Before Google, before Reddit, before Facebook, people all over the world, rich and poor, run their own sites and their own forums, allowing them to chat with people throughout the world.
Here in Serbia, even in the worst of times (sanctions, NATO bombing in 1999), people with internet access could participate in local and global fora, newsgroups etc. It was expensive to get a computer and internet access, but people were willing to pay to host a small community. Late in 90s and early in 2000s, there was a huge number of cheap "virtual hosting" providers, and even cheaper LAMP stack providers, where people would run their own phpBB or similar forum software. IRC I probably need not mention.
This "great equalising" has been nothing but a negative in the long run.
The cultural internet blip of the 90's/early 00's is never coming back. Its not a framework for a free open internet, it's an anomaly that was born from a convergence of factors that was short lived before the masses showed up. A wonderful thing to be a part of, no question I get warm fuzzies thinking about it now, but I recognize what it was. It's akin to dreaming of that time you caught Coldplay play a small london pub in 1998, and then thinking it would be so great if Coldplay could just play small pubs again. Not happening.
No disagreement there, but I do disagree that on the internet, poor and rich would not intermingle without the big tech players: they already have, and even if not for them, they would have continued.
I am not reminiscing anything here, but I do believe this counterpoint does disprove the claim to the contrary :)
Comments
Before Google, before Reddit, before Facebook, people all over the world, rich and poor, run their own sites and their own forums, allowing them to chat with people throughout the world.
Here in Serbia, even in the worst of times (sanctions, NATO bombing in 1999), people with internet access could participate in local and global fora, newsgroups etc. It was expensive to get a computer and internet access, but people were willing to pay to host a small community. Late in 90s and early in 2000s, there was a huge number of cheap "virtual hosting" providers, and even cheaper LAMP stack providers, where people would run their own phpBB or similar forum software. IRC I probably need not mention.
This "great equalising" has been nothing but a negative in the long run.
The cultural internet blip of the 90's/early 00's is never coming back. Its not a framework for a free open internet, it's an anomaly that was born from a convergence of factors that was short lived before the masses showed up. A wonderful thing to be a part of, no question I get warm fuzzies thinking about it now, but I recognize what it was. It's akin to dreaming of that time you caught Coldplay play a small london pub in 1998, and then thinking it would be so great if Coldplay could just play small pubs again. Not happening.
No disagreement there, but I do disagree that on the internet, poor and rich would not intermingle without the big tech players: they already have, and even if not for them, they would have continued.
I am not reminiscing anything here, but I do believe this counterpoint does disprove the claim to the contrary :)