A recent Nielsen/Netratings' study discovered that although the number of households connected to the internet continues to grow rapidly, almost 40% of those who have an internet connection never actually use it in any given month. (And another study reports similar findings.) If these statistics are correct, they suggest that after an initial plunge in order to test the water people discover that what they're looking for simply isn't there, and no longer see the point in logging on. But they also suggest that people have come to see the internet as an integral part of their lives. Sometimes we hardly turn on the television for lengthy periods of time, but we'd never consider not having one in the house, and perhaps it's becoming that way with the internet as well. Or perhaps it's a case of the price being right. An internet connection often comes packaged in the price of a new computer, and even if you don't want the connection, why argue when someone gives it to you for free.