ater variety of subjects, from a greater variety of teachers. The most important facts about the Internet are that it contains a wealth of information, that can be sent across the world almost instantly, and that it can connect people in very different locations as if they were next to each other. Most claims for the importance of the Internet in today's society are based upon these very facts. People of like minds and interests can share information with one another through electronic mail and chat rooms. E-mail is enabling radically new forms of worldwide human collaboration. Approximately 225 millions of people can send and receive it and they all represent a network of potentially cooperating individuals belittling anything that even the mightiest corporation or government can assemble. Mailing-list discussion groups and online conferencing allow us to gather together to work on a multitude of projects that are interesting or helpful to us. Chat rooms and mailing lists can connect groups of users to discuss a topic and share ideas. Materials from users can be added to a Web site to share with others and can be updated quickly and easily anytime. Today the Internet is a highly effective tool for communicating, for gathering information and for cooperation between distant locations. There is continuous development and improvement. Many businesses are discovering new ways to reach their customers, new ways to improve efficiency, new products and services to sell. In the next 10 years, somebody will figure out how to charge for information on the Net, so you won't get things necessarily for free. That will have several good effects, including a way to pay authors for their work. And because of the economic incentive, it will become easier to filter out the good from the bad. The Web is like a library that many people access for the sake of ease. Arguments can be made for the advantages and disadvantages of the Internet, but most people...
