There's no question about it: when our grandchildren and great-grandchildren look back at the history of our times, they will view the internet as one of the most profound technological shifts in all of history. It has changed the way people acquire information, communicate with each other, and do business. Just like historians regard the early 19th Century as the Industrial Revolution, they will regard the current era as the "information revolution", as it has opened up vast new mediums of knowledge to the public commons.

True, there is a lot of junk in the internet, but I grade the internet as an overall positive development.

But some regard this informational revolution as a threat. Decian McCullough from CNET.com wrote an interesting and eye-opening article about a bill in Congress being pushed by Sen. Jay Rockefeller that will grant the President the power to declare a "cybersecurity emergency" for particularly any reason.

I do know that Rockefeller isn't a friend of internet freedom and has sought in the past to control it's usage.

Here's the link to the article: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10320096-38.html
I encourage everyone to take a look at it, and if it interests you more, read the actual text of the bill, which is linked in the story.

About 25 countries have laws in the books regarding "internet security" in one respect or another. A few others, including China and the US, are considering it. The trend seems to be towards less internet freedom. I'm sure all of us who use sites like RIA take very seriously the right to publish and read whatever material they desire to without state interferenece.

Fewer excuses for ignorance? Hmmm....
Anyway, thanks Al Gore.

Made an ever Shrinking world even Smaller and gave us less Excuses for ignorance. But Let us keep our Heads here, this is the internet, it is not like someone Re-invented the wheel.

Gotta Have my myspace & Porn lol....

Its the equivalent of my rating of a personal PC

Couldn't be doing this without it!

Definitely 5. Definitely 5. Definitely 5. Definitely 5.

*Music from 2001: A Space Odessy playing in the background*

As I've already said in my review of the personal computer, the internet has greatly changed the way the world works. Since the description mentions CERN, as one example, I could connect to computers at CERN right now and start working on computers that are on the other side of the world.

The internet changed the world by removing (to the end user) the concept of distance=cost when moving information.

Back in the dark days the farther you moved a byte, the more you were charged.

WE ARE ALL USING IT RIGHT NOW!

You know what it's for... :)

(sniff) Thank you, Al Gore...

Certainly has made a change, the effects of which are ongoing and still difficult to measure.

It can be said, however, that its so-called "revolutionary" nature is over-blown. In many cases, some of its effects (home shopping, email, etc.) are simply to allow us to do existing things in a different manner.

As an information and research tool it leaves a lot to be desired. Too few quality controls, and too much garbage to be filtered.

For me, the big downside of it has been giving mouth-breathing, lathe-turned, knuckle-dragging, gap-toothed, grain-fed morons access to a broad audience for their so-called opinions, art or whatever, without any let or hindrance.

I cannot imagine any business, workplace, school or even home without the internet. It's not even a luxury anymore its a necessity.

With the internet we have access to entire libraries just with the touch of a button. We also have access to things like this website to find out what others think, or get advice about products. Pictures, Stories, Communication, entire department stores! All on the internet. Gotta love it.

A major component of the transition from an industrial society to a service/information society.

Certainly significant, but has it really changed our lives in as profound a manner as some of these other inventions? Of course, the real impacts may be yet to come. I share Al Franken's concern about possibility of the e-mail unibomber. Franken says, "One day, you'll get a message 'you have mail.' You click on the box and Kablam! Pretty scary, huh? That's why I oppose the Internet."

The #1 communication medium in the world today. You can communicate with people, post opinions on websites like rateitall.com, shop and buy stuff, watch music videos, download cool songs, and heck, even college students can take coursework online. It's like a library, arcade, radio, TV, movie theater, and telephone all in one!

The internet is simply amazing. In fact, I would say the internet is the lead player in the communication revolution going on at hand. We can voice our opinions and talk to one another no matter where we are. I can keep in touch with my family in New York from California with amazing ease. However, the implications go beyond me life...Think about all the represive governments in the world (Cuba, China..etc), whose people are voicing more of an opinion against them because they can see the whole world beyond the oppressive insulation. Truly the internet is leaving some impacts that cannot currently be contemplated.

Most of the inventions on this list have their disadvantages, thus keeping me from giving them a perfect rating. With the Internet, it's stuff like spam, porn, and those dreaded hackers and viruses. But I like the Internet overall; you've got loads of information at your fingertips, and you can have a lot of fun, to boot. If you're careful and watch your step at all times, you can't go wrong.

I agree with Pbeavr,thank God for Al Gore!!!This man is a genius.

I think our grandparents/parents should be given large sums of money or trophies or something for successfully growing up, getting jobs, finding their way around, and just plain surviving without the assistance of the internet.

I think we have only seen the tip of the iceberg...

what more can you say... it has brought the world so much closer and provides the best way of long distance communication and has saved money for countless resons! It has changed the way we do business, and has made it so much easier for people to find people to talk to when they need soemone. I give big shouts out to Microsoft and Cisco for making networking easy and fun!!! Also give big shouts out to the Backbone and other providers that work hard to make the internet work better...

Life now a days is run by computers lokk every one we are on the net right now and every work place theres the net, school have them communication is so much easier. Life would be diffrent with out the net.

Another long range communication device that let's people talk around the world.