We Need An Internet Alternative

Hello, this is TheTechBoy with a special article.

    The internet has become essential for daily life, from checking emails and getting on video calls to finding information on the latest Samsung phone. The internet provides a simple way to do this. However, none of this works offline, which worries me.

    Throughout the 1970s, AT&T made videophones that worked over the phone network. In the 1980s, people worked on computer terminals linked to a mainframe in the office or on personal computers with software on floppy disks. For those who wanted remote work, they could 'dial in' to their office provided they had a modem. Think of Dr. Blackgaard in Adventures in Odyssey's 'The Battle,' dialing into the Whit's End computer, or Nicholas Addamsworth dialing into the school computers to change grades in 'The Power.' This setup, while technically the internet, almost always worked since it operated over phone lines, which worked even in storms and power outages.

    Then in the 90s and early 2000s, we had encyclopedia programs that worked offline. Unfortunately, Microsoft stopped making the Encarta encyclopedia in 2009. Now that broadband internet is ubiquitous, everything is on the web, including phones. Most landlines use VOIP, which, as a side effect, stops dial-up from working and requires power. What if the internet went out? How would we communicate data wirelessly and access information without the internet? In the 70s and 80s, we could do it via the phone network. Now, it’s just the internet. Here is what I propose.

    I propose that we develop more LAN applications. These applications would work over Ethernet/Wi-Fi but without internet access, allowing you to video call and chat with people on your network without sending data to a server. Secondly, more offline applications need to be made. Perhaps an AI-powered encyclopedia that works offline and provides information at the touch of a button.

    Lastly, I propose a new hybrid LAN/WAN network that operates via radio waves. It can be linked to multiple businesses such as local stores, government offices, and libraries. The libraries can allow tenants to search for information, stores for shopping, and government offices for document uploads. I have more to say about this later.

God bless, and Tech Talk To You Later!