Internet Turns 40

Robert Charette, a risk management consultant and a contributor to Tech Insider and Government Executive magazine, noted on his Risk Factor blog that Sept. 2, 2009, marks the 40th anniversary of the "official" creation of the Internet, or its predecessor, ARPANET. Charette wrote that at about the same time articles appeared on the 40th anniversary of the Internet, touting its initial intent "to openly and freely exchange information among scientists and engineers," articles were published recognizing other milestones such as:

• Internet users in the United States watched 21.4 billion videos in July and the average online video viewer watched 8.3 hours of video.

• The video game company Electronic Arts proudly announced that its Battlefield 1943 customers had killed more than 43 million enemies in just one week:

• Google said it now lists 330,000 Web sites as being malicious, more than double the150,000 a year ago.

• The London Daily Express discussed various Internet- and technology-related injuries people now have that they didn't 40 years ago.