Internet Marketing 101 - A Look at the History of the Internet

Throughout the history of man, our accomplishments have been marked by various ages. There was the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age.

These were primarily marked by the material used in the weapons of the day. In modern days we have gloried for a brief time in the Nuclear Age, but this rapidly fell from favor when we figured out we either could destroy the world, or die from all the waste from our reactors. With the advent of the Internet, we find ourselves in the information age.

Although most people think that the Internet is a recent development, it actually has its roots over 40 years ago. The US military saw the need to interconnect radar facilities all over the country. Later this ability would allow the exchange of information between educational facilities.

What we know as the Internet today actually got its start in the early 90's. The advent of the personal computer in the late 1980's spurred the growth of the internet. What started with a few college students talking to each other's computers has grown to an international information exchange.

Remember the days when you would mention you had a computer to a friend and they would say, "Hey my friend Joe has a bulletin board, do you have a modem?" Once you figured out what a modem was, you went down to your friendly computer store and either bought one, or most likely had it installed. (I remember the days when I was scared to death to open up a computer case.) So you had your 1200 baud modem hooked up, listened to all those tones and viola, you were connected. It took maybe 2 weeks if you downloaded a picture, but you were actually talking to another computer. Heaven forbid that you even thought of video. No one could call you because the phone was always busy as you were exploring this strange new world.

Now we have DSL and satellite so we can talk on the phone while we text our friends on our cell while we post to Facebook.

Information is king in this day. You can find most anything within seconds. We have new words, "I'll Google that," or "I Googled that yesterday." A word that a few years ago did not exist has become a noun and a verb for finding information.

With the rise of the internet we have seen a new economy develop. "Ecommerce" has become the byword of the day. Today it is quite possible to live and never leave your home. This new economy has given birth to a new generation of entrepreneurs, the Internet Marketer. Selling information on the Internet has become a multi-million dollar business.

People like Armand Moran, Alex Mandossian, and Rich Schefren are among the top Internet Marketers in the US, as well as Michael Green, Michael Cheney, and the up and coming Alex Jeffreys in the UK.

Although the main advantage of selling information on the 'Net is it is a fairly level playing field that most anyone with a few skills can be successful in, it is becoming a bit more difficult now. There is quite a bit to process from web site design, content, sales copy etc.

Unless you are very self-directed, and disciplined, one of the better ways to become successful is to find a mentor. A mentor can provide the information and inspiration to guide you along the way. After all, they have been down the route before and already made the mistakes.

Finding the right mentor can be a challenge. You must take care that you don't get one who is willing to take your money and leave you standing. Some of the best places might be forums directed to the Internet Marketing niche.

Look for people with a good reputation check references. You can also try typing the potential mentor's name and "scam" to see if there is any negative feed back about them, but do this with an open mind. Sometimes disgruntled people will leave undeserved negative feedback.

Can anyone know how long the "Information Age" will last? What is next on the horizon, implants that bypass the computer and let your brain directly access the Internet? Can you make it "big" on the "Net?" The only way to know is to find a mentor and give it a try.

About the Author: Gene Ilten has been involved in Internet Marketing for 5 years. You can find out more on his blog at geneilten.com.