Computers and online technology have given us access to a wealth of materials, including articles, texts, and other documents. In the past, your research for a school project would have been limited to the contents of your local libraries. You could have gotten documents from distant libraries, but the process would have taken weeks, at least. Today you can get many research articles and books in the time it takes to get on the Internet, locate the document, download, or view it. Often, the process can be done in a matter of minutes. In this unit, you will learn how to find documents you want on the Internet.

Computers and online technology have also helped us create a new mail system. In a matter of seconds, you can send a message on the Internet to any other computer system that is online. You can be anywhere and read the mail, even on vacation or at the beach. Sending a letter from Florida to California over the Internet takes seconds, just a few strokes of the keys and a few clicks of a mouse, as you will learn in this unit.

Like all technology, computers and online technology can be used for good and productive purposes or can be used to waste time. The knowledge you gain in this unit will help you operate on the information highway. What you do once you’re on the Internet is up to you. Use it wisely and responsibly.