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THE_INTERNET_IS_ALIVE
| THE INTERNET IS ALIVE!
The Internet is:
- NOT an information highway for cruising
- NOT a library for reading
- NOT a game board for playing
- NOT a resort beach for surfing
- NOT a medium for chatting
- NOT a shopping center for buying
The Internet is nothing like a newspaper, magazine, radio, CD,
movie or TV. It can not be compared to anything we know from
previous experience. It is a dynamic, thriving, chaotic,
growing, learning organism. It has:
- A Skeleton
- A Circulatory System
- A Nervous System
- Organs
The whole system may be called:
- A Global Society
THE SKELETON The skeleton, which supports the Internet, does
not consist of the physical "backbones," wires, cables modems,
computers and other high-tech components. It is the broad
overall system for the communication of ideas. The skeleton is
mental.
Upon this skeleton is placed a circulatory system to give the
system life, a nervous system to control its life, and various
organs to make it a useful, living, expansive, global creature.
* The Internet is alive! It's all mental.
THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM Like humans, the Internet has pumps to
keep it alive. But the Internet differs from humans in 2 ways:
Humans have 1 pump - the heart. The Internet has millions of
pumps: Each Internet site is a pump.
The human pump PUSHES blood to bring oxygen to organs of the
body. Each Internet pump PULLS people to it with ideas
* The Internet is alive! Ideas are its lifeblood.
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM The nervous system of the Internet is
remarkably similar to the human nervous system, except that it
works with people rather than neurons. The human nervous system
consists of billions of neurons, each receiving signals from
other neurons. When the sum of the signals at a neuron exceeds a
certain threshold, it "votes" in favor of some action. It's like
a town-hall meeting: majority rules.
The nervous system of the Internet is composed of people instead
of neurons, each making choices with their browsers and other
software. Here too, majority rules: user actions determine what
happens on the Internet.
* The Internet is alive! People are its masters.
THE ORGANS Internet organs are intellectual, of course. Because
the Internet is so young, it does not yet have a fully developed
set of organs. Organ development is occurring in phases:
1 - Technological:-
This first phase started in the '60s when ARPANET, the
forerunner of the Internet, was developed by ARPA (Advanced
Research Project Agency) in the Defense Department. This organ
was a means for defense contractors, universities, laboratories
and others involved in defense work to exchange ideas via a
network that was secure. Because it was decentralized and did
not have a central control point, parts of the network could be
bombed without affecting the rest of the network. Research
In the '80s, ARPANET expanded into a full-blown research network
connecting our universities and industrial laboratories. It was
renamed the Internet. This research organ is still powerful
today - though you may not realize it because of the excessive
hype of business boosters.
2 - Business:
This organ began its development in the early '90s. But it did
not grow much until 1995, when the Internet was privatized.
Since then the business organ has been growing like Topsy.
3 - Social, Political, Cultural:
The Internet is not only for business. Already you find such
things as cancer support groups, art shows, concerts, voting.
Many organs that are now in development, will be just as
important, and perhaps more important than the business organ.
* The Internet is alive! A network for learning.
THE GLOBAL SOCIETY Not only is the Internet a living organism,
it is a living society comprised of living people. People on the
Internet form networks to make choices and to learn.
1 - People Network
The Internet is not merely a living creature. It's a living
society. Every aspect of its life is caused by people, not
machines. The machines are there only to enhance relationships
among people. Don't be distracted by robots. All of them are
servants of people.
The Internet is not a highway for information, but a network for
the flow of ideas, for learning. Everything is mental, not
physical. Everything happens fast, because communication is
instantaneous.
2 - Chaotic Idea Flow
Ideas flow through the Internet in unpredictable ways. Very
unlike TV. On TV, the advertiser does not bother with ideas. He
sends "information" one way - direct to you. On the Internet,
all people may partake in the flow of ideas. As a result ideas
on the Internet may:
BRUSH - One idea doesn't meet another idea, but brushes it
slightly. They may warm each other as a result. Sometimes the
brush enhances further development of one of the ideas.
MERGE - Two ideas, when brought together produce a bigger,
richer idea. They feed on each other and mushroom into something
better
COLLIDE - Ideas may come from opposite directions and bang into
each other to produce sparks. The sparks may lead to brilliant
breakthroughs.
Brush, merge, collide. These are only suggestions of the
possibilities. Serendipity occurs in all places and at all
times, making possibilities infinite. I visit a site and like
its format. I copy it with a little modification, as my own.
Someone else visits my site and makes further changes for her
purpose. I send email to a colleague making a suggestion; he
modifies it and uses it for a very different purpose. It's as
though you're part of a never-ending brainstorming session.
3 - Personal Choice
People are individuals on the Internet. They are autonomous.
They make choices. Something they can not do when watching TV.
On the Internet a person may:
ACT - Initiate any type of action: go to any site, start his
own site, send a message to anyone. On TV, only the advertiser
may ACT
REACT - Respond to another's action: buy something, reply to a
message. REACT is all a TV watcher can do
INTERACT - Be part of a to-and-fro exchange: a dialogue, a
discussion, a transaction. This is one of the most important
characteristics of the Internet, one that gives it power
Act, react, interact. They represent various aspects of the
power of a person to be an individual. The Internet, unlike TV,
awards each person with the gift of autonomy. And each person
uses it. Each person has choice. The consumer, unlike the
consumer of the Industrial Society, has power.
* The Internet is alive! It places power in people.
About the author:
Paul -the soarING- Siegel is a provocative Internet speaker and
author of HELPFULNESS MARKETNG, a book stressing learning,
cooperation and community. Learn about it at
http://www.learningfountain.com/helpfulnessmarketing.htm
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