The Internet is the most powerful communication medium that has ever been available to us and it is available freely to everyone who can access it. Overt and covert power has traditionally resided with the gatekeeper of information. Now there is no gatekeeper. Putting health information into the hands of the person most in need of it encourages self-help and healthy behaviours.
Power is also the tool of the strong and nothing is stronger than a group.
The Internet allows groups or communities with similar interests but geographically dispersed to form and work together, giving strength to individuals via information, but also power through information to communities. While these terms aren t strictly interchangeable, for the purpose of this paper we will treat them similarly. The Internet began in 1969 as an initiative of the US Dept. of Defence a cable network linked computers for the sharing of documents, the exchange of emails and for research by universities. In the early 1990s a computer scientist worked out a way to also send graphics, sound and video. Commercial on-line service providers provided access for the general population.