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INTERNET
The internet is, literally, a network of networks. It is made of thousands of
interconnected networks spanning the globe. The computers that form the
internet range from huge mainframes in research establishment to humble PBs
in people’s homes and offices despite the recent publicity, the internet is not a
new thing. Its roots lie in a collection of computers that were linked together in
the 1970s to form the US Department of Defense’s communication systems.

10 years ago, the term internet was practically anonymous to most of the people. And
today internet has become the most ever powerful tool for man throughout the
world. The internet is a collection of various services and resources.

Uses:
Today internet has brought a globe in a single room. Right from news across the
corner of the world, wealth of knowledge to shopping, purchasing the tickets of your favorite
movie, everything is at your finger tips.

• Email.
Email is now an essential communication tools in business. It is also excellent for
keeping in touch with family and friends. The advantages to email is that it is free (no
charge per use) when compared to telephone, fax and postal services.
• Information.
There is a huge amount of information available on the internet for just about every
subject known to man, ranging from government law and services, trade fairs and
conferences, market information, new ideas and technical support.
• Services.
Many services are now provided on the internet such as online banking, job seeking
and applications, and hotel reservations. Often these services are not available off-
line or cost more.
• Buy or sell products.
The internet is a very effective way to buy and sell products all over the world.
• Communities.
Communities of all types have sprung up on the internet. Its a great way to meet up
with people of similar interest and discuss common issues.

Advantages of Internet
There many advantages to using the internet such as:

Advantages of internet data:

• Unlimited Data: Access Information: The Internet is a virtual treasure trove of

information. Any kind of information on any topic under the sun is available on the
Internet. The ‘search engines’ on the Internet can help you to find data on any
The internet contains billions of electronically
subject that you need.
searchable words, more than any corpus.
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• Democratic: The use of language on the internet is relatively unconstrained,

representing both formal and informal styles, and is thus more "democratic"
than most corpora, capturing spontaneous language use that most corpora do
not represent.
• Languages Construction: Advanced options of search engines facilitate
searches for phrases and constructions.
• Frequency of Search: Search engines can provide statistical data about the
number of "hits" for each search, making it possible to compare the relative
frequency of linguistic forms.
• Restrictions: Some search engines enable domain restrictions so that queries
can be limited to a controlled subset of sources.
• Free and Cheap: the information on the internet is usually free or costs very
little. We can download different software lie application programs, anti virus,
different utility software of cost.
• E-commerce: internet has opened new doors for business, which is widely
termed as e-commerce or electronic commerce. Through e-commerce business
can introduce themselves to larger audience of the world through websites and
advertising. Ecommerce is the concept used for any type of commercial
maneuvering (strategy), or business deals that involves the transfer of
information across the globe via Internet. It has become a phenomenon
associated with any kind of shopping, almost anything. You name it and
Ecommerce with its giant tentacles engulfing every single product and service
will make you available at your door steps. It has got a real amazing and wide
range of products from household needs, technology to entertainment.

• Communication: the foremost target of internet has always been the

communication. And internet has excelled beyond the expectations. Still,
innovations are going on to make it faster, more reliable. By the advent of
computer’s Internet, our earth has reduced and has attained the form of a global
village.
Now we can communicate in a fraction of second with a person who is sitting in the
other part of the world. Today for better communication, we can avail the facilities of
e-mail; we can chat for hours with our loved ones. There are plenty messenger
services in offering. With help of such services, it has become very easy to establish a
kind of global friendship where you can share your thoughts, can explore other
cultures of different ethnicity.
Internet has revolutionized the way we communicate. It has become very
cheap and easy to communicate through it. Internet offers different facilitates
like e-mail, video conferencing, chatting etc for communication.
• Services
Many services are now provided on the internet such as online banking, job seeking,
purchasing tickets for your favorite movies, guidance services on array of topics
engulfing the every aspect of life, and hotel reservations. Often these services are not
available off-line and can cost you more.
Online courses are delivered through CD-ROM and the Internet. Through the
use of CD-ROM, students can enjoy the advantages of high-quality,
multimedia activities and interactive exercises in an online format without the
disadvantages of Internet bandwidth limitations. Students can connect to the
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Internet to communicate with their instructor, to check their grades, to read

course and lesson updates, and to access invaluable Internet resources.

Information
Information is probably the biggest advantage internet is offering. The Internet is a virtual
treasure trove of information. Any kind of information on any topic under the sun is available
on the Internet. The search engines like Google, yahoo is at your service on the Internet. You
can almost find any type of data on almost any kind of subject that you are looking for. There
is a huge amount of information available on the internet for just about every subject known to
man, ranging from government law and services, trade fairs and conferences, market
information, new ideas and technical support, the list is end less.

