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"Internet-to-Go"

An Alternative Way for Research on the Internet

The "iNet2Go" (Internet-to-Go) concept is inspired by the photocopier invented by Chester F Carlson.

It is a tool to archive webpages from the Internet in their original format for offline viewing of resource material in the course of our work, study, research or recreational purposes.

The "iNet2Go" is basically a reproduction media just like the photocopier is used to archive printed hardcopy documents.

The Internet serves different people in different parts of the world in different ways. When we visit the official websites of the various countries to learn and understand about their history, culture, lifestyle and traditional practices, it will help us to overcome the "cyber culture shock", similar to the "culture shock" which some people who visit unfamiliar foreign lands for the first time in their lives will experience. Through the Internet, we have become "World Netizens". We will realise that we are different and yet the same; whatever our nationality, language or geographical location. We share a common global communication space on the Internet. One day in the future, we may receive emails from Martian friends! Who knows ???

The Internet encompasses the entire communication network link via eMail, IRChat, newsgroup forums, bulletin boards, webcam, etc; not just websites on the World Wide Web which Netsurfers visit using the web-browser on their computers, PDAs and other mobile devices.

The Internet is people-driven. It provides a platform or forum for people to exercise their constitutional rights of "Freedom of Speech" to express themselves freely but within limits of acceptable social norms which differs from country to country. Like the real world, the Internet is a "Cyber-World" created by real people, including the "Good", the "Bad", and the "Ugly"(by action, thoughts and words; not by physical appearance). One of the great things about the Internet is that it gives everyone the chance to be a publisher! On the Internet, everyone can publish more or less whatever they like, in the language they are most comfortable with.

By the same token, Netsurfers also have the rights and freedom to choose the website they want to visit, the newsgroups they want to join, the people they want to chat with, and the information they want to gather on the Internet. We just need to be selective in our choice of websites to visit and the type of stuff to read on the Internet.

Another analogy used to describe the Internet is that its like a grand, international buffet banquet where everyone is invited. The varieties of food served from all corners of the globe are there for your picking! You'll be amazed by the "color, fragrance and taste" of the thousands of dishes beckoning and tempting you to try them. Choose your food carefully and don't just grab all. Some dishes (Eg: fried spiders, worms, ants, etc) may not suit your digestive system and will give you stomach upset. Choose discriminately whatever suits you. Exercise your choice wisely!

I have a poster in my room that says "All I need to know about Life I learned from Computers" Hmmm.....quite interesting !

There are hundreds of thousands of informative articles written by Internet experts who have done extensive research in their specialised fields; and who are generous enough to share with us their enriching experiences and findings. The evolution of the Internet is an on-going and ever-changing process. It will never remain stagnant. In a conditioned environment, the only thing permanent about the Internet is change. It is conditioned by people and technological advances. Just like the real world!

For an excerpt of the Foreword by Bob Doe, Editor of "The Times Educational Supplement" in the book "Using the Internet in Secondary Schools", please click here.

This section is supposed to be about "Internet-to-Go"! We have talked quite a bit about the Internet; so we shall now proceed to discuss about the "to-Go" version.

Let's use the analogy that the Internet is one huge public library - the Reference Section of the library; not the Lending Section from where you can borrow the books home to read. The websites are the hundreds of thousands of books and printed material on the shelves. Like the books and resource material you find in the library's Reference Section, the published web content you find on the Internet have "Read Only" access. (i.e you can only view them within the premises) and to share the resource material at the website with other users simultaneously.

Some 30 years ago when I was a young schoolboy, I used to visit the National Library at Stamford Road, Singapore after school hours or on Saturdays. On every visit, I would bring along pencils, notepads and a few sheets of tracing paper (to trace maps for Geography homework) and make a beeline to queue for the limited copies of the Encyclopedia Brittanica or Encyclopedia Americana. We were supposed to study on our own and pass up the notes we have copied at the library to the teachers. Some of these assigned research topics are not found in our school text-books.

Being from a poor family which cannot afford to buy me a decent set of encyclopedias for home use, the only free resources available for me are the public libraries.

In those days, we still call homework "homework". Unlike now, when even primary school students will go to the library to do their "project reports" or "research assignments". Time has changed; so has the vocabulary used by young people today......they enjoy the "Real Thing" from the "Ministry of Enjoyment", eat "Fast Food" and drink " Instant Milk". So things are moving real fast and almost instantly..."Oh Boy, That's really cool!".

At that time 3 decades ago, photocopiers were not as common as they are now. These machines were costly and found only in government departments and big business offices.

Today, photocopiers are widely used everywhere, including the libraries. These machines have become more sophisticated, with more feature-rich functions and are affordable. The photocopier has become a productive, efficient and indispensible utilitarian tool for the modern business world, students and those who need to reproduce documents for reference or archive purposes.

Without the modern day photocopier, it would have taken people many painstaking hours to reproduce textbook material with pencil, notepad, tracing paper and other stationery items.

In a nutshell, "iNet2Go" works like a "cyber or virtual photocopier".

NetWOD is an experimental project which uses off-the-shelf application software combined with an unique technique of compilation to simulate the functions of the real-life photocopier. Its done for the same reasons that Chester F Carlson had invented the photocopier (photostating machine or xerographic machine as it was originally called). The fact that the photocopier has become a necessity rather than a luxury item today is testimony of its usefulness to modern man. The photostating machine with its original crude, simple design has evolved into a must-have equipment in every office. "iNet2Go" adopts the concept of the photocopier for its utilitarian functions; not the technological changes in hardware design features.

The "cyber or vitual photocopier" concept is not new! Other similar products available in the market today are the "Adobe Acrobat" application software which captures web content as a PDF file to be viewed with the Acrobat Reader ( free download from the Adobe website) and the Microsoft Internet Explorer which saves webpages in HTML format and viewable with the MSIE browser in offline mode.

The "Copy and Paste" method is also commonly used but it is tedious and slow. The user will have to highlight certain sections of the web content, select "Copy" on the browser menu; and then "Paste" them to a new document in MS Words or other word processing applications

Of course, the simplest method to archive is to print hardcopies and file them.....while killing more trees in the process.

The distinct difference of the "iNet2Go" technique is that the webpages are captured 'as is' in their original format and then compiled as an executable digital file. It is "proprietary web browser and PDF Reader independent" and has an amazingly high and efficient rate of file compression.