The World Wide Web, possibly the most important piece of communications technology that changed the world and truly made communication global. One could say literally, that you can learn anything from the web, and with today’s communications technology, that is very well so true. Let’s take, for example, Ancient History. If you are an academic you might have access to information because you, of course, would have access to vast libraries in universities and colleges. However, for an everyday fellow, you would be hard pressed if you could even be allowed to enter, much less browse that library. Fortunately for everyday fellows like us, we have the internet to thank for. A multitude of sites, blogs, and informational articles carry topics on ancient history like this one https://talecup.com’s piece on Ancient History. These sites help propel the internet generation to new heights of academic learning. And learning whether or formal or informal, is still knowledge, and we all know knowledge is power.
How the Information Technology came into being is actually just history repeating itself, we have first, the telegram, the telephone, then we have movies, followed by radio and then the television. When you look at it the way they came into being will more or less have the same background story, albeit roughly. This is more or less the plot – ideas were invented, hobbyists and enthusiasts put them on their paces identifying the everyday use for the masses, corporations and big money companies notice it and mass produce, corporations become so powerful and monopolizes the technology. then another inventor will make something new and so on and so forth.
Where are we at in this cycle now? Looking around me, I see big corporate entities having a monopoly on Internet service pricing, data caps, unlimited bundles all for a price. One could argue that where we are at now is we are waiting for a new kind of technology that will topple this monopoly because the evidence is all around us. However, the internet is different from all those previous information technology systems from the past. The internet is everything of those combined and more. The question or the “fight” really is not what would topple the internet but who would own it. The fight is between Open Internet or Corporate controlled internet. That’s right we are not waiting for new technology, the internet has been in the domination of everything concerning communication for over 4 decades now and still going strong. At least now we know the deal, remember Open Internet or Corporate Internet? Choose your side.
