The Good, the Bad, and the World Wide Web

After reading Network Effects vs. Switching Costs, I believe we all owe a big thank you to Tim Berns Lee for gifting us with Gopher, the first step to the World Wide Web. The history of the internet seems to be one made of users who wanted to make things not only easier, but also more accessible for other users. As the internet evolved, so did PCs. IBM, Microsoft, and even Phoenix (which I had never heard of) joined in on the growing industry. It seemed as if the future of technology was heading in the right direction.

Of course, these companies were going to abuse an opportunity. If Apple takes advantage of some of its workers, would it not take advantage of its customers? Facebook is toxic already, but after reading about their appetite for control and invasion of our private data, it seems extremely unsafe. Is it that difficult to let tech giants’ customers enjoy these apps freely without being watched? It is like walking down the street and constantly being stalked. They made it so that we have no choice but to be followed. If we want to enjoy the internet, we have to be okay with being tracked and observed. This changes the way people use social media platforms as well.

Eichorn makes valid points on what exactly “content” is. The Instagram egg was something I had never heard of, but it was a good example of what we should consider when talking about the topic. It was also interesting to read about the content industry and the types and classifications that help drive the industry. I think that as the internet evolved, so did the content industry. Both were user-created, and these industries were bound to become what they are today because they were made by us. I don’t see it changing either. There is so much online content that these companies will continue to supply the industry, and unfortunately, it is only getting bigger and bigger.

I grew up with a computer, but did not have internet until I was about twelve. These days, it seems almost impossible to get around anywhere without the internet in your pocket. Everyone is glued to their phones, and now people use laptops in libraries or take notes on their tablets. Thirty years ago, this was a vision- a dream! It is a shame these corporations consume everything we do, because I don’t see them going away anytime soon.