The new on-line information resources offer users far easier access to information than had previously existed.

For example, Mary Smith wishes to know more about "Helicobactor Pylori" because the results of her recent physical found it present in her blood. While her physician explained H.Pylori, many of the details breezed by in the confusion of medical jargon. In the past, unless she lived close to a good medical library she would have little access to additional information about this topic.

Going on-line, her web search for Helicobactor Pylori revealed about 80 hits, many of which are detailed articles written by university medical centers explaining the newly discovered role of this bacteria in ulcers and other digestive ailments. Furthermore, the articles offer detailed treatment instructions that confirm, and expand upon, her physician's recommendations. Digging deeper, PUBMED (The National Library of Medicine's public access catalog) offers detailed abstracts of recent research publications on the role of this bacteria in gastric ulcers.

Similar examples exist throughout the on-line world:

• Individual investors now have access to detailed corporate financial information that was previously available only to major stock brokers.
  
  
• Visiting a college's web site offers prospective students with unprecedented detail about the school and its daily operations.
  
  
• Vendor web sites offer detailed technical support information concerning their products as well as user guides for advanced features that were not included in the documents shipped with the product.
  
  
• Many scientific associations now operate archives of electronic editions of research papers.

While the self-reliant access to information can be very appealing, it places total responsibility on the consumer for the accurate and judicious use of the information.