Appendix A was a bit of a broad overview of the internet and its history and various elements. I found the reading really interesting, because I've been online since I was 6, and I've had my own connected computer since I was 10, and I've been dabbling and using the internet for school and work and leisure ever since, but I didn't realize how uneven my knowledge really was. There is a lot here I already knew, but mixed in are things I had not considered that I did not know. I never knew a "twisted pair" cord was called that, and I was very unclear about how ARPANET became the Internet. I've dabbled in coding and website building and helping programmer friends with their projects, so I have picked up a lot, but I am realizing that there are things I never considered that I didn't know, even as I've picked up a lot of other things.

I also found the section on open archetecture extremely interesting. It makes total sense that companies would have tried to have their own distinctive versions of computers and networks to try to make a profit. It's good to know how open archetecture allowed so much change and growth. To a lesser extent it reminds me of how every device seemed to have a different type of charging cable a few years back, but now everyone is using USB C, and it's made things a lot easier. It makes me wonder what other opportunities for growth there might be if there was more cooperation and openness in other fields.