Even on a purely grammatical level, it is important to realize the
distinction between the Internet' and an intranet.' The Internet, which
should be always be capitalized is the proper name of the international
network of connectivity, through various domains, networks, and email
addresses. However "intranet," a network confined to a smaller group, is a
generic term that does not deserve capitalization. It would only be
capitalized if one were referring to a specific intranet, such as the
Microsoft in-house Intranet. Furthermore, because the Internet is not a
tangible item, when advertising the Internet' for a specific price, it
would be more accurate to refer to Internet access, rather than the
An intranet is also somewhat conceptually difficult, however, because
an intranet is a part of a greater whole, namely it is a network that makes
use of the Internet even though it does not encompass the Internet.
According to Steven Telleen's article of 1998, even during the relatively
nascent states of internal network development, there was a great deal of
confusion. Telleen stresses that an intranet, like the Internet, is based
upon sharing of content, however the intranet is a local and specific
connection and is based between a select number of Internet users, as
opposed to the frontier-like expanse of the Internet, which can expand
indefinitely, unlike an intranet, which is a specific hub and generally is
based upon sharing specific information between users that have limited
access to the intranet. An intranet can keep people out and can lock
people into a specific hub of the World Wide Web, while a user of the
Internet in general, unless located within the confines of an intranet,
remains relatively unconfined. A management overseer generally organizes
the content of an intranet, as well as protects its users and guards the
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