CHAPTER 7 Going Online: The Net, Information Services, and More
The Virtual High School
Arguably the most talked about subject on campus during the past couple of years has been the explosion of demand for online courses. Well, the demand is being felt at the secondary school level, too. Florida High School exists entirely in the virtual world. The school has grown from 200 students two years ago to 5000 for the Fall 2000 semester. Florida high school gives students in Florida an alternative when courses are not offered locally or students wish to accelerate their learning. Several other states have similar virtual high schools and it may be just a matter of time until all states offer high school students a virtual alternative. Will our children someday graduate from a virtual high school?
The Supreme Court Goes Online
Online Over the past few years virtually all major United States government organizations in all three branches of the government have built and maintain comprehensive Web sites, except the United States Supreme Court. All moves at the Supreme Court are deliberate including their decision to have a presence on the Internet. The Supreme Court is now online with a wealth of information including the docket, calendar and schedules, court rules, case handling guides, opinions, and other public information. Court decisions are posted on the same day they are presented in court.
The World's Largest Dot Com
The three dominant automakers in the United States - General Motors, Ford, andDaimlerChrysler have agreed to cooperate on an online auto parts exchange that will result in a half trillion dollars in spending by these "big three" and their suppliers. It is expected that the yet unnamed company will be the largest Internet company in the world.
One More Step Closer to a Cashless Society
Bank One Corporation will soon offer a service, called EMoneyMail, that will allow a customers to transfer funds from his/her account to that of someone else via e-mail. All the sender needs to know is the e-mail address of the recipient. The e-mail-based money is withdrawn from credit/debit cards or checking accounts. The person receiving the funds transfer simply navigates to EmoneyMail.com then enters information that results in the automatic transfer of the funds to a selected destination account. This ability to transfer funds between individuals electronically opens the door to many new applications and a new way of thinking. Paying back a friend the five dollars he loaned you for lunch is as easy as sending her an e-mail.