| Where does the history of IT begin? Well, in order to | | | | of movable metal-type in 1450. After this machine |
| answer this question, one must first understand the | | | | was invented, books began to pop up and the |
| basic concept of information technology as a whole. | | | | concept of a computer was born. Once this was |
| In its most basic form, information technology aims | | | | conceived, there was no stopping civilization and |
| to help communication between computers. This | | | | around the end of the 18th century, |
| form of technology can be completed via input, | | | | telecommunication really began to grow stronger. |
| processing, output, and various other communication | | | | Beginning with the Voltaic Battery and ending with |
| types. Essentially, the history of IT can be split into | | | | the telephone and the radio, communication was |
| four periods: premechanical, mechanical, | | | | really on a role. Once the computer was invented |
| electromechanical, and electronic. Before we delve | | | | (many years later), the history of IT took an entirely |
| into each category, remember that the key word | | | | different sort of path. |
| here is "communication." | | | | Today, almost everyone has some sort of |
| Prior to any form of mechanics, the very first | | | | involvement with a computer, though those people |
| humans sought to communicate through very | | | | that work in the information technology field can |
| simplistic sketches that we now call "petroglyths." For | | | | often work many different jobs. Humans have |
| the most part, these drawings were in the form of | | | | always found a way to effectively communicate (as |
| pictures, and often they depicted daily life. Around | | | | we have seen), which makes this type of technology |
| the year 3100 B.C. the Sumerians came up with the | | | | one of the oldest trades on the face of the earth. |
| cuneiform language, and this became the very first | | | | From the time of the cavemen drawing crude |
| type of written language. After the Sumerians, along | | | | pictures on the sides of walls, to our modern |
| came the Egyptians with their papyrus plants, and | | | | computer obsessed world, the history of IT has |
| they took communication to a whole new level when | | | | come a long way. Even though some believe that the |
| they began to use a form of the modern pen with | | | | Internet has really outdone all other forms of |
| papyrus as a type of paper. | | | | communication that the world has ever seen, just |
| Now, let's skip ahead to the Mechanical Age | | | | remember that the Internet was a mere though |
| (1450-1840). Johann Gutenberg invented the first sort | | | | once upon a time. |