wow, first post in a month. I have a cool topic though I think, hoping for some responses.
If the internet were deleted/banned/etc tomorrow, what website would you miss the most? Would it be google? wikipedia? facebook? myspace? maybe something less popular?
There as certain sites that I would certainly miss in the short term (as I did when I deleted Facebook a while back), but many of these sites really don't serve any real purpose to my life. Google would be missed dearly, but in actuality, the site that I would be most upset to lose would be YouTube. Surprised? Admittedly, I use Youtube as much for pure entertainment as the next person, but the infinite video library isn't what I would miss most. What I would miss most about Youtube (and the internet) is what the site means for everyday people communicating with each other. There is a convincing presence on Youtube of returning media to the everyday Joe/Jane, one that I find absolutely irresistible. Not only does it provide channels for anything from how to build a house to the benefits of a raw food diet, but it opens up the discourse of our society up to the public, and exposes this discourse to a network that previously was limited to our own circle of acquaintances. Wow. That was a long sentence. Anyways, the long and short of it is that Youtube and similar sites are a powerful, largely uncensored voice of public opinion that would be sorely missed by myself and many others if they ceased to exist. So, there you have it. Feel free to comment and let me know what you would miss most if the internet was shut down.
I forgot to mention that Youtube allows the creation of amateur comedies/dramas/etc, which are of as much value in terms of returning the media to the people as video commentaries on our socio political environment.
Wednesday 26 March 2008
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2 comments:
Is it sad to admit that I can't even imagine what it would be like to be without the internet ever again? Back in school over the summers we cancelled tv a few times over those months but kept the internet at my house because it was "essential" :)
But alright, for me here it goes: google, newspaper websites (spend most of my time online reading the news to be totally honest!), youtube, facebook (hey keeps ppl in touch!), sports websites (tsn.ca & espn.com especially!), cbc.ca, and i'm sure a whole number of other sites not mentioned here.
Something I've tried to coin as my own since late high school (aka late 90's) is the following: "The internet is society's last true chance at forming a revolution" I agree with your comments on the freedom that by nature the net brings along, and it's what makes me real upset every time they pass a new law to restrict parts of the internet. Here's hoping none of my most beloved, resourceful and entertaining sites ever have to go away!
...but if they don't do something to step up the bandwidth in the face of increasingly larger downloads, hdtv broadcasts coming over the same optics cables, phones to come digital soon as well, and other factors as well, who knows this may become a reality!
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