Advantages+and+Disadvantages+of+Networking

= __Advantages and Disadvantages of Networking__ =

Erin Nitz

Common network environments, such as the internet, have been argued to be some of the best but most dangerous existences in the modern day world. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of them?


 * Advantages:**

“// To get ‘online’, meaning to connect to the Internet, you need to have: // - // A computer// - // Internet service Provider// ”
 * -** For many people in the modern day world the internet has replaced all other research methods. Instead of hard back encyclopedias you have websites such as "Wikipedia", an online encyclopedia at your finger tips, this fact has led to what is commonly known as the "Internet divide". You can find out how to do anything, there are even instructions on the internet that tell you how to GET internet.


 * [[image:ebay.jpg width="123" height="81" align="left"]]-** Allowing that you own a credit card, you can buy or sell virtually anything, huge websites such as Ebay and Amazon coordinate this, you can even get groceries delivered to your front door. You can book plane tickets, concert tickets, movie tickets, etc., you can even manage your banking online.

- There are countless methods of communicating through common networks. Companies such as Google, Yahoo and Hotmail offer email, making communication cheaper, faster, and more reliable than, for example, sending a letter. There are also social websites, one of the biggest being "Facebook", offering unlimited communication methods.


 * -** Over the internet you can share programs, downloads, files and software. An example of this is the free software you can download from Google, things like Google Earth, Google Toolbar and Google Sketch.

**Disadvantages:**

**-** To access the internet or any other common network you need the proper resources. Like mentioned above to gain internet you first need a computer and then an internet provider, both of which can be costly.


 * -** If you go 'shopping' online there's a possibility that your credit card number could get in the wrong hands. Besides this personal information such as your name, phone number and home address may be accessed by anyone, making the advantages of the internet dangerous.


 * [[image:virus_(ict).jpg align="left"]]-** Spam continues to be a problem on the internet and is slowly increasing. You become vulnerable to hackers and virus' can be spread, putting you computer at great risk. No one really knows what the worst internet virus has ever been but the first ever was in 1988 and was called Morris, the college student who created it wanted to keep the internets use to it's absolute minimum.


 * Did You Know?**

With Africa's population being the greatest in the world (only beat by Asia) it comes in third to last place on the list of continents as far as internet users go. Both of the countries below it have less and a fifth of it's population. The competition within Africa leaves Malawi off the charts with 139,500 users in 2009.