Students and children are among the top users who surf the Internet for research. Today, it is
almost required that students should use the Internet for research for the purpose of gathering
resources. Teachers have started giving assignments that require research on the Internet.
Almost every coming day, researches on medical issues become much easier to locate.
Numerous web sites available on the net are offering loads of information for people to
research diseases and talk to doctors online at sites such as, America’s Doctor

The most common thing the Internet is used for is research. Children and students are
among the top people who use the Internet for research. Today, it is almost required that
students use the Internet for research. Thirty percent of teachers give assignments
requiring research from the Internet. In the classroom, sixty-six percent of teachers use
the Internet to teach. The Internet has become one of the biggest sources for research.
Almost everyday, research on medical issues becomes easier to locate. Web sites have
become available for people to research diseases and talk to doctors online at sites such
as, America’s Doctor. During 1998 over 20 million people reported going online to retrieve
health information (Davis A1).

Entertainment is another popular reason why many people surf the Internet.
Downloading games, going into chat rooms or just surfing the Web are some of the uses
people have discovered. There are numerous games that may be downloaded from the
Internet at no charge (Regan n.p.). Chat rooms are popular because users can meet new
and interesting people

Another popular thing to do on the Internet is to check out the news. Almost all local
news can be obtained through the Internet. Up to date sports scores are probably the
most popular looked at news. Sports scores are updated on the Internet as soon as the
game ends. (Rainie n.p.) . Weather is also a popular source to look up on the Internet.
Using the Internet to get the weather allows people to view weather all over the world.
Live radar all over the country and local forecasts are just to name a few of the things that
may be obtained for weather information on the Internet.

Shopping online has also become a huge success and is considered a great advantage of
the Internet. No matter what people are shopping for, it can be found on the Internet.
People do not even have to leave their homes. A few companies have collected millions of
dollars using the Internet for selling (Eckhouse 184). Clothing is probably one of the most
bought items online. Almost every major clothing store has its on Web site. People can
even go grocery shopping online using such sites as Priceline.com. Just one click of the
mouse on the items they want to purchase and the items are delivered to their front door
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(¡°Groceries Online¡± n.p.). Groceries and clothing are only a few of the items that may be
bought on the Internet.

• E-mail: E-mail is an online correspondence system. With e-mail you can send and
receive instant electronic messages, which work like writing letters. Your messages
are delivered instantly to people anywhere in the world, unlike traditional post that
takes a lot of time.
• Access Information: The Internet is a virtual treasure trove of information. Any
kind of information on any topic under the sun is available on the Internet. The
‘search engines’ on the Internet can help you to find data on any subject that you
need.
• Shopping: Along with getting information on the Internet, you can also shop
online. There are many online stores and sites that can be used to look for
products as well as buy them using your credit card. You do not need to leave your
house and can do all your shopping from the convenience of your home.
• Online Chat: There are many ‘chat rooms’ on the web that can be accessed to
meet new people, make new friends, as well as to stay in touch with old friends.
• Downloading Software: This is one of the most happening and fun things to do
via the Internet. You can download innumerable, games, music, videos, movies,
and a host of other entertainment software from the Internet, most of which is
free.

Disadvantages of internet data:

• Unauthorized Data: There is no editorial oversight, no gatekeeper, which

means that we have no control over what kinds of texts are included or
whether they contain typographical errors, etc. Suggested remedies: Conduct
a manual spot-check of a random representative sample of the data to screen
for editorial problems. Report the "error rate" and any other problems along
with data. If deemed necessary, use domain restrictions to reduce these
problems.
• Security Risks: even though, the technology of internet has become relatively
a safer place but still it is under constant threat by the hackers who can access
any personal information and can use it for there advantage like the misuse of
a credit card.
• Unauthentic Usage: Some internet pages contain material not written by
native speakers of the language and might not represent authentic usage.
Suggested remedies: Conduct a manual spot-check of a random sample of the
data to screen for non-native use (cross-check with a native speaker if
necessary). Report the rate of flawed/non-native use. Domain restictions might
help if there is a serious problem. In our experience, the rate of problematic
non-native language is extremely low in comparison with native use.
• Chatrooms and similar informal internet "spaces" involve very stylized uses of
language that are sometimes very different from the standard language.
Suggested remedies: Manual checking of a sample of data, reporting of rates
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of such examples, and possible use of domain restrictions. In some intances, it

may, however, be beneficial to study this particular type of language use.
• Difficult filtration: due to increase of websites providing different
information on a particular topic, it has become very difficult to filter out the
information one specifically requires. Suggested remedies: Supplement
internet research with data from corpora in order to determine absolute
frequency, if needed. In most cases, relative frequency (not absolute
frequency) is the more relevant piece of information.
• Spamming:
Spamming refers to sending unwanted e-mails in bulk, which provide no purpose and
needlessly obstruct the entire system. Such illegal activities can be very frustrating for
you, and so instead of just ignoring it, you should make an effort to try and stop these
activities so that using the Internet can become that much safer.

