Well, here's one opinion of the "older folk" here. I have become quite dependent upon the internet for many things. Even before there was an "internet" as we know it, I was online as part of my job. Engineers shared things via ftp a long time ago and the University sites were a good source of information. Now, I can research almost any product that I am thinking of specifying on one of my jobs. Previously, I had an office full of product catalogs (usually out of date) and I would have to phone the manufacturer prior to specifying. There was something called "Sweets Catalog" which was a compendium of common products and it cost about $1200.00 per year to update. I haven't used them in years

Aside from my job, music and books were the first things that I searched for when I first got a modem (in 1995). It's hard to believe it's been 10 years LOL. I have always been a book nut and finding old or out of print books meant writing letters to researchers who had access to databases that I didn't. I used to drag my family into used books store in any city that we visited on vacation in hopes that I would find something on my ever present "list". I bet that they are glad that I can find anything I want online at bookfinder.com now

As for music, I have always had access to good local music here in Jersey. Being so close to New York City we were exposed to a lot that other parts of the country didn't get get for quite awhile (or ever). I have mentioned many times that it was my son that turned me on to Bon Jovi way back when. Either I heard stuff on the radio or I heard stuff that my kids played (or my friends played). Then I had to hope that I could find a copy of something for sale in my local record store. This has completely changed for me. Now I get most of my information from the internet, faster and much more accurate that the rumor mill used to be. If I want something old or out of print there are sites that cater to that specialty. And bootlegs - my god - you used to have to belong to mailing lists to get anything. Every once in a while you would find a live record for sale that was not official but not often. Now with bit torrent sites I can have all the old Springsteen or Bon Jovi shows I want. I'm not talking about downloading official stuff here - I mean live concerts.

But, in my opinion. the biggest advantage of the internet is the "world at your fingertips" I can order stuff from Amazon.uk that would not have been sold in this country. I can talk to people from everywhere (such as on this board) and learn a lot about how other people in the world view things. I am no longer dependent on the American press for my news.

I could go on, but you get the picture. I know that there are people my age that have never turned on a computer, and never will, but my life has been made much richer and much easier by the internet. I guess I'd have to say that I am addicted though by no means do I spend all my time online.

Kathleen