The Internet: A Tool to Gather the World's Power - Book Posting

I never closely thought about the power of the internet, but after reading Clay Shirky's book, Here Comes Everybody, I feel like the internet is both powerful and unpredictable. It is powerful in that it is easy for everyone to access, so whatever is posted there can reach people easily. However, it is unpredictable because it does not guarantee a certain reaction from people who read what is on the internet. An example of this is listed in chapter one of Here Comes Everybody when several readers banded together to help Ivanna recover her Sidekick. This experience was powerful in that several people came together to accomplish a single goal. If they had not, she probably never would have recovered it. It is also unpredictable because there are many instances like this situation, but they are not always picked up by readers. It may depend on the timing, the people involved, or some other factor. 

Another example would be in chapter 5 of Here Comes Everybody, it describes Wikipedia and how it became a success versus its predecessor Nupedia. Both are online encyclopedias, but Wikipedia allows users to contribute to what is listed on it. However, out of everyone who uses Wikipedia only two percent probably contribute to the postings on it. That two percent must make a difference to turn Wikipedia into a worldwide phenomenon. Who knows though? Maybe there is some other unknown factor that attracts the attention of the world population to use Wikipedia as an online source of knowledge.

As I think about it further, I guess it is not the internet that is the power. The world's population is the power, and the internet is a tool to group that power together in unpredictable ways.

Living in the Matrix

I was reading several articles on how computers are exceptionally useful in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I then read the article "Using Social Media for Gospel Purposes" by Heather Whittle Wrigle. There is a small section in the article about the dangers of social interaction on the computer. A 52-year-old man would spend several hours a week on the computer as his cyber-self and interact with his virtual wife who lives in Canada. This left his real wife heartbroken. The fact that this really happens scares me. It reminds me of the movie "The Matrix." I don't believe that computers are literally going to develop independent minds and take over the world, but if people let virtual worlds become a major part of who they are, it's almost like computers are taking over the world. People would be letting themselves be held captive in virtual worlds.

Babbling or Reverent Development

Companies are releasing new software and developing technology so quickly that if you blink, you might miss the new product before a newer one is released. Eric Steven Raymond authored the article "The Cathedral and the Bazaar," where he likens the development of Linux to a bazaar: rapid and babbling. The rapid and babbling development of technology can numb the average consumer and cause him or her to forget to see how far the progression in technology has come. They become so caught up in having the newest product that they do not think about the development built up to that point. What if companies developed software in a reverent and thoughtful cathedral style of  development? I know we wouldn't be as far along in technology's development because it is improving at such a rapid pace. However, it makes me wonder if the world would do the same thing and be just as reverent, thoughtful, and appreciative of the development of technology and of the newest products.

A Bloodline and Technology

My great-grandfather made a voice recording of himself telling stories about his life. He wasn't alone in doing it. He asked someone to help him with these recordings. I can't remember who he asked, but a woman's voice is on the recordings asking him questions about his life. He probably could have sat and recorded these by himself, but he didn't. He was not afraid to ask for help. Too many people make the excuse that they are afraid of using the computer because they don't know how, and too many people don't do genealogy because they don't know where to start. If that's really the case, and we're not all just being lazy, here is a solution: ask for help. There are plenty of people who know their way around genealogy work, and there are plenty of people who know their way around computers and other technology. They just need to get together and help each other. They should not be afraid of the other's area of expertise. If you push a wrong button on a computer, it is not going to bite you. If you get lost in genealogy, your dead relatives aren't going to come back to haunt you. Imagine the strides we could make if we all weren't so afraid or lazy to ask questions and then get to work.

A Creator's Claim to Original Thought

There are two things I'm not sure about when it comes to copyrights. I'm a little confused about the topic of copyrighting.Why should the copyright date expire? First authors were outliving their copyright dates, and then the dates were changed to a certain date after the author's death. I don't think the date should expire at all. That's just making life complicated. The other thing I am confused about is why movies cannot be altered and resold. The Clean Flicks company got in trouble for altering movies and then reselling them. Books, however, can be altered and resold. What makes them so different?