This story from the ABC is very close to my heart. I always said the internet was good for more than just porn and chain emails.

Internet brings people closer: study. 26/01/2006. ABC News Online

Not long ago, the Internet was decried by dissidents of the online revolution as a threat to society, sure to split families, fracture friendships and turn users into computer crazed geeks.

That is not how things are unfolding, according to a new survey which has found that far from driving people apart, new tools for email, online phone calls, webcams and instant messaging are bringing them closer.

The Pew Internet and American Life project research, one of the first studies to uncover such a trend, finds people are increasingly turning to the net for help at a crisis point in life, or to seek a new job or home.