When I was a kid, I may have believed it worked something like this:
However, without connection and interactivity you cannot have the Internet. The Internet, as many know, started as a military service and academic tool for an elite class of society. Today, the Internet is available to anyone who wants to use it, and it is constantly changing. It is undoubtedly a very major part of our lives and will continue to be so as it is passed on to the next 'wired' generation.
One of the more fascinating aspects of our virtual world is how well it has managed to integrate with society at large. There are sites that have spawned millions of followers, such as YouTube, Myspace, Facebook, and the ever-infamous 4chan, all of which you and your friends have either heard of or use yourselves. Though these were once obscure or fringe gatherings at a time in the past, they, as well as many other growing sites I have not mentioned here, are now great hubs of social interaction. Forums and imageboards (like 4chan and other 2channel-inspired boards) offer freedom and anonymity, while true social networking sites (Facebook, etc.) focus more on connections within interpersonal relationships. Obviously, both of these sites appeal to people, together allowing users to have a public profile while living some aspects of their virtual life in private. Some people have profited enormously from their personal Internet use...
...and others have either failed miserably at best, or had their lives negatively altered at worse.
Anyway, the Internet is a place where pretty much anything can happen. Its potential for encouraging creativity, individualism and the spread of new ideas is often overshadowed by properties that also allow it to serve as a breeding ground for manipulators, liars, tricksters, bullies, and general criminal activity. We live in a time when we frequently ask ourselves questions like "Does freedom of speech exist on the Internet?" These are difficult questions to answers, though we do know that if we are posting on a public forum then the moderation of our speech can be exercised at the discretion of administrators or webmasters (such as censoring offensive language or removing posts containing hateful speech).
The Internet can both enrich and hinder our everyday lives, this much is certain. But I want to focus on the phenomena that cause us to ask all of those difficult questions and make us think twice about our own online activity. I want to discuss the trends and media that give us entertainment and incorporate new catchphrases and ideas into our lives. I want to find meaning and sophistication in the "lolcats" and the grotestque humor that permeates the Web, and I seek philosophy behind the Internet 'celebrities' and sensations that we all unabashedly sit down to watch on YouTube on an otherwise uneventful weekend night. I want to understand, of course, but most important...I want to add to my own amusement in said entertainment. Hopefully I can add to yours as well. This is the goal of my blog. Cheers, and have a nice day.
- Heather
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