The Internet: How did we get along without it?

Editor’s note: Hugh Imhof is manager of media and information for Avista.

OK, so I was dead wrong.

There was a time when I thought the Internet would never have any purpose beyond research and bulletin boards. Of course, we know how that turned out.

I’ve been using the Web since its earliest days, and it’s been a real adventure to see its usefulness increase exponentially. Sure, there are plenty of ways to waste time online, but there are so many ways to be productive.

In my work, numerous sites help me with the current events, industry news, technical research and other information gathering I’m required to undertake daily.

Rants and raves

I do have a bit of a rant, though. News sites that require registration are a pain. Especially the ones that make you keep signing on even after you have already done so. I hope somebody is listening. Make the cookie work in a way that doesn’t expire every few days, please.

Here’s a rave. When it comes to information gathering, NOAA’s National Weather Service site, http://www.wrh. noaa.gov/otx/, is simply astounding for its depth and rich interface.

This is one use of our tax dollars you won’t hear me complain about. After all, this is ultimately the basis of the weather reports we get from nearly all sources. The site offers current weather, long-range climate predictions, river and lake levels, snow pack information, current radar images and much more. Obviously this is very useful for those of us in the utility business, but there is plenty for everyone.

Getting involved

I’m not always at work, even though it seems like it. I also get involved in community service and recently I’ve developed a real passion for being in charge of my Rotary Club’s Web site: http://www.clubrunner.ca/CPrg/ Home/homeA.asp?cid=601.

It’s not the most glitzy Web site and it is actually developed by a service called ClubRunner, which provides similar sites for other Rotary clubs. This site allows all members to see current information, to contact each other through e-mail, receive a weekly newsletter, register for events, and read about all the great humanitarian work Rotary does to cure diseases, feed the hungry, educate underprivileged children and promote world peace and understanding.

Really, that’s not just a cliché.

The Internet is something that after all these years I’ve come to appreciate and depend on for business and pleasure. I honestly don’t know how I ever got anything done without it. But even better, I’ve now been able to use it in a way that benefits others, and that is the best use of all.