History

Computer networks started to develop in the 1950/60s. At that time the telephone was by far, the most used communication network. The origin of the internet was the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) of the U.S. Department of Defense in 1969.
Basically, computer networks started to develop when academic and research communities were creating a network for scientific purposes, but besides that, even computer clubs, and hackers begun networking.

1950s	Project RAND: computer network based on central mainframe method; allowed its terminals to be connected via long leased lines --> researchers were collaborating across the continent
Late 1970s	Lee Felsenstein (founder of the Homebrew Computer Club) developed a network before the development of the PC, which was later used in laundromats
1978	First bulletin boards written in Chicago
1981	Bill Joy incorporates new TCP/IP protocol (Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol) into next UNIX operating system release (also IBM PC is launched)
1982	TCP/IP established as standard for ARPANET (adopted by Department of Defense in 1983)
1984	First bulletin boards using the IBM and Apple operating system were used
1989	PEN (The Public Electronic Network) in Santa Monica: first local government based network --> its services included forms, access to the library catalogue, city and council information, and free email (started 02/1989, had 3500 members in July 1991) ARPANET formally disappears
1990	Search tools, such as ARCHIE, Gopher, and WAIS start to appear
1991	NSFnet (belonging to National Science Foundation) replaced ARPANET as the main government network linking universities and research facilities Tim Berners-Lee develops World Wide Web CERN released first web server
1992	www bursts into the world and growth of Internet explodes
Late 1990s	Introduction of cable modems and DSL --> number of internet users grows drastically

History shows that the computer displayed a change from utilizing its computational purposes to using it as a communicating device.