by Gary W. Selnow

About the author: Gary W. Selnow is a professor of communication at San Francisco State University and executive director of WiRED (World Internet Resources for Education and Development), a nonprofit corporation that provides information and communication resources to disadvantaged groups around the world.

[In 1997] we had the idea to install a few computers near Vukovar, Croatia to connect people to the Internet. Vukovar was hit hard during the [Balkan] wars, but it was not alone. Many other towns throughout the region were without libraries, news outlets, decent phone service or even mail delivery. Teachers were losing touch with developments in their fields, while professionals were falling behind their overseas colleagues, and average people were losing contact with loved ones who had scattered during the wars. The Internet...