We live in a time of amazing advances in technology. The world around us changes constantly and we are now able to learn about events happening half way around the globe seconds after they occur. The opportunities are enormous. A global marketplace has opened up and anyone with a computer can now jump in to areas like online sales with little more than a home computer. New social opportunities have also been created as people have reached a new level of connectivity that most people would never have imagined twenty years ago. The information age is upon us and each person will find a different opportunity in what lies before them.

The online marketplace is a vast landscape that beckons people looking for ways to increase their income. People have learned to use the computer to build websites which advertise any type of business imaginable. Online marketers have learned that people will actually pay money to gain access to the information they seek. Online eBooks and private forums now thrive as people put up websites designed with the sole purpose of providing people with the knowledge they seek. Even without having to pay a cent, people are able to gain access to short articles on almost any subject the have an interest in learning about. Other people, using sites like eBay, have learned to take advantage of today's technology by selling actual merchandise. Some people have even followed this path as a method to replace the income they previously earned at a more traditional occupation.

On a social level, computers connected to the Internet have brought entire cultures together. Teachers can now connect with classrooms across the planet to allow their classes to experience other cultures. Real time conversations with people in far off countries can teach volumes more than the same amount of time spent studying a text book. On a more personal level, social interactions on the computer can also be found on dating sites which allow users to actually screen potential friends or love interests by reading their profiles before they ever make contact. Whether this is a good or bad thing is a subject of debate, but it cannot be denied that the Internet has done a great deal to facilitate bringing people with similar interests together.

Although there is a world of opportunity available thanks to the Internet, it can still be a wild and untamed place. Children should never be allowed to have unlimited access without proper adult supervision. There are dangers that they need to be protected from as they learn how to safely navigate the vast virtual landscape. With proper use and a bit of discretion, the Internet can be a fabulous tool. The advances in technology keep coming at a breakneck pace. The possibilities seem endless at times, but we should use a bit of caution as we venture forward. The new technology is fascinating, but we are on new ground and we should consider carefully where the roads we take might lead us.