Since its inception, the Net's biggest assets have been free. The ease with which information could be disseminated and the camaraderie that surrounded online communities could not be duplicated by any other medium. Yet as the Internet matured, company after company attempted to transform the Net's popularity into profits by offering their own unique spin to Web-based products and services. Thus far, it hasn't worked. But while Internet companies have come and gone, the Net's biggest strengths have remained intact.
Information is still the biggest commodity.
If I'm introduced to a concept I want to learn more about, the first place I go to is the Net. Even if I ultimately turn to other sources such as an expert or librarian, I generally can find enough information via my initial Web search to get a handle on the topic and some direction on where to look for more details. Although many complain about being unable to find the precise information they're looking for on the Web, search engines are getting better every day by employing new technologies designed to increase their efficiency. And not only can you find raw information online, but sites also let you look up addresses and phone numbers for people as well as such basic and fundamental information as area codes, time zones and weather forecasts. Online communities also have managed to survive the dot-com downturn.