Summary. This is a short thought provoking writing about how the Internet shapes the collective thoughts and memory of humanity. If you are reading this, you are part of the collective. Welcome.
Consider
You are a blogger, a photographer, a videographer, a creative writer, a technical problem solver, a member of the independent media. You add content to the creative commons, Wikipedia, a collective online journal, your own blog, website, and/or social network. You post instructional videos to YouTube.
As you individually or cooperatively research issues and solve problems, you are adding to the collective expression, awareness, and knowledge of humanity. The Internet, like synapses in the brain, connects, joins, and consolidates your knowledge with that of others, to form the collective brain of humanity that is searchable online. Aggregate feeds of collective community data are processed and molded like clay.
Imagine all knowledge as being stored in a large brain. You are a living part of that large brain. The collective brain of humanity. Thoughts, experiences, ideas, hopes, dreams, inventions, and much of what we see, hear, and watch is now searchable and accessible on the Internet. There are no silent observers.
All Have Impact. All who interact with the Internet shape it’s growth and form. A visit to a single web page or a simple search on Google can result in a response by a web designer to reshape some aspect of a website to better serve the needs of the online community. Your direct formal feedback isn’t necessarily needed for your activity on the net to have an impact.
Take Action, Take Thought. Because you have such great influence on the collective societal awareness and consciousness, consider how best your impact can result in a domino effect that brings about positive, rational, progressive, hopeful, constructive, and peaceful thoughts and interactions.
What’s your next step? Is it today? Is it now?