The internet has brought much change into our lives, but this is not the first time we have had to change. In the late 1990s, I sent several emails, over a period of months, to a friend of mine who taught at a foreign university. Not having had a response, I wondered what was happening. The next time I met my friend personally, I inquired softly with him why he had not responded.

He apologized profusely, and said: "I am sorry... I am learning to type."