It seems like ancient history now, but two decades ago when the internet was taking shape there was a lot of talk about what it would offer, and how it would become an indispensable tool. With the benefit of hindsight we can now see what those early proponents were talking about, but we can also see where popular use has had a more important impact. In some ways the internet has in fact become that “indispensable tool” we heard so much about.