connects more than half of the world's population. This revolutionary form of transmitting all kinds of data between places on the planet has made the network of networks the indispensable backbone of societies. The number of users has exploded to four billion people.

The speed of change is dramatic and for some breathtaking. Many well-known and even more unknown personalities have shaped the development of the Internet. However, this exciting success story also reveals the dark sides of this development. What has become of the original hope for a democratization of communication? To what extent has the Internet provided access to better educational opportunities? How do large Internet companies and governments use the Internet? How can you safely communicate over this network?

Self-paced since October 20, 2020
Language: English
Informatik & IT, Seminar
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Course information

Why you should attend this course

At the end of this course, you will better understand the following contents:

  • What the technical construction principle of the Internet looks like in its main features
  • How data is transferred from one computer to another
  • How data packets find their way through the interconnected individual networks of the Internet
  • How mobile devices, sensors and machines communicate with each other via the Internet
  • Which applications ensure that you can surf the World Wide Web and send or receive e-mails or films
  • That security on the Internet - not considered a design feature from the outset - must be protected against possible attacks.

You will also be able to evaluate:

  • What have so far been the key personalities and milestones in the development of the Internet so far
  • Which developments have been successful or unsuccessful in the Internet's 50 year old history
  • The important role the Internet has taken on in the economy, society, and politics
  • How the Internet is being misused for criminal purposes and how to protect yourself against it
  • Which development the Internet is likely to take in the future.

Workload and Certification

Depending on your previous knowledge, you should plan 3-6 hours per week for course participation. This estimated time includes the study of materials and self-tests provided. In addition, each week a graded homework assignment with a 60-minute time limit is scheduled. The workload of this course corresponds to 2 ECTS points. All successful course participants will receive their record of achievement or qualified certificate about one week after the end of the course.

Social Media

Follow us on Twitter: @openHPI. For tweets about this course please use the hashtag #internetworking2020
Visit us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OpenHPI

You can find more video lectures at www.tele-task.de.

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External course

This course is not running on LERNEN.cloud, but on an external learning platform. When following the link to this featured course, you will leave the LERNEN.cloud website. You might need an dedicated user account on the external platform to be able to enroll to the course.

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