In 1991, future Vice President Al Gore (D-TN) sponsored the High Performance Computing Act of 1991 which lead directly to increased funding for new Internet technologies. The "Information Superhighway" was born, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Though Gore was mercilessly ridiculed for claiming to have "created" the Internet, no doubt exists as to his role in fomenting a new technological revolution based on electronic information sharing and retrieval. With the development of an easily accessible graphical user interface (GUI) and text-based hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), information could now be shared globally through social networking websites, Internet discussion forms, online groups, personal and corporate websites, blogs, video-sharing sites, and more recently, online "virtual" worlds. E-mail and file transfer protocol (FTP) allow for quick communication and easy file transfer.

Mobile chat, texting, and instant messaging facilitates immediate communication, so much so that they have become all the rage to our younger generation. So popular and widespread has texting and instant messaging become, an entire new language based on a phonetic combination of letters and numbers has emerged. "UR L8! CU L8TR U JRK!" a stood-up girl may message to her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend.

Looking at the big picture, the Internet has truly made the world increasingly smaller, and inescapably interconnected. Borders are slowly being marginalized as intercontinental communication is leading to increased understanding and a recognition of such universal human aspirations as freedom, democracy, and spirituality. No longer are we isolated and alone; for through the emerging global community we are clearly becoming a part of something much larger than ourselves.

The aspect of Internet technology I am particularly excited about is in the area of education. With new multimedia features, Internet surfers can now view interactive educational material whose topics span from environmentalism to energy issues to global warming to sustainable living. An increasing number of educational institutions and private e-learning firms are offering web-based training to a global audience (an area I'm intimately familiar with as a courseware developer). Free online courses are available with a quick Internet search using your favorite search engine. And numerous health-based websites help educate us about what's going on with our bodies.

In our competitive world today, education truly is key. Greater education truly leads to increased self-reliance, democracy, better healthcare, and a better life for all. Harnessing the Internet to educate citizens in underdeveloped countries may be a challenge in terms of cost and connection speed, but its potential to lift people out of poverty and into a new life of freedom and prosperity cannot be overlooked. If we want to make the world a better place, education through the use of Internet technology is a key piece of the global prosperity puzzle.

Overall, the Internet has become an inescapable, essential facet of our everyday lives. Looking forward, it will not only become more social; it will eventually move out of your computer tower unit and will literally surround us. But for now, the power of the Internet to change our world for the better is significant and is very exciting to say the least.

Learn more about this author, Daniel J. Gansle.
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