OVERVIEW

There is no doubt in people's minds that the Internet has made a significant difference in improving the lives of many people. With the Internet, people today:

* Can find information with the ease of just a few mouse clicks

* Work from home

* Communicate and share with others

* Can be at a level playing field with big broadcasting companies for expressing ideas

* Have more entertainment alternatives

* Can have an alternative income source

* Can go shopping at the comfort of their own home

* Can have a garage sale 7 days a week

EASY ACCESS TO INFORMATION

The local library used to be the hub of any locality for information. Today, through the Internet, the library is almost extinct. With a computer, Internet access, and an Internet browser, anyone can find almost any information about any topic from the comfort of their home!

Before the Internet, people used actual hard copy prints in the library, like the Britannica Encyclopedia or magazine issues to do research. Today, much of the traditional information is available online. Even Britannica Encyclopedia is now available online. Also look at wikipedia.org. Information there is published in 10 different languages. The English section alone holds almost 3 million articles! What library on the planet has that kind of capacity! In addition, news articles are no longer limited to hard copy because newspapers now publish online. Take a look at Mercury News (a San Jose, California, newspaper publisher). The same is true for the New York Times!

These are just but a small sample from the vast information sources of the Internet. Because the Internet is such a mainstream source of information today, people may take it for granted. However, it is "the" biggest improvement to people's lives, whether they realize it or not.

WORK ANYWHERE

The Internet is allowing people to work anywhere now. One doesn't have to be sitting in front of their office desk to work. Through the Internet people can work at home, at a cafe, the beach, or anywhere!

Through the Internet, people can connect to their office network through a VPN (virtual private network) or various Internet capable applications. Remote computer access and e-mail are two main applications used today to allow one to work remotely. At home, all that one needs is a desktop computer, Internet access, and a area at home they can call their home office.

With the availability of laptops today, anyone can work at a cafe. Retail stores like Barnes and Noble and Borders provide Internet "hot-spots" where people can connect to the Internet. The biggest coffee shop-Starbucks-is also generally an Internet hot-spot. Thus, one can be at a coffee shop and still work. How convenient is that!

Hotels today also provide Internet access, and most of them provide it for free. Some people bring their laptop along on their vacation. Some even take it to the

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