The internet as a whole signified the beginning of the second giant leap in human evolution. In the prehistotic era, when men had no real language to speak of, no way to share ideas or thoughts (The llittle they did have) they were truly individuals. They did what they pleased with little relation to the surrounding people. As language began to emerge they started loosing their individuality to the bigger whole - the family, the tribe. No one was really independent in his thoughts, cause everyone were sharing ideas with one another.
The internet signifies the next change... people who hook themselves up to the net and become take part of the "global community", talking with everyone, no matter how distant. Think how much information flies around in it... a person that learns to interact with the net will have great advantages over the rest, knowing more, learning more. Sooner or later, when mind-implants become standard issue, men will gradually succumb to the net itself, sharing themselves up with it completely, their very mind. Together with conventional nut-cracking circuitry, processors crunching up numbers at amazing speeds, there will also be living human brains analysing problems, solving algorithems. They will completely lose individuality and become a part of the bigger organism which is the Internet. There will be little distinction between the electronic parts and the biological parts. They'll all be part of the bigger, growing whole. Some kind of Borg proto-type.
So you're asking - why would people freely give up their basic rights, their individuality and their freedom for this gargantuam organism? Well, they would really have no choice. People within the net will have so many advantages over the 'free' people that the latter will evolutionary perish. Disconnect yourself from the net and you'd have no food, no education, no mental stimulation to speak of. It would be suicide.
So if I were you, gentlemen, I'd start brushing off my 'Resistance is Futile' proverbs.:)
Slashdot Mirror
The internet as a whole signified the beginning of the second giant leap in human evolution.
:)
In the prehistotic era, when men had no real language to speak of, no way to share ideas or thoughts (The llittle they did have) they were truly individuals. They did what they pleased with little relation to the surrounding people. As language began to emerge they started loosing their individuality to the bigger whole - the family, the tribe. No one was really independent in his thoughts, cause everyone were sharing ideas with one another.
The internet signifies the next change... people who hook themselves up to the net and become take part of the "global community", talking with everyone, no matter how distant. Think how much information flies around in it... a person that learns to interact with the net will have great advantages over the rest, knowing more, learning more. Sooner or later, when mind-implants become standard issue, men will gradually succumb to the net itself, sharing themselves up with it completely, their very mind. Together with conventional nut-cracking circuitry, processors crunching up numbers at amazing speeds, there will also be living human brains analysing problems, solving algorithems. They will completely lose individuality and become a part of the bigger organism which is the Internet. There will be little distinction between the electronic parts and the biological parts. They'll all be part of the bigger, growing whole. Some kind of Borg proto-type.
So you're asking - why would people freely give up their basic rights, their individuality and their freedom for this gargantuam organism? Well, they would really have no choice. People within the net will have so many advantages over the 'free' people that the latter will evolutionary perish. Disconnect yourself from the net and you'd have no food, no education, no mental stimulation to speak of. It would be suicide.
So if I were you, gentlemen, I'd start brushing off my 'Resistance is Futile' proverbs.