The 'Net'... What is it to you....?

[Ruavel]

Hi people...

I'm in the throes of finishing my first semester back at University after a very long break (and a complete change in subject matter)...

In one of my units, I'm studying the Net... not web design but the Net, itself, and people see it, use it, and think of it...

Anyone care to share their thoughts with me...?

If so, I'd appreciate any general assessments of what the Internet is to you, how you use it, and why...

If anyone feels like commenting on the theory of the US military developing the Internet, I'd love people's take on that too...

Obviously, if this outside the scope of this forum I apologise to Morrus and the Mods in advance.

In the meantime, please share with me..

Ru.

 

[der_kluge]

I think this sums it up:

"Usenet is like a herd of performing elephants with diarrhea - massive, difficult to redirect, awe-inspiring, entertaining, and a source of mind-boggling amounts of excrement when you least expect it." - Gene Spafford

 

[Psionicist]

Or in one word:

Porn

 

[Warrior Poet]

I don't have the attribution, and I apologize for that, and if anyone knows who said, I'd be curious to know, but I once read the Internet described this way:

"The Internet is proof that a million monkeys with a million typewriters will NOT produce the works of Shakespeare."

Warrior Poet

 

[Hand of Evil]

Along time ago, there were these things called Bulletin Boards, most only had one or two dial in lines but were connected to each other all over the world, the one I used was Chalky's, mostly text based messaging, some games like Star Trader (think that was what it was called). Then came AOL, GEnnie and a few others, I use to go out to GEnnie because of B5.

What it did for me was to open up my interest and hobby to other people with the same and to share ideas.

Strange to think of it this way but I am of the generation that saw the completetion of the inter-state highway system and I can relate the two. The long trip to grand-mothers house, through hills and dells, along the back roads and small towns became the fast and hurried rush of advertisement, the growth of services for a nomadic industry, and traffic jams because of poor design and overuse. When it all is said and done, I stay close to home, using the interstate to drive 20 miles a day and the internet to view 20 sites.

 

[diaglo]

Or in one word:

Porn

or pr0n

depending on whom your audience is.

 

[nothing to see here]

I have a bit of experience in communications theory -- and have to say, your question is a good one.

This very forum (and the ENworld community in general) embodies the fundamental paradox of both the internet, and the communications revolution in general.

The past generation has seen a wave of groundbreaking new technologies -- the most fundamental of which is the internet, World-Wide-Web and derrivative technologies thereof. There is no debating the amazing potential of these technologies -- each one ostensibly designed to make communication and, by extension, life, easier.

However, this same period of technological growth has occured concurrently with a period of social upheaval -- where, by and large, people general report they are more stressed, feel less connected to their communities, and less empowered than ever before. Despite communication being easier than ever -- people are finding it harder to do!

These trends are the exact opposite of what the anticipated impact of what new technologies would be. That the internet might actually be CONTRIBUTING to a breakdown in communications seems so counterintuitive that it sounds absurd. Yet the evidence points to exactly that. By making communication over great distance trivially easy -- the internet has raised a generation with reduced communications capacity...the best example I've seen yet of McLuhan's "The medium is the message" postulate in effect.

This trend is just an oversimplification of a wider trend -- of breakdown of traditional authority and community institutions in western societies. The funny thing is, people have noticed and are using technologies like the internet, to establish new communities in place of old ones...

..like right here at ENworld.

So it seems that the internet is paying dividends by creating communities of interest based around it's fundamental characteristics (IMMEDIACY, ANONYMITY)...the same characteristics which undermined traditional communications (based on personal relations deveoped over time), thereby creating the social space for internet communities in the first place

 

[EricNoah]

In the old days, the "information problem" was too little information, too little access.

Today, the "information problem" is too much information, too much irrelevant information, too much duplicate information, too little information-screening, and too many distractions (chiefly advertising).

Given the choice, however, I vastly prefer "too much information" to "too little." Whether the average person is good at navigating it is one issue; but I am, and thus it's not particularly burdensome to me to have to wade through garbage to find the gems.

 

[nothing to see here]

In the old days, the "information problem" was too little information, too little access.

Today, the "information problem" is too much information, too much irrelevant information, too much duplicate information, too little information-screening, and too many distractions (chiefly advertising).

Given the choice, however, I vastly prefer "too much information" to "too little." Whether the average person is good at navigating it is one issue; but I am, and thus it's not particularly burdensome to me to have to wade through garbage to find the gems.

Considering your instrumental role in starting this particular community -- that sounds like a very understandable perspective indeed.

 

[EricNoah]

Considering your instrumental role in starting this particular community -- that sounds like a very understandable perspective indeed.

Now that I think about it, Eric Noah's Unofficial Blah Blah Blah was my attempt to wade through the garbage, find the gems (about 3E), and mount them somewhere so folks could see them easily.

And I enjoy that aspect of my profession as well. Librarians and the internet go together like PB and J.