As far back as the 1940s, when computers were the size of small buildings, the idea of connecting computers together to share information was first introduced. More than 20 years later, the first system was activated, connecting four computers in the southwest United States. With the development of smaller computers, more and more sites came on-line, but the commands for using the early Internet were strange to people unfamiliar with computers. In 1991, the World Wide Web was created. That, and easy-to-use graphical interfaces, made the Web accessible to average citizens. Suddenly, businesses had the ability to reach millions of customers quickly, easily, and inexpensively. Small companies put up Web pages to promote their products. Large corporations responded by building massive, multi-million dollar web sites with moving images, sounds and games to attract Internet users to their sites. The number of people using the Internet is still growing rapidly. The total amount of annual Internet commerce is expected to reach a trillion dollars by 2003. Whether you're buying or selling, the Internet seems to be the wave of the future as a way of doing business.
c2004 Bluestreak Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
