Instant fame

Everyone's been raving about the Scottish sensation Susan Boyle. The unassuming forty-something made her way to the stage on the television show Britain's Got Talent amidst snickering judges and audience members. But the minute she opened her mouth and belted out "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables, simply put, she brought the house down.

But if it weren't for the Internet, Boyle probably wouldn't have become so instantly famous worldwide. Yes, getting the blessing of three judges gives you the chance to move up in the television show's competition. But it was YouTube and Twitter that brought Boyle worldwide fame in a matter of days. After Ashton Kutcher, linked an episode of her performance on Britain's Got Talent through his Twitter account, the video went viral. Today, Kutcher has nearly 1.7 million followers on Twitter. This just goes to show the influence a few people can have through the Internet when there's a large enough following.