The Internet is, quite literally, a network of networks. It is comprised of ten thousands of interconnected networks spanning the globe. The computers that form the Internet range from huge mainframes in research establishments to modest PCs in people's homes and offices. Despite the recent hype, the Internet is not a new phenomenon. Its roots lie in a collection of computers that were linked together in the 1970s to form the US Department of Defense's communications systems. Fearing the consequences of nuclear attack, there was no central computer holding vast amounts of data, rather the information was dispersed across thousands of machines. A set of rules, of protocols, known as TCP/IP was developed to allow disparate devices to work together. The original network has long since been upgraded and expanded and TCP/IP is now a "de facto" standard.

Millions of people worldwide are using the Internet to share information, make new associations and communicate. Individuals and businesses, from students and journalists, to consultants, programmers and corporate giants are all harnessing the power of the Internet. For many businesses the Internet is becoming integ

· Chidley Joe- Caragata Warren. May 1995. Maclean s. "Crime in Cybercity."

Another considerable drawback of the Internet is that it is susceptible to hackers. Hackers are persons that have tremendous knowledge on the subject and use it to steal, cheat or misuse confidential or classified information for the sake of fun or profit. As the world increases its reliance on computer systems, we become more vulnerable to extremists who use computer technology as a weapon. It is called cyber-terrorism and research groups within the CIA and FBI say cyber-warfare has become one of the main threats to global security.

But what is the future of the Internet? The Internet is moving from a relatively passive publishing medium to a truly interactive application deployment platform. It will clearly continue to grow at a fast pace as more and more businesses and individuals discover its power. According to Dataquest, the market analysts, a new Internet account is added every two minutes. Whilst there is no guarantee that the businesses connecting to the Net will "make it big", it is obvious that those which don't will be left behind. But one thing is certain: The Internet is dynamic, will sustain high growth rates and will serve as the platform for international commerce well into the foreseeable future.

But no matter how great and significant the effects of the Internet in our lives might be, there are some quite considerable consequences and drawbacks.

· Birkerts Sven. Jul.1997. National Review. "The Net and the Self."

To make matters worse, the Internet is a world of invisible tracks. You get the impression when you surf the Web that you leave no traces behind you. The truth is rather different. Some sites place spying devices, or "cookies", on your computer's hard drive the moment you log to them, so they can tell which pages of the site you have looked at, when you looked and for how long. A survey last year by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) showed that a quarter of the 100 most popular sites on the Web use cookies to obtain profiles of their users. When you next visit them, they can present you with advertising tailored to your interests, or even send you without your knowledge programs like Java Applets, which can reconfigure a site according to each visitor's tastes.

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Approximate Pages = 24 (250 words per page double spaced)