Information Age

Information Age is a term applied to the period where movement of information became faster than physical movement, more narrowly applied to the very late 20th century (about 1991) and early 21st century. It is often used in conjunction with the term post-industrial society.

=History=

==Early Information Age==

: Main article: Digital recording

In service began.

This invention set off a stream of devices used for the processing of information, the typewriter, the mechanical calculator, and finally, the telephone in 1876. Informationalization of previous devices occurred, such as the player piano. By the end of the 19th century, analog recording had begun.

The ability to distribute large runs of printed material had created the means for information transmission to change economic and social behavior. Telephones and ticker tape machines would be part of the infrastructure for the growth of stock markets, particularly the New York Stock Exchange or Wall Street, as well as the ability to trade precious metals, such as gold. It was the telegraph that made the news of Krakatoa s explosive eruption spread around the world rapidly.

Recording added a new means of distribution: namely that of sound. However, the distribution was either person to person, as in the telegraph, or through the distribution of a physical object. Since atoms are thousands of times heavier than electrons, the next stage of information technology was to be able to transmit pure information, as the telegraph did, but with mass reception.

== Broadcasting ==

: Main article: Broadcasting

The information technologies of the 19th century allowed faster and wider dissemination of information than previously possible. However, ultimately such information had to be reduced to the same form which had been the final form for centuries: paper, whose analogs go back to stone and clay tablets. With the development of what was called wireless transmission, when combined with the ability to transmit voice and Sound from the telephone, and recording technology, a new medium began to be born, which placed a different final result in the hands of the individual. These technologies would eventually become radio.

Television followed, allowing video to be displayed with sound. While radio brought the world s events to our homes, it was television that brought the first pictures of the world to many people. TVs were first used as a way to get information and news from other places, but quickly became a very important entertainment device, as well as a useful tool for learning. Unlike radio, television brought with it a whole new industry of content delivery, mainly Cable television providers. Not only were stations producing and broadcasting their own shows, but the broadcasting industry allowed homes to receive more and more channels. With the later advances in technology, satellite television provided the most diverse content anyone could want.

= Information technology=

: Main article: Information Technology

With recording technologies, with transmission, and with early computers, it didn t take very long for scientific advances to merge everything together. Information technology is the use of technology to enhance the speed and the efficiency of the transfer of information.

At first, computers were big, costly, and available only to universities and big corporations. Before the 1990s, most discoveries in information technology were driven by full time researchers having access to the high priced equipment. In the late 1980s however, small computers started to become available, such as the early Apple Computer systems, and Personal computers.

Soon after, we saw the birth of what we know as current information technology: personal computers in our own homes, using communication devices known as Modems, to access information on remote servers. The first incarnation of those were BBS servers, setup by education facilities or even individual people, to store both information and allow discussion with chat and messages.

==The Personal Computer==

A personal computer or PC is generally a microcomputer intended to be used by one person at a time, and suitable for general purpose tasks such as word processing, programming, Multimedia editing or personal computer game, usually used to run purchased or other Software not written by the user. Unlike minicomputers, a personal computer is often owned by the person using it, indicating a low cost of purchase and simplicity of operation. The user of a modern personal computer may have significant knowledge of the operating environment and application programs, but is not necessarily interested in programming nor even able to write programs for the computer.

== The Internet ==

: Main articles: Internet, History of the Internet The Internet was originally conceived as a distributed, fail-proof network that could connect computers together and be resistant to any point of failure. It was created mainly by DARPA; its initial software application were email and file (computer) transfer.

With the invention of the World Wide Web by CERN, the Internet really took off as a global network. Now, the Internet is the ultimate place to accelerate the flow of relevant information.

The information age continues to this day, and technological advances such as mobile phones, Broadband Internet access, voip, and many more, our lives are forever changed from what it used to be, no more than 10 years ago.

=The Digital Revolution=

The Digital Revolution is a term describing the effects of the rapid drop in cost and rapid expansion of power of digital devices such as computers and telecommunications. It includes changes in Technology and society, and is often specifically used to refer to the controversies that occur as these technologies are widely adopted.