It can be argued when the internet was created, but what is more important is when it was first introduced to the public. On December 9, 1986 Doug Engelbart and his group of researchers presented a 90 minute demonstration of the online system NLS(1968Demo.html). This rudimentary program intro

(cluetrain, 4). Even when there was just plain scrolling text there were still conversations between people. The internet invited participation. The World Wide Web is a vessel in which we can broadcast ideas, thoughts, or our naughty little secrets. We can manipulate the web in any way we want and unlike television the web allows us to interact within it. It is also the source of a deep hunger that pervades modern life; a longing for something entirely different from the reality enforced by everyday life(cluetrain, 1-11). In today's society there is an overwhelming amount of people and to get noticed by a large majority of them is impossible, take it your not a pop icon sensation. The internet makes people feel like the have a voice, like what they do makes a difference. Ok, granted your homepage on a fifty word website won't exactly raise you to pop icon status, but it's still out there available for anyone in the world to look at. In many ways, the internet more resembles an ancient bazaar(cluetrain, xxi) where people can trade ideas, sell wares, and talk. It's a refreshing change from the mind numbing passive act of watching television. This has also been significantly impacted by the introduction of the internet. The relationship between TV and the internet may not look important on the surface, but it is. Television has been our only way of looking at the world visually for the past several decades and the internet is slowly turning people away from the old boob tube.

With people becoming enticed more by the idea of interaction and direct manipulation that the internet provides, TV has had to adapt to try to keep its audience. The development of metashows, or shows interested not in telling stories but in riffing on other media(Johnson, 25) have exploded like wild fire in the mid 90's. These shows dissect and sample from larger ideas providing filtered information catering to mass appeal to indie cachet(Johnson, 27). Shows like the Daily Show, Pop-up Video, and the E-channel are all examples of this. Alongside the metashow is the recent outbreak of reality TV. Shows like the Real World, Road Rules, American Idol, Survivor, and the list can go on, rely on the viewer feeling like there is some type connection between themselves and with the people on television. The action and events on reality shows aren't staged so they seem more tangible; we are meant to feel connected to these people because they're the "average joe" participating in these events. Unlike metashows t

Some common words found in the essay are:
Ivan Sutherland, Wide Web, Internet Economy, Idol Survivor, , Interface GUI, Doug Engelbart, Doug Engelbert, Video E-channel, Englebart's NLS, people internet, day internet, average joe, online system, internet form, internet businesses, pop icon, recycle bin, unlike television, today's society,
Approximate Word count = 1680
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)