On the Internet

During the mid-nineteenth century, the newly-invented telegraph facilitated the spread of information in an unprecedented manner. News arrived from around the world in an unprecedented manner, and the advent of wireless technologies, including radio, brought information directly into people's homes. However, individual participation was much more difficult compared to today due to government regulations and expense.

Communication technologies have gone through stages, with new inventions joining and occasionally outpacing the old. The telegraph slowly faded into obscurity as telephone technology spread around the world, though it was more slow to grow in popularity in Europe than the United States, and the transatlantic phone call did not become relatively common until the 1960s. With more and more satellites orbiting Earth, the entire globe has access to quick and quality information via television, radio, phone, and Internet. It is the latter form of communication which is the newest to the average private citizen, and whose presence is still growing in the developing world.

The Internet has spread information at a speed like no other form of communication, and the advent of "Web 2.0" user-generated content brings individuals closer to one another. The printing press was key in the creation of modern nation-states, the telegraph played a role in the rise of nationalism, and now I wonder if the Internet will bring about a new form of "nation." There are different online communities for every interest under the sun, but they all have the same purpose: unite people with common interests. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube may be leading web presences, but a niche market exists for groups of people with specific interests, such as sports teams, bands, and political affiliations. Nations have always existed without borders, but the influence of "virtual nations" has grown. Can they actually have influence over events? Social media is a powerful organizational tool, and unlike earlier technologies, mostly outside of governing regimes.

Whether or not such web-based nations can actually be cohesive enough to exist as an effective bloc to influence world events or major shifts in cultural or political movements remains to be seen. Iran's "Twitter Revolution" is oft-discussed as a failure, but there are so many other factors that were involved - namely, the country's authoritarian government. The bottom line is that I see the Internet - particularly Web 2.0 - as extremely powerful organizational tools, and the ability of instant participation is unique amongst the development of communications technologies throughout history. But what I am unsure of is whether or not that organization can be turned into action.