He is a participant, not a total ignoramus who pays for everything. Who will read an article about Nuclear Physics on the Internet or about Jung if he doesn't have some knowledge of the matter. But the same happens on the newsstands and in libraries, so Internet hasn't introduced any changes in customs. This is not a point against email. It gives you all the time you need to ponder your answer.
Email has more value than the telephone because the written word stays.
When there is no hierarchy of values, it's not democracy, it's anarchy. Money lost meaning with the advent of the credit card. We are naturally protected from excess of information on the mental as well as on sensory levels. Facing the extreme wealth of information, we appreciate differently but not less. We don't perceive the material world directly, only impressions of it.