| The Internet has increasingly emerged as
a key source for news, communication and comfort during major events,
especially after the 11 September attacks on the United States. Just
as important is the fact that happens to offer the greatest variety
of opinion among all media vehicles.
The conflict with Iraq will be the biggest war involving the United
States since the Internet became a major medium. Which is the biggest
difference from what was the situation in 1991, where the Internet
was in very early stages of development. and the cable networks
were the dominant source for breaking news for many people.
The immediate fallout of the US-led attacks on the Internet of
course have been that it has blown away sex as the most popular
search term.
"War was our top search term today (Thursday), taking over
from perennial favourites - sex, Britney and travel," Nadia
Schofield, a spokeswoman for Freeserve, Britain's largest Internet
service provider, was quoted as saying in a Reuters report.
An indicator of just the kind of dynamics that is driving Web traffic
in these troubled times is the fact that "Iraq" knocked
female country music group "Dixie Chicks" out of the top
spot among on Yahoo's Buzz Index (http://buzz.yahoo.com/) of popular
search terms among US Internet users.
The Dixie Chicks sank to number three on the Yahoo index behind
Iraq and rising rap singing star "50 Cent".
Dixie Chicks have had their chart-topping songs, including current
number one single "Travelin' Soldier", pulled from many
US radio playlists after they criticised Bush's war plans in Iraq.
The Texas trio have been lambasted in events around the United
States where their CDs have been burned and smashed by angry fans.
Conversely that has only fuelled interest among Web users in the
group.
And for those who see this in terms of business opportunities,
Reuters reports that the share value of major listed online firms
have gone up. Shares in online auctioneer eBay Inc., Internet bookseller
Amazon.com Inc. and travel Web site Expedia Inc. hit 52-week highs
on Thursday as investors looked for safe havens as the US-led invasion
on Iraq intensified.
The shares are at their highest level since April 2000. They remain
about 30 per cent under their split-adjusted, all-time high of $127.50
reached in March 2000, just before the Internet bubble burst.
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