Information and Electronic Commerce :: Internet Net World Wide Web Media

Information and Electronic Commerce The communication revolution, industrial revolution and now the electronic revolution have all made life easier for us. Electronic commerce is a small ingredient that has helped this electronic revolution get started, but does it really accommodate the entire population? Electronic commerce itself has had a major impact here in the U.S. with both its people and its economy. It has made us look at trading in a different way, besides traditional trading of concrete materials, "[it involves world trade] of entertainment, information services, technical information†¦ now accounting well over $40 billion of U.S. exports alone" (Framework, pg. 3). E-commerce makes transferring information fast, easy, and cheap, but it also has its downfalls, and not everyone can be satisfied. Personal privacy is now becoming obsolete, small businesses can now be managed by one person leading to the loss of potential jobs, and countries that are not as technologically advanced miss out in all the actio n. "Unfortunately, collection, re-use, and instantaneous transmission of information-can, if not managed carefully, diminish personal privacy" (Framework, pg. 16). E-commerce is a business itself that lets us know more information about the providers, consumers, and people in general. This could be a great if you have a business and want everyone to know who you are and what you sell. Others can, however, take your information and use it for the wrong purpose, invading your privacy and exposing it. A great example is essays over the Internet. Other people take these and sell them to other students. This invades your property and does not help anyone. The student who wrote it probably did not see any of the money and the student who bought a copy did not learn about the subject. However, if you still want to market yourself electronically, you will have to sacrifice your privacy in one way or another. E-commerce has helped small businesses to flourish. "Approximately 85% of existing businesses are categorized as small businesses, and approximately 85% of these are owned and operated by a single individual" (Electronic, pg. 120). This can ultimately lead to a loss of potential jobs. E-commerce facilitates business transactions so much that you no longer need a lot of people doing other work for you. Before a single individual could not handle a business, they would have to hire someone else to do different tasks. Now a single individual can make all the money, and all the others have lost a job.