The Importance of the Online World, Ricki Cundliffe

If there's one thing that can be said about the Internet, it is that it has benefitted us in a ridiculous amount of ways. We no longer have to depend on books for reasearch, we no longer look to newspapers to get up-to-date with the fast paced world around us, and we certainly don't need to send a hand-written letter to keep in touch with family and friends. Even this site (even this course) would not be possibly without the Internet - we would not be able to blog, or even understand the meaning of that word because it would cease to exist. There is no doubt about it: the Internet has been shaping our world for years, and will continue to do so everyday.

A big thing you can look to the Internet for in the news (Canadian/World). There is nothing more convenient than overhearing a conversation on the street, and being able to look it up later on that evening from the comfort of your very own home. The amount of money saved on an annual basis thanks to the Internet is outstanding, because the Internet not only delivers local news in replace of ~$1.25 newspapers, but it also gives you access to national, and global news no matter the date or the time.

It is because online news is so important to society that the world has countless operators, or "behind-the-scenes" persons that continue to develop and deliver the news to our screens. It isn't just the writers that are needed to deliver the message, but also editors, marketors, and many, MANY other special interest groups. Thanks to the Internet, editors in particular are able to complete their jobs more efficiently. Some can argue that because of the Internet and the number of articles that are found online, that editors' jobs are harder than ever; they have a lot more work to do. It is my belief, however, that whatever necessary changes that need to be made are done with ease thanks to tools such as Cut, Paste, Insert, etc. Furthermore, it has been learned that journalists and writers themselves are responsible for proofreading their work: it makes them better artists, and takes loads of pressure off editors. If everyone continues to do their jobs (and do them well), there is hardly a better tool known to man to aid society...yet.

Note: Image from: http://www.usalogin.net/images/globe.jpg