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Sunday, July 13, 2014

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

7 comments:

  1. I know that I'm rapidly approaching the point of dropping all the hate etc. Specially FB !
    So you are probably on to something.
    You put out good stuff Bear, that does not draw out the hate mongers, keep it up. Perhaps there's hope for this .

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    1. Thanks for the kind words Spud. My goals are to be useful or at least interesting -sometimes entertaining. Hate doesn't fit those goals.

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  2. When our government does not want us to really know when the country is about to go down, they will pull the plug. Keep your pencils sharpened.

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    1. More sophisticated governments try to channel thoughts and emotions on the 'net rather than pull the plug. Pulling the plug is a definite sign that they've failed.

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  3. I do like the internet and all the information it provides, granted most needs to be verified but that's easy to do on the web. I learn so many obscure things that I would never take the time to make a trip to the library to find out, where here at home I can find it out in seconds.

    I see several things coming in the near future that will dismantle the internet;

    The advertising is beginning to be intrusive and unbearable. Many times now it makes me move on rather than wait through the 60 seconds of unwanted garbage. Online businesses will suffer from this. Just like TV has become worthless and irritating because of the number and content of their commercials.

    Online purchasing. I love this feature. I can search a little and find the obscure item I want, purchase it and have it at my door in 3-4 days without spending a nickel on fuel driving around town looking for it. However, online financial security is almost gone now. Even if we use banking in person the banks still use electronics to transmit the data. Is that secure? No! Just look at the latest with Target mess, how simple that was.

    And as expected, here comes the government demanding taxes be paid on all purchases and as normal will begin to create impossible to live with regulations that favor big companies and screw the little start-up guys. Plus the fact they can turn it on or off at will.

    Let's have fun for as long as it lasts because it's going to get ugly and useless!

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    Replies
    1. We might be experiencing a unique period of History, so we'd best use it while it lasts.

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  4. I guess we just need to use it while we can.

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