The Internet Changes Everything - Europeans' Life Online
Its not the technology, its how it is used and the changes it engenders in people's ;lives, and those changes are real. Go back half a dozen years and ask yourself if this would have been predictable from the conditions of the time.

One in two people online in Europe has asked someone out on a date via e-mail and excuses such as 'I lost your e-mail' are increasingly being used to avoid unwanted attentions.

Nearly half of Europeans says they have sent or received an e-mail only invite to a party or social event.

A third only provide their e-mail address when they meet someone, compared to 19% who provide their telephone number.

And more and more people are announcing life-changing news such as the birth of a baby, a wedding or a new job online.

"The study brings home the powerful effect that the online medium is having on people's lives," said Philip Rowley, President of AOL Europe.

"It is transforming how they come together, organise their social lives and even share personal news. There is no mistaking the profound impact it is having on our social norms," he said.

Virtually everyone online in France, the UK and Germany use e-mail to communicate with friends and family. And a third say it has helped them find or reconnect with someone they had lost touch with.

I read somewhere that our habits change long before our conceptual frameworks; probably because we do a great deal without thinking about it, or its meaning. By the time we get to thinking about these things in any structured way, the revolution is over.

My point is still this; it has barely even started.