I teach numerous introduction to internet classes. Frankly, I enjoy it. I like seeing how acquiring a strong and useful tool, and developing confidence in the ability to use it, gives people a sense of empowerment. My teaching methods continue to evolve (hopefully for the better) but some parts remain constant. I'm almost always asked, for instance, how much an internet connection costs. And I always give my stand-up answer:

Numerous costs have to be computed into the total cost of an internet connection. People forget, for example, that they have to have a computer, and that the cost of purchasing one, even if it's already at home, isn't small. Then there's a modem, and some people even pay for some of the internet programs that they use. The service that you get when you connect to an Internet Service Provider demands a monthly fee, and even if we're dealing with local calls, you still have to pay the phone company. But that's not all: there's also the monthly fee to the marriage counselor after you've started logging on at home and your spouse says "I hardly see you anymore", or "Do you know that it's 02:00 already? You have to get up tomorrow morning".

Go to: Another Connected Family