Online maps...

I consider online maps to be one of the indespensible inventions of the Internet era. 10 years back there were no online maps available. Today, I cannot imagine my life without these online maps. I come to realize that these online maps have become indespensible and I will not hesitate to pay a monthly service fee if they choose to impose one. This thought struck me after I rescued my frantic wife who was lost when she missed a turn signal on the way back home and called me at home to help her out. All I wanted was an intersection and I was able to guide her to the closest freeway in less than a minute using the miracle tool called online maps. I was wondering how I could have done this without the online maps and how long it would have taken me in a conventional map on paper to do the same, provided I have it on hand.
These online maps have advanced so much so that some maps can actually pinpoint the exact location from where you are launching the webpage with your ISPs IP address. This is as close it can come to being a online GPS device. The technology has now spread to handhelds and has become much more portable. Such simple advances in the information superhighway makes a giant leap in mankind's thirst for knowledge and information.