ABSTRACT
It was not all that long ago that the World Wide Web (WWW) or the Internet, as it is now often known, was a term with little meaning to all but a few people who were lucky enough to have access to the appropriate computer hardware and software technology. However, with time, public awareness and attention has grown, largely through the media (e.g. newspapers), and especially as access to faster computer systems in academia became the norm, and as universities in particular began to develop web sites, and to put together documentation packs, for staff and students alike, to post their own web pages onto the Net. Furthermore, over time, more web design and service provision companies have emerged, and there are now more Internet service providers, e.g. IFB (Internet for Business) and Demon, browser software providers such as Microsoft and Netscape, and telephone companies such as British Telecom (BT), taking an interest in the Internet. However, and this certainly appears to be the case in the UK, it is perhaps only in the last few years or so that many organisations and people are finally beginning to realise the importance of the Internet as a medium for rapid and efficient information delivery in both the home and the workplace.
