The Internet is changing people’s lives. Not just business people that use the Internet to connect with suppliers and customers, but every person in the global community. It allows doctors to diagnose disease-stricken patients on another continent. It helps the elderly keep in touch with distant family and friends. And it helps school children learn and grow by giving them access to more information than can be held in a thousand libraries. It tears down walls and shrinks distances. It leads to a better understanding of our neighbors, while teaching us more about ourselves. And that’s just the beginning.
With great power, however, comes great responsibility. The Internet is not just the right of the rich. It is not simply a medium over which business is conducted. I believe that the Internet should be used to benefit all people. Some times those benefits are realized by a business using the Internet to lower costs and make their company stronger—thereby making their employees’ jobs more secure. Other times those benefits can be realized by a charity that uses the Internet to raise funds from a national—or global—audience that has a desire to help those that are less fortunate. Either way, I believe in empowering people by using technology to improve lives.