The Web's great glory always has been the promise that it equalises the playing field for communication to the masses.
The dream was that the lowliest of individuals could reach the same audience as professionally as any large, multinational corporation or organisation with bundles of cash. Even I believed the dream, and dreamed it.
Now, though, I am no longer a believer.
With the rapid pace of technological development, along with the big dollars being poured into the Net by large corporations to establish Web presences, this reality is changing.
In theory I can still reach the same audience, but in reality I don't and I won't. I certainly can't afford the sophisticated hardware and software needed to publish highly interactive Web sites with reams of database content.
Publishing a Web site can be inexpensive. Doing it right and in a big way can be mighty expensive and, without the name recognition of giants such as IBM or General Electric, may be doomed to far less exposure than one would hope.
A classic case in point is Amazon.com. Amazon claims to be the largest bookstore in the world. This on-line-only enterprise boasts a catalogue of millions of books, all of which can be ordered through the company's Web site.