Neither should we be surprised that the growth we are seeing is just a faint precursor of what is to come. Most households and all campuses now have access to computers, many of which are networked to others, and soon fiber optic links will be available at your doorstep. It is not rare today to log on to a computer system and find virtual users from several other countries logged in as well. With the fall of the Soviet Union, this international network is being accessed by people who previously took what information was handed them by their repressive governments. Now they can reach out and freely communicate with people around the world.
Scientists can access the most recent databases, and ideas can be exchanged unfettered.
The potential for such a system is hard to imagine. Right now, for the price of my computer account-my access to the net, I can search newspaper and magazine databases for any topic, I can check airline schedules and make reservations, I can find the weather reports for most cities, I can look up phone numbers and zip codes, I can search dictionaries, encyclopedias and thesauruses, I can retrieve the words to most any Monty Python skit, I can communicate with friends and strangers thousands of miles away, I can travel around the world without leaving my desk. Sure there is frivolous information out there, but I now have access to vital information as well. By logging into a computer that has access to Usenet news I can communicate and read about new ideas and opinions of people from around the world. And on my CompuServe account, which has a small monthly access fee, I can access more valuable information.