If someone asked you to describe the technology which best symbolizes the Information Age, which piece of technology would you describe? Would you say cell phones or computers? Or in your opinion, perhaps satellites and high definition televisions best describe the Information Age? If I were asked this question, my immediate answer would be the Internet. For most people, the Internet is a tool that they use to share information with others, where they check their emails, or play games, or watch movies and videos. But the Internet is much, much more than this. In my opinion, the Internet is to the Information Age what the steam engine was to the Industrial Age, a powerful tool which will open the gates which will allow humanity to reach a higher level.
The level that humanity will be able to reach with this tool would be impossible without it; for there is no other technology in existence which can allow this level to be reached. The global interconnected network which is today known as the Internet is a fundamental step towards humanity reaching a higher consciousness. While some of you reading this may think that these statements are a bit over the top, by the end of this chapter, you will understand their significance.
While the Internet is being rapidly adopted around the world, the truth of the matter is that this technology is still in its infancy, and only a small segment of the population is using it for the purpose of self employment. A number of studies have indicated that well under 20 percent of the population is using the Internet for small business or self employment purposes. Of those people that use the Internet, the vast majority use it as tool for checking email, downloading files, or playing games and watching the news.
Despite this, there is a small but growing group of people who rely heavily on the Internet in order to make money; these individuals use the Internet as their primary tool, not only for the transfer of money they have earned, but for the generation of knowledge and skills which allow them to make money. For these individuals, the Internet is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. To understand the power of the Internet, and why it is the ultimate weapon for the freelancer, it is first important to understand the definition of the Internet itself.