Computer report II: More power by networking: Whether computers communicate as equals or in a superior-subordinate mode, the outcome is usually positive

Computer networks have evolved for reasons of economics and efficiency to permit information resident in one computer to be shared with others, to enable large numbers of users to have remote access to a computing center, and to control the flow of information from one point to another. Not surprisingly, computer networks have evolved in much the same way as other types of networks in our society such as those in communications, power, and transportation. The evolutionary pattern has been to begin with pairs, which are expanded to chains, which in turn lead to series-parallel arrangements such as trees and loops. The networks are interconnected in a variety of ways - they may be based on superior-subordinate relationships, such as commonly found in task-oriented organizations (e.g., industriai or government networks), or else they may be predicated on a more democratic relationship because of more general goals (e.g., networks for research and education).