The Internet is a distributed network, what that mean is that the information is not stored on one central computer, rather it is spread out over many host computers, tens of thousands in the case of the Internet. Another attribute of a true distributed network is that there are multiple paths to each machine. While not fully the case with the Internet, it does come close, and key information is mirrored on other computers. The Internet is truly a global distributed network, connecting over 30 million users, all industrial nations and a significant number of developing nations.
The distributed and global nature of the net, combined with its distinct ethos, gives it some profound attributes, both at a structural and a social level.