The Information Age is well under way, fueled by the development of the personal computer and more massive computer systems utilized by business and government. The Internet and the World Wide Web have opened a world of information to the individual user and the corporation alike. This has altered the way management designs the company and manages every aspect of business. In the new era, there are haves and have-nots on all levels, and individuals or companies that cannot make good use of the Internet will be at a competitive disadvantage in the marketplace. At the same time, a small company that can take full advantage of the Internet can compete successfully with such larger companies. The balance of power is thus changed by the new technologies.
The Internet and World Wide Web have transformed the way local cultures produce and maintain solidarity regarding what should be accepted as facts. These technologies provide a level playing field it is no longer the case that those with the most massive resources will have the biggest audience. Indeed, many small sites command huge followings. The Internet and the Web allow for the quick dissemination of information, both false and true; unlike newspapers and other media outlets, there are often no quality control mechanisms on Web sites that would permit users to know what information is generally recognized fact and what is spurious. On the Internet and the Web, facts more easily escape from their creator's or owner's control and, once unleashed, can be bandied about. Groups that wish to control what is perceived as fact will find the Internet a threat. Those groups that hail competition between outlooks will welcome what the Web has wrought (Katz 194-199).
Much of what is foreseen for the information superhighway is embodied in "The National Information Infrastructure: Agenda for Action," produced by the Information Infrastructure Task Force (IITF), a group forme...