Online America
Tuesday marked the 16th birthday of the world wide web. This is amazing to think about. The human experience with the Internet is only 16 years old. In such a short time, the WWW has become a Juggernaut of influence. It has shaped our world both politically and economically. Most people that I know spend time on the Internet every single day. Some people that I know spend more time on the Internet than they should. The World Wide Web has had an incredible effect on our culture.
In my opinion, the WWW is one of the greatest inventions ever, and one of the worst inventions ever. It is great because of what it does. The WWW is without a doubt the most successful information sharing library ever invented. There has never been a time in history that human beings can access so much so quickly. We now can read what are doctors read. We now can study anything at anytime.
The WWW has also opened up opportunities of freedom around the world. Most communist and Dictatorial nations struggle with the WWW. Information is a great liberator. The WWW opens doors that rogue regimes cannot control. The anti-freedom governments can filter and filter and filter, but information will seep through. I believe that the WWW will usher in freedom in places where there is none. It may take years, but it will happen.
As good as the world wide web is at sharing information; it is just as bad at creating community. I turned on my television the other day and watched Brad Paisley's new video "Online". In this song, he claims that he is so much cooler online. He grows a foot and loses some weight. I thought it was brilliant.
The reason that WWW is a terrible place to build community is because it is not a real place. There is a lot of lonely people in the world that are hooked on chat rooms. Why? because they receive all sorts of praise and support that they do not receive in real life. Online, you become who you want to be. The person chatting with you is only as honest as he or she wants to be.
Simply put, if you are online to find friends, you need to ask yourself a very important question. Why can't I find friends outside of my computer? An honest answer may change your life.
Happy Birthday WWW. Your creation (By the way, Not by Al Gore) is one of the greatest inventions the world has ever known. Like you or hate you, you are a force to be reckoned with. You are a wonderful information spreader, however, some of that information is poisonous to the mind. Through you, truth and God can be spread out to the masses. Through you, pornography and lies can be spread as well.
Those who read this blog. Let us all make a promise to use this tool wisely. If we you it wisely, it can bless us. If we use it incorrectly, it can destroy us.
In my opinion, the WWW is one of the greatest inventions ever, and one of the worst inventions ever. It is great because of what it does. The WWW is without a doubt the most successful information sharing library ever invented. There has never been a time in history that human beings can access so much so quickly. We now can read what are doctors read. We now can study anything at anytime.
The WWW has also opened up opportunities of freedom around the world. Most communist and Dictatorial nations struggle with the WWW. Information is a great liberator. The WWW opens doors that rogue regimes cannot control. The anti-freedom governments can filter and filter and filter, but information will seep through. I believe that the WWW will usher in freedom in places where there is none. It may take years, but it will happen.
As good as the world wide web is at sharing information; it is just as bad at creating community. I turned on my television the other day and watched Brad Paisley's new video "Online". In this song, he claims that he is so much cooler online. He grows a foot and loses some weight. I thought it was brilliant.
The reason that WWW is a terrible place to build community is because it is not a real place. There is a lot of lonely people in the world that are hooked on chat rooms. Why? because they receive all sorts of praise and support that they do not receive in real life. Online, you become who you want to be. The person chatting with you is only as honest as he or she wants to be.
Simply put, if you are online to find friends, you need to ask yourself a very important question. Why can't I find friends outside of my computer? An honest answer may change your life.
Happy Birthday WWW. Your creation (By the way, Not by Al Gore) is one of the greatest inventions the world has ever known. Like you or hate you, you are a force to be reckoned with. You are a wonderful information spreader, however, some of that information is poisonous to the mind. Through you, truth and God can be spread out to the masses. Through you, pornography and lies can be spread as well.
Those who read this blog. Let us all make a promise to use this tool wisely. If we you it wisely, it can bless us. If we use it incorrectly, it can destroy us.
posted by Foundes Community Church @ 8:41 AM
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