In today's world, the first place people turn to when there is a question to be answered, information to be located, or people to be contacted, is often the Internet. Yes, the Internet may have supplanted the traditional encyclopedia as well as a number of other sources of service and information. We can make reservations, plan vacations, play interactive games, learn a language, listen to music or radio programs, read the newspaper, and find out about a medical condition, without coming face to face with another person. There is no limit to the subject matter you can research on the Internet. Just go to a search engine such as Yahoo or Google, type in a few key words or a Web address, and presto, you will probably summon links to more sources than you could have imagined. The Internet allows you to remain at your computer and shop no matter what you wish to purchase. And if you are looking for a bargain or an unusual item, you can go to a popular auction site and either sell or buy.
If, however, you do wish to speak directly to a person, there are the chat rooms. On practically any given topic, groups of people converse with each other. They may be giving opinions about a perfect travel itinerary, a book, or even a political party. The most prevalent use of the Internet also involves directly writing to a person, and that is the sending of e-mail messages to friends and associates. It is possible to communicate instantly with anyone, anywhere, as long as there is an Internet connection. In a world where people frequently travel, where families do not necessarily live in the same neighborhoods, e-mail is a means of making simple, inexpensive, immediate contact. Not only do we send verbal messages, but also now digital cameras take pictures that can be stored and then instantly transmitted on the Internet.
Unfortunately, there are individuals who subvert the opportunities offered by this technology. They are less than honest, disguise their identity, bilk people in financial scams, and entice unsuspecting people, including children, into giving them personal information. Caveats about these problems are currently being publicized so those Internet users will not be victimized.
Of course, the Internet providers, such as AOL, hope to make a profit, and there is usually a monthly fee for the hookup. To increase the profits, the providers sell advertising, which may pop up on the subscriber's screen and require the user to stop and respond, either positively or negatively, to the ads.
When you consider that, among other things, you can hear a concert, read a book, visit a museum and view its contents, visit the websites of numerous individuals and organizations, play a game with one or more people, and pay your bills, you will realize that the uses of the Internet are too vast for a short list. Most would agree that much has been added to peoples' lives by connecting them to the Internet, and that we probably cannot anticipate what new purposes will be explored in the future.
المفضلات