As a webmaster, I'm on the internet almost half my day, everyday. The internet not only provides me with good ideas for fresh content to publish here but is also a way to test my skills and l3v3l 0f l337n3ss via online gaming.

I can also connect with my good friends all over the globe via AOL/MSN Messenger or chat live using headphones and a mic utilizing software such Teamspeak/Ventrillo. The internet has literally made the world a much smaller place and if used wisely, can be a good, limitless resource for many aspects of your daily life.

If your a parent you'll probably remember the days of studying, doing your homework or perhaps, trying to put some meat on the bones of a book report. I'm sure you'll remember (and not with fondness) the sheer amount of time it took to put something together that actually made sense. I remember trying to grab whatever info I could from dictionaries, the public library and my parents’ outdated versions of Encyclopedia Britannica which still read like stereo instructions to this day. A good book report could actually take me weeks to put together simply because of all the drafts and fluff I had to add to give the impression that I actually understood the subject matter (which often times I didn't).

The days of endless searching for snippets of relevant information are long gone as now I can just connect to the internet, go to google, type in my search query and instantly be looking at thousands of possible sources of good information. Not only can I find what I'm looking for locally, but I can connect on a global scale to find out how my subject matter is viewed all over the world. What used to take me days to produce has been cut down to mere hours with the bulk of the time spent in editing now in the interests of readability.

Following are what I believe to be some really good reasons for embracing the internet:

• Keeping in touch with friends and loved ones: You no longer have to spend a month crossing the Sierra's nor do you have to jump in the Family Truckster and drive thousands of miles just to reach out to loved ones. You can now connect with your loved ones online, keep in touch via e-mail and even send pictures and video.
• Online Gaming: Like it or not, this is one of the biggest forms of entertainment in today's world. Why spend $40.00 for a bad seat and stale popcorn to watch a two hour movie when you can spend around $60 (on average) and become a character within a fictional environment? Not only is the entertainment value contained in gaming a release from the pressures of everyday life, it's also a good mental escape and stress reliever.
• Multi-Media: Site's such as YouTube and video.google.com, allow you to see virtually any kind of content you can imagine online. Not only this, but you can catch sports all over the world as it happens or keep up on your favorite band as you preview their newest release.
• Shop Online: ever hear of e-Bay? Now you can shop online and have virtually anything delivered to your door from the comforts of your own home. Even better, you can compare prices on purchases without ever leaving your chair so no more haggling; just find the item cheaper somewhere else.
• Online Banking: No more standing in line with 3,000 other irate customers waiting for that one teller who's trying to look busy but is obviously not doing anything.
• Meeting new friends: This is the best part actually. Since starting lifesupporters.com, I've met some truly good people online and I can honestly say that I consider many of them to be some of the greatest people I know! It is extremely unlikely I would ever have gotten to know these fine folks without the internet.
• Freedom of Speech: Another good thing about the internet is it allows everyone a vehicle to express themselves in front of the world. This happens to be one of my most favorite traits of the internet, for obvious reasons.

There are good and bad sides to virtually everything. Yes there are nefarious areas to avoid and other bad things about the internet but the same can be said for walking down the street at night alone. Ultimately it's up to you to not only find and embrace the positive aspects of the internet, but to help your children do the same. The internet is quite obviously here to stay so it's best if you learn to embrace it and help give you child a leg up on their future by helping them embrace the internet as well.

Discuss good things about the internet in our forums.

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