My Stream of Consciousness in response to “Virtual Revolution”
Feb 18, 2010 Comments Off
Small villages in Africa can now use the Internet, yet 1/3 of Americans still do not use it or cannot. We’ve always separated ourselves from “third world countries”, but maybe we’re not so different after all.
Who is Stephen Fry?
I’m enjoying the soundtrack. It makes the video seem very “hip” instead of just being an informational tool.
I’m excited to finally learn about a real person that contributes to Wikipedia. I’ve always wondered who these so-called experts are, since I know plenty of people that have jokingly created Wikipedia pages or added false information to articles.
I agree with the statement “I despise WIkipedia, I loathe Wikipedia…I use it throughout the day.” As much as we try to avoid it, Wikipedia has become the go-to website for quick, hopefully accurate information. Sometimes it’s just too tempting to take the easy way out, no matter how much it opposes our innate principles.
Why do they keep showing shots of Dr. Aleks using her laptop in random places? And sometime she just stares out into the distance. Is that really necessary.
I wonder how many people know that “Dead-heads” were the first serious users of the Internet? I was surprised by that information. “Dead-heads” have a reputation for using drugs and praising Jerry Garcia, not being the guinea pigs for advanced technology.
The Web started out as a very noble endeavor- Barlow’s constitution represented “the underdog” finally standing up to “the man.” But is this reversal of power still true today?
I really like the idea behind Ushahidi, but how effective was it? Were enough people really able to get to a computer and report an attack? I would expect them to have trouble both finding a computer if an attack really was taking place and avoiding the violence being directed toward them.
What exactly is the World Wide Web? How is it different from the Internet?
It seems like so many people just want to turn a profit from everything they do, so it’s always nice to see someone like Tim Berners-Lee, who created something so unselfishly. Then Bill Gates happened, and now it’s all about making money.
I remember hearing about the Napster controversy when I was younger. I didn’t really understand who Napster was or what the problem was, but it was the first time that I noticed an Internet company getting in serious trouble. I do agree with Lars Ulrich’s basic point, that people aren’t paying for his services so he should get to do the same, but it’s hard to take him seriously when he’s a millionaire and clearly doesn’t need to save money by not paying to get his car fixed.
Arianna Huffington correctly predicted our current print media situation. While traditional newspapers are now struggling and trying to streamline their websites, The Huffington Post has been consistently updating itself and is ahead of the game.
Jimmy Wales and Wikipedia return to the ideals advocated by Tim Berners-Lee, but these ideals cannot exist in our current online society. Wikipedia has had to enforce rules and police submissions instead of just letting users write what they wish. I don’t think we’ll ever be able to return to the days when software was free and everyone had a right to all parts of the Web.
Another comment on the random shots of scenery- it’s interesting that a documentary about the Web, which could be filmed against the backdrop of a computer screen, the filmmakers used natural, outdoor shots from around the world. I’m sure they were trying to create a certain mood in the viewer- that the Web can be equated to something naturally powerful, fresh and beautiful.
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