The intemet is a group of networks, linked together, which is capable of transmitting vast amounts of information from one network to another. The internet knows no boundaries and is not located in any single country. The potential the internet has of shaping our world in the present future is inconceivable. But with all its potential the internet is surrounded by questions of its usage.

The intemet was named the global village by McLuhan and Fiore in 1968, but recently the internet has been more properly renamed the global metropolis. Robert Fortner defines the internet as a place where people from all different cultures and backgrounds come together to share ideas and information.

Communication in a metropolis also reflects the ethnic, racial, and sexual inequalities that exist generally in the society. " (Fortner, p25)

This is different than what most people would think of when they think of a village. A village being made up of people who know each other well and share many of the same valu

"National laws are just that, national in orientation and application. " Harissam p.923

These are the questions that are facing the government, providers, and users. Many users are saying, regulating the intemet is foolish and futile. There is a new act that some are trying to pass in the senate called the Exon/Gorton Communications Decency Act. This act would give the government authority over what can and cannot be sent over the internet. But some users are lobbying voters to write their senators and ask them not to vote for this Act.

This is an example of one server. All the information that passes through it originate from different areas of the world. The point is that this one provider can not possibly be able to review everything that passes through its server, because there is just too much information. It would then be foolish for anyone to think that the provider, or even the government for that matter, can regulate this new technology to prevent certain information from being sent or received. The fact is that this system is still new and has many questions to be answered but we must realize that there is no community in the world that is perfectly have already begun to and will continue to use the internet in illegal ways.

Harissam, Linda Global Networks1993 Mass. Institute of Technology

Some common words found in the essay are:
Senate Committee, Amendment Rights, Robert Fortner, Regulating Internet, Standards Australia, Decency Act, Brown University, Terms Service, Daniel Robbins, Online AOL, child pornography, obscene material, amendment rights, global metropolis, vast amounts information, freedom speech, amounts information, vast amounts, potential internet, deem obscene, isn't using,
Approximate Word count = 1455
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)