Dialogues on the internet
Although the future of the internet is unpredictable, the many uses and ideas that have sprung forth are seen to benefit us. The platforms that served the most purpose survived while others ceased to exist. Yet, most people have their own preferences for what is the best feature of the internet given what it has to offer. As we reimagine the internet, we chose several platforms that we believe will embody the ideas of a “good” future for the internet.
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Josh:
If I could reimagine the internet, I want it to be a large, open-source marketplace. This marketplace could be represented by an AppStore, where creators could develop and share their ideas and creation with others, either choosing to charge them for their services or not. The AppStore is constantly expanding, and showcases different hobbies and interests for a wide variety of people’s interests. The AppStore is like a port, where creators and consumers can interact, and communicate with each other. The assignments that we had this semester talked about the internet in various ways, saying how it either brought people together, or tore people apart, such as the citizens in Private Eye. Being a port for creatives, the AppStore will cause others to interact with each other, while also providing some sort of financial stability for people, spending money on services and goods. The idea of a marketplace being a “port” or center for ideas is intriguing, and it means that the future of the internet is a place where people can come together and interact with each other, unlike the future of one of the first stories that we read, Intensive Care Unit.
Dylan:
Although an important part of the internet is the use of marketing and communication to sell and buy goods, I think the internet is more beneficial for assisting with education. If I were to reimagine the internet, the main emphasis of it would be to educate the youth which would lead to a more successful future. Especially in a time like this, the use of the web for educational purposes is necessary for students to continue learning virtually anything. While there is limited information a teacher can pass on to students, they can always refer to the internet to expand their knowledge on numerous topics. Khan Academy is a valuable resource that has helped with online learning for years. It is an important center for learning different subjects in interactive ways just like the app Duolingo which helps with learning different languages. While online learning is not easy for many, it is solely up to the student to use the internet in the right way and develop time management skills to benefit their learning. It is valuable to educate the youth to prevent history from repeating its mistakes.
Minae:
It’s hard to say what is real on the internet. In today’s age we have apps that allow you to filter yourself. Not only can a person filter himself they can portray themselves falsely; people have the unlimited ability to filter how they want to be seen on the internet. For instance, they might not say certain things because they know it is not socially unacceptable. Throughout the semester we have discussed what identity is and why the internet is so secure about its protection. For instance, in Neuromancer Case is chasing Molly trying to break through the shell she surrounds herself with. Even in Private Eye we can see how people literally hid themselves from the outer world and wore masks. Provoking me to suggest my ideal form of the internet to be a place where people would not have to hide who they were because it does not matter who sees because there are no numbers to suggest approval. More importantly, there is no motivation to be someone for the approval of others. It would be ideal if it was acceptable to show your flaws on the internet without its critical judgement. We are always so encouraged to impress the viewer. Yet, if people were able to be flawful then they can be loved for who they are and not what they perceive themselves to be.
Theo:
Platform that is universal
One way I could reimagine the internet would be to provide internet access to all. The internet is an extremely valuable resource but is not accessible to everyone in the world. Although this change would be more so about who is using the internet rather than its functionality, it would require more advanced technology to keep up with all the added users. That being said, to provide internet access to everyone would be a massive project requiring a lot of capital and resources. However, I believe that the ability to access the internet by everyone would make the investment well worth-it, because especially during a pandemic, internet access can allow people to connect with friends and family, do work, shop, play games, and a plethora of other activities. A resource I chose to represent my vision of the future of the internet is an article about how every public school student in Connecticut is receiving a computer and high speed at-home connection and how the state is trying to provide internet connection to all homes. One interesting point that the author made was that the economy will most likely benefit from providing internet access to all since there are many adults who do not have internet access and therefore do not have as many opportunities to work. Widespread internet access would be greatly beneficial to the economy.
List of selected works:
Private Eye
AppStore
Intensive Care Unit
Khan Academy
Duolingo
Neuromancer
Discussion Questions
How does identity factor into the gathering of people to exhibit the knowledge of others?
How can access to the internet be malicious for the educational process, and the ideas of false information?
Explain why these four aspects of the internet are important (marketing, identity, education, and internet access). Predict how you think the internet will look like if all of these parts of the internet were in motion, moreover how life on the internet would be.
