Going, going, gone

The Internet has been an amazing ride. Already people take for granted instant communication and massive information availability. I'm old enough to have graduated high school without touching a computer, but young enough to have learned on some of the earliest home computers.

The Internet turned computers from desktop curiosities to one of the most powerful tools available to regular people.

We have reached a turning point in the development of the Internet. Governments seem to be of two minds about the 'net. On one hand, repressive regimes “go dark” and try and shut down the Internet. On the other hand, other governments use the Internet for spying and influencing public opinion.

Here's the thing that most people don't get about the Internet. It's not a stable thing. It's changing all the time. There are even dangers of it getting so unwieldy that it becomes a lot less useful than it is now. There are things going on out there in Cyperland that surprise even the smartest computer people.

There are also things out there that can crash the next and scramble computer systems. I'm not going into detail for obvious reasons. I don't want to be responsible for assisting those of malicious intent.

One big danger is that too many people will lose trust. When they don't trust the Internet and feel it can't be understood at all, that will be the beginning of the end. Okay . . . when enough people feel that way. Right now the average Joe has some blind faith that the big brains out there have things under control. When that faith is lost it won't come back easily.

It is possible that in a single person's lifetime, the Internet was born, grew to maturity, and then dies. I hope it doesn't come to that. However, governments with all their manipulation and cyberwar are hastening the day.

-Sixbears