The Internet :: Web Cyberspace Technology Essays

The Internet The Internet will not start cooking your food or doing your laundry. Despite what some people may say, people are still going to have to perform the every day task of living even if they have DSL or cable modem access to the Internet. However, the Internet will help make the arduous task of living easier and more fulfilling - just like every other communication technology before it. The Internet has the potential to shape the future of the world in many ways, one of which is the preservation of past traditions, values and beliefs by way of its incredible ability for facilitating communication. After all, the Internet is all about communication. The ability to email someone on the other side of the world something so many people point to as being the awesomeness of the Internet. While certainly impressive, the quick communication can create a significant detachment that deviates from a core human requirement. In David Batstone's article "Network Democracy" (Batstone 1), he makes an im portant observation about online communities, or network as he puts it. He argues that online communities will not save everyone that shows up at the door of a community. He explains that there is a difference between "connection and belonging", which is the essence of a successful community. Belonging rather than connecting is not, however, something that will change the way that people interact. The "old world" communities of homes, shopping centers and parks have been doing this for years, decades, centuries, millennia. The foundation of successful communities is the sharing of similar beliefs, values and interests. When one converses with an upstate New Yorker that works in the city, they will find some shared interests with a Manhattan citizen that works in the city. However, there will be a fundamental difference between the two. They may even share the same professional community, their respective home communities are different. The very fact that there are separate religions, countries, states and cities are a testament that belonging rather than connecting has been around much longer than the networks of the new millennium. So why is there such a disconnect between so many citizens of the old world communities and their offline communities? Many people are born into their offline communities. We have little to no choice, for the first several years of our lives, about where we can live and to what community we will subscribe.