One nation – the world of cyberspace.

Some people find the Web 2.0 confusing, some people dismiss it as irrelevant and some people want to be ‘online’ 24 x 7. For me, the great thing about the Web is that it’s there if I want to it and not if I don’t. I can just switch it off and on like my other electrical appliances.

Having spent large amounts of my life online, I have learned to pick and choose what I do on the Web, where I shop, where I go for conversation, where I go for information and what kind of news I read. At work, the value of the Internet cannot be overstated, being able to access new information and technology quickly is extremely important.

However, I understand that my view of the Web is not shared by everyone and there are still people out there who are afraid to believe anything they read online. But to those people, I would say read ‘The New Rules of Marketing and PR’ by David Meerman Scott. Scott’s brilliant view of the Internet paints a picture of a place that I truly recognise.

He dismisses the view of many people that the Web is like a large sprawling newspaper and rather describes it as a huge city teaming with individuals. “Craigslist is like the bulletin board at the entrance of the corner store; eBay, a garage sale; Amazon, a bookstore replete with patrons anxious to give you their book tips. You’ve even got the proverbial wrong-side-of-the-tracks spots via the Web’s adult-entertainment underbelly.”

In this online world blogs are the sound of independent voices, just like those of your friends telling you about the latest book they have read. When you find a reliable friend you will keep on going back to them for advice and knowledge. It’s the same with blogs, when you enjoy the content and it’s reliable you will keep going back for more.

We all pick and choose where we go and who we socialise with – the Web is just an extension of this. It is another ‘city’ that we can visit, learn from, contribute to, socialise in and enjoy.