• Repetition of data: Sometimes a single item is repeated multiple times, for it

has been copied at various sites on the internet. For example, a sentence
containing a rare construction might appear copied verbatim on five or six
sites, thus artificially exaggerating its frequency. Suggested remedies:
Manually check a random sample of the data and note the rate of repetitions
and report this along with your data. It may be possible to develop a
coefficient for adjusting the data to take this into account. However, it is
probably the case that this is simply a uniform fact that affects the frequency
of all the data on the internet, so it's ultimately just a wash.
• Instability of Data: The data on the internet is unstable, and sites that are here
today are often gone tomorrow. Suggested remedies: If collecting individual
pieces of data, collect all the contextual data that you need along with the data
and build files containing: your contextualized data, the URL, and the date on
which the URL was accessed. If collecting statistical data, record the URL of
the search result and the date on which it was accessed.
• Some of the text on the internet is copyright protected. Suggested remedies:
As linguists, we are not collecting content, just examples of usage. Normally
we will not need enough context to involve any realistic copyright violation.
Still, all URLs and the dates that they were accessed should be recorded and
cited as appropriate.

Internet Audiences - Disadvantages

Effects: Disadvantages
Although the Internet has proven to be a valuable asset in the new era, it has
also presented negative effects. Internet is a poor substitute, with no doubt it has
broken geographic barriers, however has created barriers of its own. The Internet
has the potential to further deprive individuals of social contacts such that the
unintended consequences of social isolation and its implications cannot be
excluded. The individualisation of leisure time becomes a further source of
increased social isolation. It is natural that with an increase in time people spend
surfing the net, the less time they spend with friends, neighbours, and family
members. Thus, in addition to shopping in the biggest virtual mall, to find a
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bargain will not require the exchange of information with friends and relatives but
rather a good search engine that provides all the details.

The technology that has allowed people to keep in touch with distant family
members and friends, to find information quickly and to develop friendships with
people around the world apparently is also replacing vital, everyday human
communication. Internet cannot provide intimacy. Turkle (1995: 235) “pointed
out the absurdity of the notion that community can arise from among people
sitting alone, typing messages to virtual friends.” Nie and Erbring (2000) found
“that as Internet use increased, users were more likely to report a decrease in
time spent talking to family and friends and attending social events.”

Barnes states that the disadvantage of online dating is “deception” (quoted from
Mathews, 2002). Online relationships may develop “less interdependence,
understanding, and commitment than comparable off-line ones do” (Parks &
Roberts, 1998). Furthermore, they argue that contacts developed or maintained
via the Internet by electronic mail lack the more involving quality of face-to-face
contacts. Survey research indicates that “online social relationships are weaker
than off-line relationships” (Parks & Roberts, 1998), that people who use email
regard it as “less valuable as other modes of communication for maintaining
social relationships” (Cummings & Kraut & Attewell, 1996). The anonymity that is
offered by the Internet permits people to create their own identity. Joe Schwartz
believes that people cannot trust each other in a relationship until “time has
proved that person reliable” (quoted from Mathews, 2002)

Another area of concern is children and the Internet. Interaction with other
children is essential to develop social skills. Internet and video games lack a great
deal of abilities that children need to develop their social skills properly. When the
child loses “the motivation to interact with friends it is much easier for him or her
to become addicted to the Internet” (Monoroe, 2001). However, a child who does
not learn to socialise when they are young rarely learns how to socially interact
when the child becomes an adult.

Children using the Internet have become a big concern. Most parents do not realize
the dangers involved when their children log onto the Internet (¡°Children and the
Internet¡± n.p.). When children are online, they can easily be lured into something
dangerous. When children talk to others online, they do not realize they could actually
be talking to a harmful person

1. Pornography: This is a very serious issue concerning the Internet, especially

when it comes to young children. Both savory and unsavory contents are
available on the Internet. Access to these materials such as pornographic
at an early age will cause harm to children behaviour in future. However,
legislation and censorship tries to controls the access to these sites
through firewalls to restrict the access of children.
2. Theft of Personal Information: If you use the Internet, your personal
information such as your name, address, etc can be accessed by other people. If
you use a credit card to shop online, then your credit card information can also be
‘stolen’ which could be akin to giving someone a blank check. Furthermore it can
be reported to:
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• Your internet service provider

• Local police station
• Cyber angels (program to report cyber crime)

Another major disadvantage of the Internet is privacy. Electronic messages sent over
the Internet can be easily snooped and tracked, revealing who is talking to whom and
what they are talking about. As people surf the Internet, they are constantly giving
information to web sites People should become aware that the collection, selling, or
sharing of the information they provide online increases the chances that their
information will fall into the wrong hands. Consequently, they will become a victim
of identity theft, one of the worst privacy violations with potentially devastating
financial consequences. When giving personal information on the Internet, people
should make sure the Web site is protected with a recognizable security symbol. On
the other hand, this does not mean they are fully protected because anyone may obtain
a user’s information. In other words, the most common Internet crimes are frauds and
con games.
Virus Threat
Today, not only are humans getting viruses, but computers are also. Computers are
mainly getting these viruses from the Internet; yet, viruses may also be transmitted
through floppy disks.

