It's looking very positive for online advertising - a medium that has finally come of age. But this phenomenal growth masks the fact that the numbers would be far higher if the advertising industry woke up to the potential of the medium.

Ironically, online advertising is one arena of online activity in which South Africa has seen more substantial percentage growth than the US over the past four years, and where the growth rate for 2006 is similar to that in the US.

We continue to benefit from very strong double-digit advertising growth at our digital operations, particularly About.com,

We continue to benefit from very strong double-digit advertising growth at our digital operations, particularly About.com, ... But elsewhere, advertising is weaker than expected.

The consistent growth in overall revenues shows marketers may be shifting more of their total advertising budgets to online. This is a natural development as research shows more consumers are spending a larger percentage of their media time online, while the flow of advertising dollars follows.

A young person, to achieve, must first get out of his mind any notion either of the ease or rapidity of success. Nothing ever just happens in this world.