At What Cost?
Lately, there has been much written about the forthcoming new independence enabled by the latest enhancements to Internet technology. There seems to be a certain breathless anticipation of a new (virtual) world where all information is free and immediately available. But, the idea of new technology creating new freedom is not new. Every significant technological breakthrough from the discovery of fire to integrated circuits is guaranteed to incite discussion and even expectation of new freedom. The light bulb banished the night; radio connected us all, village and continent; the automobile shrank the world, and the airplane practically miniaturized it. Mankind's constant drive towards understanding his environment has created an unending list of innovations, each in its own way changing the world.
From electricity to the Internet, there has always been a sense of hope that the next technological marvel would set us free. In the current example free usually means free from the requirement of working in cubicle mazes and making hours-long commutes through rush-hour traffic every morning and evening. It means the freedom to choose where you work on a daily basis and the freedom to live anywhere. As an example, I'm currently sitting in a coffee shop in Seattle working on this article as well as typing up notes for my real job and catching up on some emails. By the time I finish this article I will likely be submitting it from an airport in Phoenix. I am free to live wherever my wife and I feel is best for our family because I can do my job from wherever I happen to be at the time.
But, is it worth it? This freedom comes at the cost of always being "on", always being available, always being connected. It means that even though you're never really "at" work any more, you're never really "off" work any more either. So, is the trade-off worth it? Is it worth it to have the freedom to work from anywhere if you have to give up the freedom to be alone (or at least left alone)?
Apparently, the answer depends at least in part on how old you are. Younger people that have spent a greater percentage of their lives "hooked in" tend to deal with the lack of privacy afforded by the Internet with, if you will pardon my saying so, a certain wild abandon; whether due to an enhanced sense of openness nurtured by constant contact with the rest of the world or simply naive innocence I do not know. Older folk, more accustomed to dealing with the results of man's darker nature, tend to look at such openness with uneasiness and even suspicion.
By the time the upcoming generation reaches the point where they are making the decisions and we older folk are gumming our tapioca and listening to easy-listening versions of Metallica the Internet will have become so integrated into our society it will be seldom thought of as the "thing" it is today. Everything will be in contact with everything else in a weird technical rendition of Buddhism. Trying to tell the difference between being "online" and being "offline" will become moot; more the subject of classroom philosophy than day-to-day discussion.
It doesn't take too much imagination to see the Internet at some point in the not-too-distant future becoming the new ballot box. For the first time in the history of the world, true democracy on a large scale will be conceivable. But, what seems at first glance to be a desirable goal may in reality turn out to have the opposite of its intended outcome. Politics could easily become an exercise in mass marketing using emotional appeal and catchy sound bites to sway a majority of the population on subjects that are technically difficult, often to the point of obscurity. Politicians and their staffs will become adept at manipulating the message since they know the audience will often be uninformed on the topic at hand or not have the background to properly understand it. In addition, since they are only carrying out the "will of the people" the can always absolve themselves of any blame whenever things don't work out.
It's not that people electing their government through democratic voting all over the world would be bad; far from it. However, the ease of Internet-based voting could quickly lead to voting for everything. Every resolution, every question of any political import will be put to a vote. Politicians will learn to abstain from all responsibility for any question that could possibly reflect poorly on them, leaving it "up to the people". If you think that sounds like a good idea, try picturing a high school in which all administrative decisions are left up to the students.
Sometime in our lifetime technology will give us the capability to safely and securely perform any kind of transaction online, including voting. Inevitably, major elections will take place on the Internet or whatever replaces it. It's only a small step from there to a wholly democratic government run by continual Internet-based referendum. A brave new world indeed, but at what cost?
Article Source: http://www.search-raven.com
About the Author
Dan Scott is a Computer Scientist with over 25 years of accomplishments developing, constructing, and supporting computers and computer applications. Make sure you see his web hosting analyses on the top affordable web hosting sites.
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