Did he just say that the Internet has not changed the nature of job hunting?

Consider this quote for a moment...

"So far, the Internet has not proved to be a magic wand; it has not changed the essential nature of job-hunting," according to veteran adviser Richard Nelson Bolles, author of "What Color is Your Parachute?". Instead, you should view the Internet as a tool, just like any other ... use it as just one of many such tools at your disposal, in an overall strategy for your job hunt," ...

Did he just say that the Internet has not changed the nature of job hunting? That's like saying the telephone hasn't brought people closer together.

Now while I strongly agree that the web should only be part of a job seekers toolbox, I disagree that it has not changed the nature of job hunting. Quite the contrary. Like many other facets of our culture, the Internet has totally transformed the process of job-hunting. Here are 3 reasons why;

1. Email. Communicating via email has made job hunting more efficient for both recruiter and job seeker. As the first "killer app" of the internet, email is now an essential part of the job hunting process. The days of stuffing your resume into an envelope for every job opening are gone forever.

2. Recruiting on the web. From job boards to vertical search to jobster, new web-based technologies are constantly connecting job seekers and employers. This trend will continue.

3. Research. I wrote a post about what it was like doing research on companies pre-internet. Back then I had to use the library and the phone book. Today, researching a prospective employer is as easy as googling them.

What would happen today if the Internet was taken away from us? I shudder to think it. Today's job hunters have become extremely reliant on the internet for things like email, research, blogging, applying online, etc. - it has allowed more people greater access to more jobs.
All this has got me thinking about a quote I once read (the author's name escapes me but his words do not) ...

"The internet is going away like the phone went away, permeating everything and, in the process becoming invisible."