Editing History of the Internet (section)

==Use and culture==

===Email and Usenet===
[[Email]] has often been called the [[killer application]] of the Internet. It predates the Internet, and was a crucial tool in creating it. Email started in 1965 as a way for multiple users of a [[time-sharing]] [[mainframe computer]] to communicate. Although the history is undocumented, among the first systems to have such a facility were the [[System Development Corporation]] (SDC) [[AN/FSQ-32|Q32]] and the [[Compatible Time-Sharing System]] (CTSS) at MIT.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Risks Digest |journal=Great Moments in E-mail History |date=March 20, 1999 |volume=20 |issue=25 |url=http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/20.25.html#subj3 |access-date=April 27, 2006|last1=Neumann |first1=Peter G. }}</ref>

The ARPANET computer network made a large contribution to the evolution of electronic mail. An experimental inter-system transferred mail on the ARPANET shortly after its creation.<ref>{{cite web |title=The History of Electronic Mail |url=http://www.multicians.org/thvv/mail-history.html |access-date=December 23, 2005}}</ref> In 1971 [[Ray Tomlinson]] created what was to become the standard Internet electronic mail addressing format, using the [[@|@ sign]] to separate mailbox names from host names.<ref>{{cite web |title=The First Network Email |url=http://openmap.bbn.com/~tomlinso/ray/firstemailframe.html |access-date=December 23, 2005 |archive-date=May 6, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060506003539/http://openmap.bbn.com/~tomlinso/ray/firstemailframe.html  }}</ref>

A number of protocols were developed to deliver messages among groups of time-sharing computers over alternative transmission systems, such as [[UUCP]] and [[IBM]]'s [[VNET]] email system. Email could be passed this way between a number of networks, including [[ARPANET]], [[BITNET]] and [[NSFNET]], as well as to hosts connected directly to other sites via UUCP. See the [[SMTP#History|history of SMTP]] protocol.

In addition, UUCP allowed the publication of text files that could be read by many others. The News software developed by Steve Daniel and [[Tom Truscott]] in 1979 was used to distribute news and bulletin board-like messages. This quickly grew into discussion groups, known as [[newsgroup]]s, on a wide range of topics. On ARPANET and NSFNET similar discussion groups would form via [[Electronic mailing list|mailing lists]], discussing both technical issues and more culturally focused topics (such as science fiction, discussed on the sflovers mailing list).

During the early years of the Internet, email and similar mechanisms were also fundamental to allow people to access resources that were not available due to the absence of online connectivity. UUCP was often used to distribute files using the 'alt.binary' groups. Also, [[FTPmail|FTP e-mail gateways]] allowed people that lived outside the US and Europe to download files using ftp commands written inside email messages. The file was encoded, broken in pieces and sent by email; the receiver had to reassemble and decode it later, and it was the only way for people living overseas to download items such as the earlier Linux versions using the slow dial-up connections available at the time. After the popularization of the Web and the HTTP protocol such tools were slowly abandoned.

===File sharing===
{{Main |File sharing |Peer-to-peer file sharing |Timeline of file sharing}}

Resource or file sharing has been an important activity on computer networks from well before the Internet was established and was supported in a variety of ways including [[bulletin board systems]] (1978), [[Usenet]] (1980), [[Kermit (software)|Kermit]] (1981), and many others. The [[File Transfer Protocol]] (FTP) for use on the Internet was standardized in 1985 and is still in use today.<ref>{{cite ietf |rfc=959 |title=RFC 959: File Transfer Protocol (FTP) |author=J. Postel |author2=J. Reynolds |date=October 1985}}</ref> A variety of tools were developed to aid the use of FTP by helping users discover files they might want to transfer, including the [[Wide Area Information Server]] (WAIS) in 1991, [[Gopher (protocol)|Gopher]] in 1991, [[Archie search engine|Archie]] in 1991, [[Veronica (search engine)|Veronica]] in 1992, [[Jughead (search engine)|Jughead]] in 1993, [[Internet Relay Chat]] (IRC) in 1988, and eventually the [[World Wide Web]] (WWW) in 1991 with [[Web directories]] and [[Web search engines]].

In 1999, [[Napster]] became the first [[peer-to-peer file sharing]] system.<ref>{{cite book |author=Kenneth P. Birman |title=Reliable Distributed Systems: Technologies, Web Services, and Applications |url=https://archive.org/details/reliabledistribu0000birm |url-access=registration |page=[https://archive.org/details/reliabledistribu0000birm/page/532 532] |access-date=2012-01-20 |date=2005-03-25 |publisher=Springer-Verlag New York Incorporated |isbn=978-0-387-21509-9 }}</ref> Napster used a central server for indexing and peer discovery, but the storage and transfer of files was decentralized. A variety of peer-to-peer file sharing programs and services with different levels of decentralization and [[Anonymity application|anonymity]] followed, including: [[Gnutella]], [[eDonkey2000]], and [[Freenet]] in 2000, [[FastTrack]], [[Kazaa]], [[Limewire]], and [[BitTorrent (software)|BitTorrent]] in 2001, and Poisoned in 2003.<ref>{{cite news |last=Menta |first=Richard |title=Napster Clones Crush Napster. Take 6 out of the Top 10 Downloads on CNet |date=July 20, 2001 |publisher=MP3 Newswire |url=http://www.mp3newswire.net/stories/2001/topclones.html |access-date=March 30, 2012 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304185434/http://www.mp3newswire.net/stories/2001/topclones.html  }}</ref>

