Users could simply point and click to find a specific piece of information in a Web site or an already existing database. Although this form of information transmission were originally looked at simply as an organizational tool, it was quickly apparent that the WWW was a new way of distributing complex collections of information very quickly and inexpensively. Many trends and technologies had merged in a unique way to form a new information paradigm. Local Area Networks of PCs have been rapidly replacing mainframe and mini-computers. The Internet connects a wide variety of different computers and operating systems from many vendors.
All computers can transmit information to the others using a common protocol.
All computers share common features. E-Mail, File Transfer, and perhaps most importantly, User Interfaces. All computers share the ability to process hypertext links for easily navigating or retrieving information. These six main technology trends have driven the tremendous Internat usage growth recorded in the last few years. The rapid deployment of Web browsers, all conforming to the same Web standards, on a wide range of computing platforms has propelled this new medium forward by both making information readily available and easily accessible.