1. Dating
There was a time when a lonely person would be required to place a small ad in a newspaper and wait for a letter or response to arrive through the letterbox. Alternatively, singletons could fill in a form and wait for an agency to respond with suggestions.
Nowadays, any single person, whether male or female, can choose from a variety of websites that offer the opportunity to meet like-minded people. You can see prospective dates before making contact and build up friendships through online messages and e-mails, making the task of meeting someone easier by having got to know him or her a little beforehand.
2. Friendship
With the massive rise in popularity of social networking sites there is no excuse for anyone not to have dozens of friends! When you hook up online with friends and acquaintances you get to see photos of them and all their other friends, read their online posts and get to know them. The internet is unequalled in its ability to connect people spanning races, religions and continents.
3. Networking
Marketing is essential for business and networking provides the opportunity for business people to promote their products and services to each other. Networking is all about spreading the word about what you have to offer. The odds of your business progressing increases as it reaches more people. Quality of leads is important and the internet allows businesses to reach their target audience in a way that is quick, efficient and cost-effective.
4. Family
With so much scope for movement around the globe these days, it is all too easy for families to find themselves in different countries, making it difficult for grandparents and grandchildren to meet up, along with parents and grown-up children or other close family members. A number of websites allow families to post photographs and blogs in order to keep relatives up to date. There are opportunities to post personal messages, videos and chat online via instant messaging.
5. VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol)
One of the wonders of the modern age, VOIP allows people to conduct conversations with each other over an internet connection. Distance is no longer the barrier it used to be, as it is possible to stay in touch with loved ones anywhere in the world or at least wherever the internet is available!
6. Bullying
Children subjected to bullying at school have always been reluctant to seek help for fear of further retribution. Anti-bullying websites provide a starting point for children in need of help and advice, enabling them to deal more effectively with the problem.
From gaining an understanding of why they are being bullied to tried and tested ideas for tackling the problem, websites such as these help children to take control of a situation that might otherwise leave them feeling powerless.
7. Instant health advice
Whether it’s a disturbing rash or a persistent cough, the internet is full of health advice and guidance. Although care needs to be taken not to become too alarmist in researching health issues, there are a number of excellent sites endorsed by the medical profession which allow people to list symptoms and view possible causes and treatments.
Where a patient has been given a diagnosis of a disease or illness, the internet can supply a wealth of information and advice that a busy doctor may not recall or know about, particularly when it comes to specific societies and organisations that dedicate themselves to a single health issue.
8. Housing
Whether renting or purchasing, it has never been easier to find accommodation than it is now. There are a number of very good sites that allow you to search for your perfect home.
Whether you want to buy a detached two-bedroom bungalow with a conservatory in York or rent a three-bedroom terrace with a courtyard in Bath, the internet allows you to pinpoint the specific details that matter most to you in your search for a new home.
9. Finance
There was a time when the banks were only open on weekdays and all transactions were made by cash or cheque. The advent of internet banking, however, has revolutionised the industry, enabling people to access their accounts at any time or place.
Internet banking allows you to set text alerts when your bank balance reaches a certain point, meaning you never have to go accidentally overdrawn again. Account holders can also move money between accounts and pay bills whenever they want or need.
10. Childcare
Women nowadays find it harder than ever before to give up work and stay at home with a baby. Now that most women hold down a job or career before becoming a mother, the sudden switch to days at home with a new baby can be a real shock.
There are a number of websites that aim to combat the loneliness and worries that new mothers experience, offering help and advice. This valuable support network also highlights childcare solutions and franchises or job opportunities to help the young mother find her way back into the workplace if she so chooses.
License: Creative Commons image source
This guest post was contributed by COBA Europe; UK suppliers of Anti-Fatigue Matting, Entrance Matting and Rubber Flooring.
r a good few months now I have been happily migrating my computing habits and loosing my windows dependancy to shuffle over to being completely Mac based. When I first migrated over I was happily using 
Although I am starting to get used to the completely different approach of the Mac OS X, and actually starting to think it’s faultless, I still have a need for a Windows based operating system. Mainly for development works but also to run some of the apps which don’t yet have Mac equivalents.