Information Age- seen as following the Agricultural
and Industrial eras; stresses services and manipulation/interpretation
of data.
Intelligent Network- The switches on the network
become so powerful or 'intelligent' that they can make complex decisions
based on user needs and the state of the network itself. The switches become
'computers.'
ISDN- Integrated Services Digital Network- A centrally
agreed upon 'architecture' for sending and organizing signals on the digital
network; a set of standards to promote connectivity and services
Geodesic- A term coined by philosopher/ visionary/
mathematician/ inventor Buckminster Fuller which stresses the importance
of the 'node' over the link or pathway; a structure that uses nodes to
organize redundancy of pathways; a highly efficient natural structure,
one that promotes decentralized network over centralized hierarchy.
Ongoing Decentralization. Consider that your home/office
computer becomes a 'switch' on the network when it 'actively' goes online.
So where does the network 'end.'