World-NET

Key takeaways

World-NET belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect World-NET to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of World-NET from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

World-NET was the first French Internet service provider (along with FranceNet) for the general public in France. It operated from 1994 to 2002.

History Sébastien Socchard, Philippe Langlois, Pierre Séguret and Xavier Niel launched World-NET services on February 15, 1994, after a trip to the United States in 1993, where Internet access was taking off. At that time, the only existing professional Internet service provider in France was Oléane. There was no service available to individuals. World-NET replaced the computer security company SCT (Security Concept and Technology, the security advising company created by Sébastien on October 9, 1988). Franck Arnal and Franck Landais soon joined Sébastien Socchard to develop the service. Connection fees were initially 80 francs per hour, and then on November 11, 1994 they changed to 230 francs per month. World-NET's websites were worldnet.fr and worldnet.net. On September 15, 1994, for the first time in France, hundreds of thousands of connection kits offering three hours of free Internet access were distributed in the computer magazines InfoPC and Le Monde Informatique (an IDG group publication). Millions of CDs were subsequently distributed in several French magazines. In October 1994, World-NET had to handle the influx of 1,000 new subscribers every month, which overloaded its equipment. Even so, PC Expert named World-NET the "best Internet service provider" that same month. In the next two years, the World-NET Access Internet connection kit was distributed in more than 30 books published by Sybex Mc Millan and Micro Application. The kit was first provided on floppy disks, and then on CD-ROMs. World-NET was a pioneer in the emerging general public Internet access market, with innovations such as the first connection kit and the launch of an unlimited connection package costing 99 francs. It was the first in France to provide "personal pages" and to enable faxing to e-mail accounts. Also, World-Net was the first Internet Service Provider to be included in Microsoft Windows in France, allowing millions of users to access Internet. The company was sold on June 12, 2000 to Kaptech.

Timeline On February 15, 1994, the service offering is launched during the "Computer Associates" trade fair. The first subscribers pay 80 francs an hour. World-NET acquires more than 3,000 subscribers the first year, who become the first French Internet users. A single access point is created in Paris. In 1994, World-NET becomes the first French ISP to be distributed in magazines, first on floppy disks (September 1994's InfoPC) and then on CD-ROM and books. In 1995, Xavier Niel becomes World-NET's business angel and acquires a stake in the company. He had been involved from the very beginning, lending World-NET office space and one of his company's 64 kbit/s lines. Even though he is never involved in the company's management, he does provide valuable advice throughout World-NET's existence. In February 1996, World-NET provides national access (through the number 36.64.40.00) at a connection speed varying from 14,400 to 28,800 bit/s. Ten access points are established all over France, which means that everyone in France can now connect to the Internet. Thanks to a very active partnership strategy, World-NET is distributed in more than 30 books on the topic of the Internet (Sybex, Mac Millan, Micro application, etc.). The hundreds of thousands of Olitec modems sold each year also include Worlnet CDs and enable the company to respond to the public's increasing need to connect to the Internet. In May 1996, Sébastien Socchard, head of World-NET, and Rafi Haladjian, CEO of FranceNet, are arrested and jailed for "possession of child pornography," on the grounds that their servers provide access to the most "sensitive" newsgroups on Usenet. This case sparks debate over the legal responsibilities of Internet service providers, who had up to then simply provided technical services allowing their subscribers to access the network, without censorship or screening. The case is dismissed two years later, and the law is changed so that heads of Internet companies can no longer be held responsible for the content available on the web. On January 21, 1997 World-NET is the first company whose Internet access offer is directly integrated into all French computers sold with Microsoft Windows. Users can access the service by simply clicking on the Internet Connection icon. The partnership with Microsoft enables World-NET to acquire thousands of new clients. In June 1997, World-NET reaches over 10,000 subscribers. In November 1997, World-NET offers a 56,000 bit/s connection. For the first time in France, each subscriber can now create a personal web site with the "page perso," forerunner to today's blogs. In August 1998, World-NET provides a service allowing subscribers to receive faxes sent to their e-mail accounts. On December 2, 1998, World-NET supports the boycott against France Télécom's high fees. In August 1999, clients can register .com, .net, and .org domain names via the web hosting service MyWeb.World-NET launches BookMyName.com, a registration service for .com, .net, .org, and .biz domain names. On November 3, 1999, World-NET offers ADSL service with a downstream bandwidth of 512 kbit/s and an upstream bandwidth of 128 kbit/s, at a price of 130 francs per month. World-NET is the last remaining independent operator, with more than 22 million francs in sales and 3 million francs in profits. It is sold the 12 of Jun 2000 to the telecommunications company Kaptech (now Neuf Telecom) and ceases operations on May 31, 2002.

IRC Network World-NET provided an IRC network at irc.worldnet.net. After the domain name stopped being renewed in late 2018, the IRC network has been moved to irc.worldnet.fun and is maintained by volunteers.

See also Internet in France Iliad Xavier Niel World-NET in French

References

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with World-NET

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what World-NET claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to World-NET before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about World-NET ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of World-NET

In research: World-NET appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses World-NET in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: World-NET is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Internet service providers of France, Telecommunication services, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for World-NET outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study World-NET in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what World-NET means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain World-NET out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is World-NET in simple terms?

World-NET was the first French Internet service provider (along with FranceNet) for the general public in France. It operated from 1994 to 2002.

Why does World-NET matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study World-NET?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on World-NET.