Internet in Albania

Internet in Albania

Nowadays computer and internet is becoming very necessary for every individual or company. Almost everyone has a computer or a laptop in their home. The world where we live is synchronized with computers and internet. All over the world everyone who possesses an electronic devise such as cellphones, tablet or computer can easily access the internet with a click.

The internet has changed the world. Since from the first steps where internet was created until now where everyone use it. Scientists and military experts were concerned about what would happen if a missile hits their network lines that can break down the communications. In 1962 a M.I.T scientist called J.C.R Licklider proposed a solution to solve this problem. He suggested a new generation of network that computers will talk to each other. This new kind of network will make possible those government leaders to communicate with each other even if the Network cable lines will be destroyed by an enemy attack. This was the birth of ARPANET. In 1965 M.I.T scientists made possible that APARNET could send messages to other computers. At the end of the 60’s only four computers were connected to the APARNET, but in the beginning of 70’s APARNET was added to the University of Hawaii and two years later to the London University. Another scientist called Vinton Cerf developed a way that all computers can be connected to each other to communicate freely. He called his invention “Transmission Control Protocol”. Vinton Cerf protocol transformed the internet into a worldwide network . from 1980s, scientists used it to send data and information from one computer to another. The internet changed again, in 1991 a programmer from Switzerland Tim Lee created World Wide Web who was not as simple as APARNET or TCP(Transmission Control Protocol). He created a web that was not simply to communicate but instead was a “web” that anyone could retrieve information. This is the World Wide Web that we use today.

Internet quickly started to conquer the world, also Albania was conquered form the big wave of internet. It was in the beginning of 90s’ when the first computers were connected for the first time with internet in Albania mostly in the state institutions. At that time everything was free. For the first time in the Albania the internet was offered from a foundation called “Soros” in collaboration with PNUD which came to help Albanian people to communicate with Europe and USA. According to Cerciz Loloc one the most important software was “Books and Information” alongside with this program was also the use of internet. It was collaboration with PNUD foundation, but also with Albanian government. According to Cerciz loloc the internet in the Albania had a quick spread. The first operator who offered internet was Intellectual Center Albania then at 1998 Abisnet and also Adanet. They firstly offered internet only for Tirana and later for other cities. After 12 years internet is spread everywhere in Albania. According to Pjerin Marku the prime minister counselor in 2009, Albania is almost at the same level as the Balkan countries, but still far from European average. The statistics showed that 30% of 1000 people uses internet in Albania, so 30 people. From 2008 with 15% the number of customers was doubled within one year. Going back in time internet infrastructure started bursting after 1998. Our country started connections with different European countries like Italy, Greece and Croatia using the technology of optical fibers. At first companies used to charge customers with high prices being very few of them in Albania, but this has changed now. The first internet coffee was opened at Tirana at 1999, the owner was Andi Papa, and according to him it was a big step for society to have this kind of service. At 2001-2002 internet coffees were all over the city, people started using the internet very often, but they couldn’t afford to pay for their own personal computer and to have an internet connection at their home. A big impact that internet had in Albania were schools. According to an early statement from Albanian government almost 2000 schools had internet connection, their own internet cabinets with 5-15 computers wired in the grid. The students said that they needed the internet very much, they used the internet to get information’s from the web for their studies and homework’s, but also to stay in touch with thir friends using social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

Nowadays almost everyone uses internet in cellphone or computers, but alongside good things is also a bad side. There are a lot of good things we can achieve from internet. Decrease of costs is one of them. Using the cloud can help everyone saving money. You can save money using cloud because you don’t have to buy additional devices to store information and after some time this devices can lost or the information will be damaged. Instead doing that you can buy space in the cloud and store your information very easily. Another one is that if you have ideas or something new that no one has ever seen it, you can go through the internet very quickly. These people can build company or website on the web that can be very useful for other users. Access to the services you need is another benefit that you can get from internet. Using the internet you can access your bank account do multiple things, you can book flights or room hotels, find places to eat and a lot of information. Using the internet a lot of companies advert over the web their products. Some other companies’ uses social networks to spread more widely their products, because social networks such as Facebook or Twitter are most used all over the world and their products can be watched from a lot of people. If you have internet access in your cellphone you can speak with you relatives using face time, messenger or Skype. This feature can help a lot of people who can’t afford to travel from a country to another to meet their relatives or even if they go for job. The bad side of internet is an area where everyone can be affected. The internet is not 100% safe. The new computer technology in the cloud is less safe. Different news from companies like Drop Box, Sony has lost their data. Children’s are the most affected from internet. The internet can be very dangerous area for children’s. Internet is like a small ship who navigates in the storm at the middle of the ocean. Kids and adolescents can use internet for everything. They uses it for school projects, to listen to music, see movies, to speak with their friends, to play games and for other different reasons. Internet for them is a place where they can learn everyday new things, new experiences, meanwhile internet can be very dangerous. They can access sites that are under age restriction but the internet providers don’t have a safe internet to offer for families. In the last years here in Albania ABCom a company who offers safe internet with filters for their customers who have children’s. This company offers internet that can access only safe webpages so children’s can be safer while they use internet. While they are navigating over the internet they can see or exchange information’s, photos or videos that can put their family in danger. They can talk with kidnaper’s online, play with violent games see different adult staff. There are a lot of webpages that can steal information form the user. This pages trick the user to give their information without having knowledge what that webpage is. The persons who are behind these pages can steal the information from user, mostly their bank account. All users should pay attention to webpages where thy buy different products, sometime these pages can steal information for buyers.   We can improve the internet security in different ways. First of all are passwords, we mast chose very wisely our passwords. Our password should include at least one uppercase numbers, should not be less than 8 characters. It is not advisable to use the same password in multiple accounts. Second, we need to see carefully websites that we give our personal information, we need to check for the author or organization. Check the website domain to see if is .com(commercial) .net(network) .org(organization) .gov(government organization) .edu(education organization) or two or three letters who represent the country for example .uk(United Kingdom) Never open links or attachments from people who you don’t know, they may steal you information if you open the attachment.