Internet Sucks (Macleans Magazine)

Excellent article on the 15 years on the Internet, some truth in it.

www.macleans.ca...#

That article in my opinion is far to critical of the internet, yes
humanity is'nt a completely connected species, and yes the
internet has'nt caused a new global renaisance(SP?), but it
has changed the world immensly.

More people are knowledgable on a plethora of subjecs, scandals
and cover-ups that otherwise would have taken weeks, months
or even years to become public knowledge spread across the
counry and planet in a matter of hours.

The world's become more interconnected, we're coming closer
to being Humanity, instead of American or German or Japanese.


The internet has made the world a far better place.
True enough it has insidious uses and a dark side, but so does
every technology ever created.

The authors lack of vision is all that really stands out in the article.

The internet is what you make of it. You can surf all day for porn or gambling or games of chance, or you can start a business and make money while sitting at home in your undies. It is up to you.

We could say that Las Vegas should be torn down because all it does is cater to the vices of the human soul and is filled with all sorts of terrible things. Try telling that to the people who live there though or the millions of folks who vacation there every year. They would disagree.

The internet is what you make of it. Frankly, I couldn't imagine my life without it

I agree with wupy.
Internet provided me so many things like, music taste, interest in many subjects and, specially, friends.
Dude, I live in Brazil and lately I've been talking with a girl from Bulgaria. Without internet, probably, I would never have a chance to do it.

It's amazing to experience this, share tastes, culture and have the oportunity to realize that people are pretty much the same everywhere in the world.

But the Internet in it's current form does suck.

There's no Privacy. Your identity is just another commodity to be bought and sold.

There's no Network Neutrality, ensuring that those who have the "Business Package" will get shafted on "Specialty Rates" for "Guaranteed delivery" of bits to "Authorized Recievers" giving the carriers complete control over the flow of information.

As a direct consequence of the first problem, there's no Security. Identity Theft is rampant.

In order for the net to reach it's true potential, these three issues HAVE to be dealt with post haste! Until then, this whole thing is still just a work in progress.

If we aren't critical of the Status Quo, then these issues will not get fixed.

[edit on 29-10-2006 by sardion2000]

Last year, the top 10 Google searches were as follows: Janet Jackson, hurricane Katrina, tsunami, xBox 360, Brad Pitt, Michael Jackson, American Idol, Britney Spears, Angelina Jolie, and Harry Potter. Berners-Lee's interactive sea of shared knowledge is primarily concerned with two actors, three singers, a video game console, a TV show, a fictional character and two natural disasters.

Who are these people? And we wonder why the world is so screwed up, most of us aren't paying attention!
I mean, Janet Jackson No.1 google search topic
I shake my head, unbelievable!
(well, at least 2-3/10 of the google searches are somewhat worthy)

Maclean's magazine is a favorite of liberal middle class Canadians and it has a definite bias on any issue. I frankly don't like it nor would waste my money to buy it but it is nice to see how the other half thinks once in awhile so I'll look at it if I come across it somewhere.

Originally posted by denythestatusquo
Maclean's magazine is a favorite of liberal middle class Canadians and it has a definite bias on any issue. I frankly don't like it nor would waste my money to buy it but it is nice to see how the other half thinks once in awhile so I'll look at it if I come across it somewhere.

And this has what to do with the topic at hand? Remember it was mostly Middle-Class Liberals who built the net we see here today. Please leave the Partisan comments on Politics@AboveTopSecret.

One other thing to note, there are only two types of people who have no Bias: Babies and Human vegetables.

[edit on 29-10-2006 by sardion2000]

DARPA came up with the net.

And theft and security are in the same category...and 99% of it is because the people who give out there info are idiots.
They see some email that says that their bank needs to verify there credit card number...and they go and give it away...

I have bought many things on the internet, and I have never got scammed, or had my identity stolen.

the problem isn't the internet - the problem is humanity.

nobody is concerned with learning if it's not forced on them. nobody is concerned with self-improvement for self improvements sake.

even i don't use the internet to it's full potential - i use it more to socialize than anything else. it's a lot cheaper than a bar or a ball game. i'm much less likely to get into trouble.

sad to say it, but the tool is only as smart as it's operator, and we're showing our true colors.

The future of the internet is currently being scrutinised by some very influencial people.

World discusses internet future

I have to say (don't want to blow my own trumpet too much mind) I was involved in setting up a few of the first internet businesses in the uk and trust me there has been some MAJOR developments in the last 15 years.

Looking forward to the next 15 years is soooo exciting.

I firmly believe we will see true global broadband exposure, This will be made possible by the development of a totally wireless global high speed wi-fi network.

The other great development much to the distaste of many a copyright owner is the idea of peer-2-peer.

In the not too distant future all devices will be in contact with each other through the wide area wi-fi and share information using a type of peer-2-peer.

This is my view on the direction web2 will take.

If I was anyone looking to invest an amount of money I would say look to invest in broadband capable airwave data transceivers. I believe this will be one of the largest growth areas in the tech sector in the next 5-10 years.

The Comms market will be High Fly again for sure!!

All the best people,

NeoN HaZe.

Yeah, the internet sucks, but so does the world.

Talk about a pessimist!

This is like blaming the interstate system, because some people drive drunk and even more drive with their cell phones glued to their ears and even more are too stupid to drive in the first place.

The internet is the greatest thing to happen to humanity since the printing press.

There are distinct differences, of course, but both opened the world to greater levels of free expression and greater freedom for the masses.

So, business hasn't yet learned how to take full advantage of the internet.

It took five hundred years for someone to come up with "People Weekly" and "Self".

In our time, thanks to the talent and industry of those from the Rhine, books have emerged in lavish numbers. A book that once would've belonged only to the rich -- nay, to a king -- can now be seen under a modest roof. ... There is nothing nowadays that our children ... fail to know.

--Sebastian Brant, circa 1500

www.uh.edu...

Well, maybe that's not such a good thing, but we'll adapt.


[edit on 2006/10/30 by GradyPhilpott]

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott

There is nothing nowadays that our children ... fail to know.
--Sebastian Brant, circa 1500
www.uh.edu...

Well, maybe that's not such a good thing, but we'll adapt.

Hmmm I couldn't agree more. Access and responsibility is something a lot of Adults fail to know when dealing with their kids.

I wonder how many children have a computer in their bedrooms connected to the internet with no restrictions applied??

I like children to remain children for as long as possible. It is the innocence lost scenario that gives the internet a bad name. But it shouldn’t be the internet that is blamed but people’s attitudes towards it.

I vote for more education amongst adults to the positives and the pitfalls of internet usage.

All PC's should come with some form of adult content management software - perhaps that should be included in the upcoming MS Vista.

Anyhoo,

All the best people

NeoN HaZe.


[edit on 30-10-2006 by Neon Haze]