Wastage of time: instead of acquiring information or knowledge people waste time in

chatting and surfing.

Such illegal activities are frustrating for all internet users, and so instead of just
ignoring it, we should make an effort to try and stop these activities so that using the
internet can become that much safer. That said, the advantages of the internet far
outweigh the disadvantages, and millions of people each day benefit from using the
internet for work and for pleasure.
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Advantages Disadvantages of the Internet
Conclusion: Internet having a vital role in today’s life. There are many Advantages Disadvantages of the
Internet, Today; the Internet is one of the most powerful tools throughout the world. The Internet is a
collection of various services and resources. Internet is an International Database of information where
you can find whatever is possible to imagine. The only limit is your own imagination! It is a helpful world
but at the same time many dangers are hidden below this well-known library. Personally, you can
downloaded a lot of helpful information and also many programs, games, other entertaining files such as
screen savers, wallpapers but the most important is the communications programs that gives you the
ability to communicate with many people all over the world. Almost all households contain the Internet;
however, before people connect to the Internet, they need to be aware of Advantages Disadvantages of the
Internet.
In Advantages and Disadvantages of the Internet, this is also the answer to people who blame the Internet
for less sociability and less relationships between the members of a family or a group of friends etc. It is
agreed that it is very important to have good relationship with your friends but first of all you have to get
on with your family. It is also agreed that there is a high contrast between the relationship with your
friends (and especially with your Internet friends) and your family. On the other hand the 21st century is
near. Unfortunately, the new technology comes with all these consequences. The Internet’s main
components are E-mail and the World Wide Web. The Net also ranks as one of today’s best business tools
if it’s used skillfully.
In major Advantages Disadvantage of the Internet is privacy. Electronic messages sent over the Internet
can be easily snooped and tracked, revealing who is talking to whom and what they are talking about. As
people surf the Internet, they are constantly giving information to web sites. People should become aware
that the collection, selling, or sharing of the information they provide online increases the chances that
their information will fall into the wrong hands. Consequently, they will become a victim of identity theft,
one of the worst privacy violations with potentially devastating financial consequences. When giving
personal information on the Internet, people should make sure the Web site is protected with a
recognizable security symbol. On the other hand, this does not mean they are fully protected because
anyone may obtain a user’s information .In other words, “the most common Internet crimes are frauds and
con games.
In another Advantages Disadvantage of the Internet is, today not only are humans getting viruses, but
computers are also. Computers are mainly getting these viruses from the Internet; yet, viruses may also be
transmitted through floppy disks. However, people should mainly be concerned about receiving viruses
from the Internet. Some of these dangerous viruses destroy the computer’s entire hard drive, meaning that
the user can no longer access the computer. Virus protection is highly recommended.
In Advantages Disadvantages of the Internet, the most common thing the Internet is used for is research.
Children and students are among the top people who use the Internet for research. Today, it is almost
required that students use the Internet for research. Thirty percent of teachers give assignments requiring
research from the Internet. In the classroom, sixty-six percent of teachers use the Internet to teach. The
Internet has become one of the biggest sources for research. Almost everyday, research on medical issues
becomes easier to locate. Web sites have become available for people to research diseases and talk to
doctors online at sites such as, America’s Doctor. During 1998 over 20 million people reported going
online to retrieve health information.
Another Advantages Disadvantages of the Internet is popular thing to do on the Internet is to check out
the news. Almost all local news can be obtained through the Internet. Up to date sports scores are
probably the most popular looked at news. Sports scores are updated on the Internet as soon as the game
ends. Weather is also a popular source to look up on the Internet. Using the Internet to get the weather
allows people to view weather all over the world. Live radar all over the country and local forecasts are
just to name a few of the things that may be obtained for weather information on the Internet.
Shopping online has also become a huge success and is considered a great Advantage of the Internet. No
matter what people are shopping for, it can be found on the Internet. People do not even have to leave
their homes. A few companies have collected millions of dollars using the Internet for selling.
Finally, the opinion is not to let the Internet control your life, you have to control it. You must schedule
the time you connect to the Internet. If you are not a professional there is no reason to connect every day
for much time. Schedule your downloads and surf with time limit. The charges in many countries are big.
But the reasons are not only economical. It is necessary to learn to schedule your time so that not to spend
it with no purpose. The previous advice is for young surfers.