Introduction to information systems T. Cornford, M. Shaikh is1 060 2013

Activity
The UK government’s main presence on the web in terms of services to citizens is
www.direct.gov.uk/
Find your own government’s main website or portal.
In this way, it is argued, all manner of services can become more accessible 
and available to their population. There are, however, some problems, and 
not everybody can access the web, has the skills to do so, or even the right 
equipment.
Activity
Research and write up a brief description of what each of the following internet related 
protocols and standards do and how they work:
TCP, IP (often combined with TCP), FTP, SMTP, HTTP and HTTPS, HTML and XML.
Individuals and large corporations use the internet. However, for 
companies, the example of publishing information – using browsers to 
find what is needed and generally sharing information – has led them to 
consider using the same model for their internal communication needs. 
These are known as intranets (intra means inside). 
The internet has very significant consequences in breaking down national 
boundaries and jurisdictions. A business may be registered in country 
A, operate from country B and sell goods to consumers in country 
C – perhaps avoiding any tax liability in any of the three countries. 
Information of all kinds can flow into and out of countries with almost 
no effective control. Some see this as a good thing, bringing the world 
together; others see it as a significant risk. For these reasons the question 
of ‘regulating the internet’ is often raised in international fora and by some 
governments.
Activity
Find out how many different types of business from your country offer their products 
or services over the internet. Are any targeted to overseas clients? Which are most 
successful? Why do you think that is? Are there any obvious missing types of business 
– what do you think this may be? There may be some cultural or developmental 
explanations for lack of take up; for example, the desire to bargain and haggle, or lack of 
credit cards or the desire to keep transactions ‘informal’.
What is the most successful e-government service in your country? What do you think lies 
behind this success? What benefits do people, and the government, obtain from these 
services? Do they both obtain benefits equally?
What are the main issues that arise in your country about the way that the internet opens 
up information and allows it to flow across borders?
Are there any controls on information accessed through the web in your country? Are 
they effective? Do you believe this situation should be changed in any way?

---

Chapter 4: Contemporary trends in information and communication technologies
63