All of these tools are general purpose and can be used to share a wide variety of content, but sharing of music files, software, and later movies and videos are major uses.<ref>{{cite web | title=Movie File-Sharing Booming: Study | website=srgnet.com | date=28 January 2007 | url=http://www.srgnet.com/pdf/Movie%20File-Sharing%20Booming%20Release%20Jan%2024%2007%20Final.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217011553/http://www.srgnet.com/pdf/Movie%20File-Sharing%20Booming%20Release%20Jan%2024%2007%20Final.pdf | archive-date=17 February 2012 }}</ref> And while some of this sharing is legal, large portions are not. Lawsuits and other legal actions caused Napster in 2001, eDonkey2000 in 2005, [[Kazaa]] in 2006, and Limewire in 2010 to shut down or refocus their efforts.<ref>{{cite news |last=Menta |first=Richard |title=RIAA Sues Music Startup Napster for $20 Billion |date=December 9, 1999 |publisher=MP3 Newswire |url=http://www.mp3newswire.net/stories/napster.html |access-date=March 30, 2012 |archive-date=June 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170627120059/http://www.mp3newswire.net/stories/napster.html  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://w2.eff.org/IP/P2P/p2p_copyright_wp.php |title=EFF: What Peer-to-Peer Developers Need to Know about Copyright Law |publisher=W2.eff.org |access-date=2012-01-20  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115034129/http://w2.eff.org/IP/P2P/p2p_copyright_wp.php |archive-date=January 15, 2012 }}</ref> [[The Pirate Bay]], founded in Sweden in 2003, continues despite a [[The Pirate Bay trial|trial and appeal in 2009 and 2010]] that resulted in jail terms and large fines for several of its founders.<ref>{{Cite news |author=Kobie, Nicole |title=Pirate Bay trio lose appeal against jail sentences |url=http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/363178/pirate-bay-trio-lose-appeal-against-jail-sentences |work=pcpro.co.uk |publisher=PCPRO |date=November 26, 2010 |access-date=November 26, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421081922/http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/363178/pirate-bay-trio-lose-appeal-against-jail-sentences |archive-date=April 21, 2014  }}</ref> File sharing remains contentious and controversial with charges of theft of [[intellectual property]] on the one hand and charges of [[censorship]] on the other.<ref>{{cite web | title=Poll: Young Say File Sharing OK | website=CBS News | date=18 September 2003 | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/poll-young-say-file-sharing-ok/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030919194542/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/09/18/opinion/polls/main573990.shtml | archive-date=September 19, 2003  | url-status=live | access-date=March 31, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Green|first=Stuart P.|title=OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR; When Stealing Isn't Stealing|work=The New York Times|page=27|date=29 March 2012|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/29/opinion/theft-law-in-the-21st-century.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220102/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/29/opinion/theft-law-in-the-21st-century.html |archive-date=2022-01-02 |url-access=limited |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===File hosting services===
{{Main|File-hosting service}}
{{Primary sources|section|date=October 2024}}

File hosting allowed for people to expand their computer's hard drives and "host" their files on a server. Most file hosting services offer free storage, as well as larger storage amount for a fee. These services have greatly expanded the internet for business and personal use.

[[Google Drive]], launched on April 24, 2012, has become the most popular file hosting service. Google Drive allows users to store, edit, and share files with themselves and other users. Not only does this application allow for file editing, hosting, and sharing. It also acts as Google's own free-to-access office programs, such as [[Google Docs]], [[Google Slides]], and [[Google Sheets]]. This application served as a useful tool for University professors and students, as well as those who are in need of [[Cloud storage]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nolledo|first=Michael|title=What is Google Drive? A guide to navigating Google's file storage service and collaboration tools|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-google-drive-guide|access-date=2020-11-16|website=Business Insider}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Introducing Google Drive... yes, really|url=https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/introducing-google-drive-yes-really.html|access-date=2020-11-16|website=Official Google Blog|language=en}}</ref>

[[Dropbox (service)#History|Dropbox]], released in June 2007 is a similar file hosting service that allows users to keep all of their files in a folder on their computer, which is synced with Dropbox's servers. This differs from Google Drive as it is not web-browser based. Now, Dropbox works to keep workers and files in sync and efficient.<ref>{{Cite web|title=About|url=https://www.dropbox.com/about|access-date=2020-11-17|website=www.dropbox.com|language=en}}</ref>

[[Mega (service)|Mega]], having over 200 million users, is an encrypted storage and communication system that offers users free and paid storage, with an emphasis on privacy.<ref>{{Cite web|title=About - MEGA|url=https://mega.nz/about/main|access-date=2020-11-17|website=mega.nz}}</ref> Being three of the largest file hosting services, Google Drive, Dropbox, and Mega all represent the core ideas and values of these services.