Ever since high speed Internet access became mainstream, many fell in love with the virtual world the second time around. While many were already teleporting themselves to cyberspace since the turn of the century, a sizeable number of those people still were not that hooked on the Net due to slow connections. Downloading files back then took a considerable chunk of one’s time, while browsing multimedia presentations on Web pages was considered impractical and wasteful due to the minutes, or even hours, that it took for the whole content to load.

The Need for Speed

I guess there is no need to emphasize that today, you could download Britney’s new album without noticing your nails grow right before your very eyes. DSL, cable, and wireless Internet have made almost every human activity possible to be done in cyberspace. For those who loathe the simple but complicated task of replenishing the contents of the kitchen cabinet and refrigerator, getting that cold turkey into the freezer is just a click of the mouse away. Talking to a client or a loved one on the other side of the pond is as easy as yelling “Hi!” to your next-door neighbor through Skype or any of the instant messengers available on the Web. Indeed, almost anything that is conceivable can be performed in or facilitated on the Internet.

Prophesizing the Present

A number of people have dared to prophesize that time will come when people would no longer need to go outside of their homes to do the things that they have to accomplish. While the thought or prediction may be absurd and outrageous, it is actually not that far fetched. Take for example the concept of the “home office.” Many thought that working at home is only possible if your abode doubles as a grocery store, a dental clinic, or a law office. It was also inconceivable two decades ago that you could take your office’s whole database home with you in order to finish something. You would’ve probably needed two trucks in order to do that.

Love It or Hate It

Scientists and programmers have virtually shrunk or converted everything that is tangible into something that is measurable in kilobytes. If it’s something that exists, then you’ll most likely find or know something about it on the Internet. It’s a researcher’s nirvana and an investigators paradise.

Not every information paparazzi is happy, though. Many scholars still think that information derived from the Internet is unreliable. Take for example Wikipedia. Almost all of the data therein are from people who are not in the employ of the information giant. While the data are verified, there’s no assurance that the claims are proven facts.

Whether our continued and increasing reliance on the Internet is good or bad remains to be seen. For now, there’s no question that the information superhighway is revolutionizing things that we thought had already attained permanence. Who knows what barriers this technology may topple or surpass in 10 years time.

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