Muddling through the Internet can be a challenge to writers looking for resources, but with enough persistence and perseverance, you can find almost any information you need to write just about anything. Young people nowadays just don’t appreciate what they have, and more mature writers who are not familiar with the Internet and somewhat technophobic don’t know what they’re missing. I still remember when I had to research for academic writing when I was still in school. I was an expert at looking for cross-references, browsing through library indices, book indices, encyclopedias, and trade journals, among other sources. Many times, I had to physically travel all over town just to get information from specific organizations or libraries. The cost of research could be prohibitive from travel alone. If I had the Internet back then, I would have saved mostly on travel time, which took away from reading and writing time. Now, I often need to tear myself away from the Internet because of all the available information that just keeps me wanting to read more. Not to mention, well-designed sites and search engine optimization makes it so much easier to find anything. Like all writing, you just need to use the right words, this time, to find what you want. And if you don’t know the word? Don’t worry. There are dictionaries and thesauri at your fingertips. Now, the only thing stopping you is your typing speed and the speed of your Internet connection. I would never have imagined this 30 years ago. I can barely imagine what there will be 30 years from now!

###