1. The INTERnet is notable in not being a single thing, but rather a complex matrix of very different things, all accessed through a common mechanism. It works because a number of different people and organizations have worked to support it, and to establish protocols which make the whole more robust than any of its parts. Its leadership, such as it is, is also diversified. It is substantially democratic rather than hierarchical.
2. Many aspects of the Internet are supported by Hypertext tools. Interest in Hypertext has grown exponentially in the last several years. This is logical. Not only do many of the `hyper' methods solve problems in useful ways, they do so in ways which resonate deeply with normal human behavior. Examople: digressions, a fundamental element of hypertext, have long been noted in the academic world. The professor who goes lecturing off on a tangent, the student who daydreams during class, and footnotes in a research paper are all commonplace examples of branching in a learning process. Digressions may not always be appropriate, but they are generally purposeful even when their purpose is obscure.
3. Internet programmers have produced tools that give more or less identical access to information to people using the Macintosh, IBM clones, Sun workstations, and other devices. Once an Internet `surfer' has set up his/her computer with available tools, it is possible to seek information without
`platform' concerns. It is also possible to create new `platform independent' tools. Sophistication in this arena is growing.
4. There is no single software tool one needs to access the Internet. Images, text, sound, and video clips can all be pulled in using a variety of products, and one can upgrade and change one's access tools piecemeal.
5. Internet materials can be generated and supported from several sites, by individuals with little knowledge of the hardware technology involved, or of each other. There is, however, still room for rules of order.
