The internet is very much a double edged sword.  It both extremely dangerous and useful at the same time.  More, the very features that make it so dangerous provide the greatest benefits. 

• No gate-keepers

This means that there no authority to control who gets onto the internet.  The danger in that is that any predator can use the internet to search for and contact victims, and any fraudster, lunatic, vendor of filth or simple ignoramus can get on the internet and say what he (or she) wants.  That's why it is so important to be careful about who you correspond with, and where you go.  On the other hand, it also means that anyone with something worthwhile to say, and any organization with something important to offer, can do so, unimpeded. 

 

It's not just cheap tickets on Travelocity, or even reasonably priced tznius clothes, that we are talking about.  Everything from medical information, government forms through to educational and Jewish materials.  This is especially important for people who live far from established centers of Jewish life, but even extremely useful in large Jewish populations centers such as New York and London.  Whether it's access to Gemara shiurim,  Kashrus information, educational materials or any of the vast array of resources, there is a tremendous amount that would otherwise have been far harder (and sometimes impossible) to see.

 

• Low cost of entry

The tremendous proliferation of sites and access points, ranging from horrific to wonderful, and everything in between, has been fueled by the fact that it is relatively inexpensive to get on the web and / or on email.  While most people get a certain amount of junk mail through the post, the amount of "junk" on the internet is far more vast.  One of the reasons for this is that it is so much cheaper to send the same email to thousand, and even hundreds of thousands, of people, than it is to send it on paper to a fraction of that number.  If you were trying to get business at the lowest cost, which would you choose?  At the same time, the low cost makes it feasible for an individual with something to offer, or an organization on a tight budget to get that information out.

• Easy for individuals to access

Anyone can get on the internet and access most resources.  Generally, one doesn't need a very sophisticated system.  Certainly, once a system is set up, it takes very little effort to get to any particular information or site.  And there are many, many ways to get onto the internet.  (see Other Ways to Access the Internet for a partial list.)  That means that people can explore in ways they might not, if it were more difficult, and can also stumble on things.  In short, it's just extremely easy to get things, no matter how bad.  And it's frighteningly easy to be in contact with the lowest of low-lifes.  At the same time, it is also really easy to get at some wonderful resources.  And, it's wonderfully easy to be in contact with family and people who can be of immense help and use.