by Rhonda Buffington

Created on: September 09, 2010

If I have the option to use the internet versus interacting in person, phone, fax, etc. I will choose the internet. I use it for communicating, banking, finances, shopping and research for many topics. If I need a recipe, I connect to the internet to find one. Before shopping locally, I always check prices and product reviews before purchasing. I spend a lot of time on the internet, but most of that time I am being productive.

I first connected to the internet when AOL was the only ISP (internet service provider) available in my area. I had a Packard Bell computer that had an extremely small amount of RAM - 8 megabytes to be exact. While I was using that computer over 13 years ago, it would take me 15 minutes to load a page. That is no exaggeration.

* Finances *

I use the internet to access my bank account and to schedule payments using the bill pay that my bank offers free of charge. I think it is awesome that I can schedule something for the future and know that it will not come out of my account until the date it is scheduled. However, not all banks operate this way. The majority of the banks make it so that you have to have the money in your account somewhere between 5 and 9 days of when that bill is to be paid.

However, the bank I use does not operate that way. It does not seem fair that the banks are allowed to withdrawal the money out of your account before they pay the bill. That would be like your bank taking the money out of your checking account the same day you put your check in the envelope to mail it from your home.

* Communication *

We have so many ways to communicate online. With facebook and Myspace being two of the most popular social sites, their names are known by almost everyone who uses the internet or watches television. I prefer email for communicating. I have other things more important than telling anyone who wants to read it that I have had my cup of coffee or I am going to do something. However, many people feel the need to post their daily plans to the world.

* Research *

I love to research. I spend many hours searching the internet and reading what I find. So much information is available on the internet that it is sometimes hard to determine if the information is correct. Anyone can start a blog or create a website. I always check many different websites when I want to find information. For quite some time, I did not realize that Wikipedia could be written by anyone who wants to write. I no longer use Wikipedia for any research. Most of the information may be true, but I would rather not take that chance.

* Shopping *

Several years ago, I sold and shopped on e-bay. After I had a bad experience with a seller who had over 12,000 feedback and e-bay having such a long process (several months) to get a resolution, I decided it was not worth shopping there. I can usually find it for the same price or less on Amazon or Craigslist.

* Recipes *

I like finding recipes online because I can read the reviews of others that have tried the recipe. They tell their opinion of the recipe. For example, if they thought it was too salty or an ingredient they would not add the next time they make it, you can keep that in mind while making the recipe.

To this day, I am still fascinated with the information that is on the internet. I think it is wonderful that we have so much information available to us with just a few clicks of a mouse. Nevertheless, we have to remember that not everything on the internet is a fact. There are people who enjoy creating viruses and there are those who enjoy writing false information online just as there are those who lie in person. The same common sense we use in our “real world” should also be used on the internet.

Learn more about this author, Rhonda Buffington.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.