The Internet was inspired by Joseph C.R. Licklider's vision of a nationwide
network of computers, and further developed by the U.S. military. Personal computers
made the Internet available to non-institutional users. The most common uses
of the Internet are accessing World Wide Web files, using e-mail, and participating
in mailing lists and USENET groups. It is difficult to estimate the number of Internet users. Usage continues to
increase with teenage girls now the fastest growing group of users. The development
of online commerce has been controversial, since many of the original Internet
users object to their medium being overtaken by commercialization. MP3, audio
file compression software, is a form of convergence that is changing the distribution
of music dramatically. The Internet allows every user to become a publisher. This property has raised
First Amendment issues related to misinformation, online pornography, and copyright
protection. Privacy is another concern, regarding both online communication
and easy access to personal information. The Internet is increasingly being
used as a political forum in which citizens can communicate directly with elected
officials, but runs the risk of closing out those who lack sufficient media
literacy. | 
2002 McGraw-Hill Higher Education