Yet another assignment in Expository Writing to write a compare and contrast paper on the world before the internet, and after. Yes it is a simple premise, and it was assigned. I didn't get to chose, but here it is none the less. (Some friends care to read these others dont.. Idgaf either way :) It's what my life currently consist of... so i share it.)



Information Age
A marvelous technology is utilized today that some take for granted. Many do not realize how much the world has changed, due to the advent of the Internet. I surmise that it has a lot to do with how old some one is. The younger generations that have used the web most of their lives have no idea of how life was before. Using the net is all they’ve known; they have nothing to compare it to. On the other hand, I remember the impact the Internet had on modern life and culture. I watched as the Internet grew into a dominant factor in our society that has created social microcosms, and brought about a new age of shared information. For some, the Internet is the hub of their lives. People can go online to pay bills, order dinner, talk to friends and family, and research information on nearly anything; they can do all of them simultaneously, and at one place. It is a wonderful tool that can make people more productive.
There are online stores for virtually every product. People can go to an online store, and pick out things that they wish to purchase from the pictures, and descriptions of the products. Credit cards are used for the transactions, and consumers can do it from the comfort of home. On sites like E-bay, one can find basically any collectible, furnishing, electronic device, and antique. Before, one would have to search through catalogs or go to various stores until they found what they needed, which can be quite time consuming. Now, the items you need are only a keystroke away. Others may choose to sell things, on E-bay and other sites, like my friend’s mother does. Hence, the web has, also, allowed common citizens the opportunity to be entrepreneurs. It gives those who sale products a larger consumer base than their immediate, or surrounding area. Before the net, some businesses had limited means to advertise themselves; the web has made that aspect of their businesses much easier for them, allowing them to reach a broader range of consumers.
The social networking websites have, also, left an indelible mark in the fabric of American life. The Myspace phenomenon has given rise to a slue of other sites with the same premise; such as, Beeboo, Facebook, Fubar, Myyearbook, and Tagworld; the list goes on, and on. There are a large number of people who use sites, like Myspace, as a primary means of communication with others in their lives, and even to meet new people. Communicating online, whether via instant messengers, emails, or on social networking sites, has considerably decreased the need for traditional mail. Instead of having to write letters, and trifle with envelopes and postage, one can simply type a message and send it to a contact in seconds. This saves everyone a lot of time, and hassle.
Perhaps, the most profound impact the Internet has had on our society is the sharing of information. There are online language translators, dictionaries, thesauruses, encyclopedias, and subject based sites that offer an abundance of reference material. The ease of access to the data has revolutionized the world. Libraries and books versus the Internet are as relative today as 8-track and cassettes were to compact discs and mp3s. The actual research time, on any given subject, has been significantly reduced. Prior to the web, researching topics would involve looking up, and finding books that may have information on a subject, and then, pouring over the reference material that amassed to find the relative passages. It is the equivalent of finding needles in a haystack. Today, one can find information within seconds, and be given a list of relative links, based on the keywords that are used. One can even go to school online, and take advanced college courses. The sharing of information is just one of the many improvements the Internet has brought to modern life.
Wiring the Earth with fiber optic cable, and organizing the endless information humanity gathers is essential to the development of mankind. We were mired, bogged down by the sea of data, and lack of communication before the web. The net has nurtured the organization of information, communication, business, free thought, expression, and speech. The World will never be the same, and I welcome it. The Renaissance encompassed a revival of learning, and educational reforms; I think that the Internet has sparked a modern Renaissance on an international scale. This is, indeed, an exciting time in the progression of mankind.