How Communications Has Changed The World

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of “networking” is, “the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions” and the definition of “network” is, “a group of people or organizations that are closely connected and that work with each other.” In the Information Age, infrastructure and technology has been created to allow the rapid sharing of information between parties, but it has not always been so. While the exchanging of information has always been consistent, the methods by which this task has been carried out is constantly changing relative to the time period in which the demand occurs and situation causing the demand. Over this paper, we will examine the ways networking has changed the past, present and future for 3 topics: war, commerce, and lifestyle. PART 1: WAR
Past
Edmond Burke once said “all that is necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing.” As prevalent as periods of peace are, there are periods of war to maintain such peace; in periods of war, the necessity to transmit information efficiently, effectively, privately, and accurately is the difference between victory and defeat.
In ancient warfare, armies fighting on the battlefield by a series of banners, drum beats, smoke signals, and horns. In the armies of feudal Japan, warriors would have banners on poles attached to their backs signifying what position they were. Soldiers also carried flags in their hand, and by various waving patterns/positions, or certain faces of the flag, troops would know whether advance, send in the calvary, etc. In the Civil War, a bugle call was used to signal retreat, tracing its origins back to the Crusades. This way of transmitting information was not entirely effective because in the heat of battle soldiers could become disoriented and not register the signals being relayed, or a wrong note played or twitch in the arm could signal something that was not supposed to be so. Also, instant updates and