by Wayne Flower

Created on: July 02, 2009   Last Updated: July 03, 2009

The Internet

As with all new technology that comes into our lives, the internet can be a blessing and a curse. I see it as far more of a blessing. I come to you as a late adapter who was immersed in technology at a rapid rate as the result of starting a new career in computer and internet related industries in the late 90's. As late as 1998, I still used an old Commodore Amiga 500 to write on (a computer so old many now reading this may not even know what it is!). I had to load 4 floppy discs just to boot the writing program!

After being asked to work for an internet based TV and radio commercial delivery company (they owned a commercial recording studio that I was interning at) I was dunked headfirst into the world of computers and internet technologies from a client perspective. In this role, I could see the internet utilized in ways I had never thought of, ways that saved people time, money and helped them avoid stress. I grew to instantly appreciate the empowerment and freedom achieved from using this tool that sprang up out of nowhere and into all of our lives.

Convenience and Time Saved

You can see the power of the internet immediately after first using it, especially after sending your first email. Once you get used to sending emails, you appreciate the value of being able to communicate something and be done with it then and there. The recipient gets it when they are able to and a phone call is no longer necessary for communicating certain types of information. This is all old news to most of us now, but for me at the time, it was one of the most important realizations of the power of this thing we cannot physically touch but through interface devices (nerd speak for keyboards, mice and monitors)the internet.

To understand the importance and power of which I speak, you need only to think of how many times you may have used Mapquest or Google Maps to find an address and the best route to get there. This is another internet convenience we all take for granted, one that has made all of our lives much easier, especially when visiting unfamiliar places.

Online banking and bill payment are other time-savers that the internet has brought us, not to mention the fact that this also saves trees from not having to use payment slips and envelopes to pay bills or use forms and slips at the bank.

Power To The People

Online social networks are a great way to easily keep in touch with people and to get back in contact with folks you have not corresponded

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