On a recent Channel 4 show, Stephen Fry ran through a list of what he considered the greatest gadgets of all time.

It made rather compulsive viewing ? as all countdowns invariably do to those of us who do so love a list ? and a fine conversation starter.

After all, rather than Mr Fry plumping for the somewhat predictable Holy (Apple) Trinity of iPod, iPhone and iPad in the top three positions, the humble lighter emerged on top of the list followed by the wrist watch. And when you think about it, very sensible choices they are too.

For many, of course, today's gadgets are driven by one key ingredient ? the internet.

It has taken everything to new levels of good old-fashioned usefulness and good old-fashioned pointlessness. From movies on the bus to scanning barcodes from newspapers to provide direct links with multi-media filled web pages, it may make the humble Walkman (number 38 on the list) seem horrendously outdated, but certainly no more innovative.

But while the internet is injecting everything with a new lease of gadget-friendly life, it can also be the cruellest of fiends.

Quite aside from the ability for the vulnerable to be preyed on by the manipulative, the ability for rumours to spread around the world spreading false hope to the gullible is remarkable.

Take for example the well-reported misuse of the likes of Twitter and Facebook during the London riots.

More recently, there was the bizarre sight of seeing Madeleine McCann trending on Twitter as hundreds of thousands took only the latest in what seems like a never-ending line of possible sightings and twisted it into hard fact that she had been found.

The hunt for Madeleine McCann has become something we have all, by desire or not, got an emotional attachment to. And the remarkable wave of euphoria of those misreading/misinterpreting what had been a suitably vague and somewhat clich? Daily Mail story was disturbing to see.

We do need to collectively guard against this.

The desire to shout a virtual ?stop everyone ? this simply isn?t right? was overwhelming, yet people proved once again that they only listen to what they want to listen to. And more fool those who passed it on without a second?s thought. We all have a responsibility here.

The internet remains a breeding ground for those who want to believe and, sure enough, if they look long enough, ignore plenty, they will indeed find the ?facts? they are looking for.

Take the September 11 conspiracies. There are whole websites devoted to it; films on YouTube outlining the whole thing. And there is no sign of anything slowing up either. If you want to find the disappearance of Madeleine McCann linked in some far-fetched ridiculous way to the 9/11 atrocities, the chances are you?ll be able to do so.

The internet allows us now to pass on information within seconds of it happening to a vast audience around the world.

It?s ability to convince and persuade is both impressive but also rather worrying. It?s power sometimes so intense the potential for misuse on a scale so far not seen, is really rather frightening.

So while the web has allowed gadgets of all types and sizes to flourish like never before, there is also the very real fact that it can obscure or deceive. And, therefore, while less glitzy, perhaps the old-fashioned gadgets will always remain so much better as a result.