Sometimes the commercials that you see on television really get you thinking. It's not that I get a lot of time to sit down and watch tv, but when I do, it's hard to miss all the crazy commercials, especially the ones with the catchy phrases and jingles that marketing experts design to stick in people's heads. Some of the most interesting commercials lately have been those that focus on either insurance or the internet. In today's post, I'm going to focus on those commercials that talk about the internet that advertise how the prices continue to fall while the opportunities that you have with your service continue to increase. I remember way back when, when average middle-class people just started having internet access on a regular basis. Sure, it wasn't all that long ago when everyone had America Online and Prodigy, and we used the good ole dialup modem to connect to the world wide web. When you consider how far the technology has come and how widespread internet use has become, it seems like it's been decades. Things have progressed from single phone lines, to having a second phone line for the modem, to DSL, to cable internet, to wireless canopies starting to blanket many large cities around the country. With the advent of all these new technologies and the continuing decrease in prices for better and better service, it's not difficult to see how a growing number of households in America (and probably around the world) have constant LAN, cable, or DSL internet connections so that having access to the web is as easy as clicking a button. Gone are the days when you had to sit down, and hope that the modem was going to connect you through those one or two access numbers that internet service providers used to offer their customers. With static IP addresses, such waits are no longer necessary. My guess is that all these commercials that offer such low monthly prices for internet service have the old school providers like America Online seeing red. Most of the people who I recall used to have America Online no longer have to use the service but have still been able to keep their email addresses and screen names due to the widespread use of instant messaging programs. AOL executives would have been fools to have forbidden former customers from keeping these things. Many cities now even have internet providers who work along with electricity, phone, and cable companies to provide internet service as a part of a monthly media package. This is the case back home, as most people in my family and in my hometown are all members of a city network. Even apartment complexes (including my own) have started to include cable internet (both wireless and LAN) as part of the monthly rent. Even some people who aren't fortunate enough to have internet access of their own can jump on their laptops and feed wireless internet (though illegally) from other wireless canopies surrounding their home or apartment. The presence of all these opportunities to have instant access to the internet has perpetuated the habit and mindset that many individuals (myself included as you could tell from my last post) have regarding internet use. The truth is that, whether it's good or bad, the presence of easily accessible internet is only going to grow. Restaurants and cafes continue to attract students and others by offering free wireless internet to patrons so that you can sit, surf the net, do homework, all while enjoying your lunch of coffee. I personally find the system to be a great idea, but then again, I do have the internet habit that I've been talking about. I'm sure that others feel differently, and it's likely that a lot of you fall into that category. Let me know about your personal experiences with the internet revolution and how you feel about the internet being readily available (at least in wirelss form) all over the place these days. I'd love to hear what you think!