Today, March 12, marks the 25th anniversary of the world wide web. What do you the readers of this post think of the www? Do you think we are better off with it, or would you rather turn back the clock to life before the www?
One of the main fall-outs of the www I believe is how we gain our information now and how we communicate with others. Before the www, most folks relied on books, magazines, newspapers and libraries for their information. Now a huge number of people look for their information on the www. This is both bane and blessing in the sense that there is far more access to information on the web readily available to the public. Yet, one questions the reliability/credibility of the information out there.
Another huge issue I think is that the www has caused some negative consequences for how we communicate with others. Many folks become reclusive and are addicted to the www, that is not a healthy thing. I think it can and sometimes sadly does have very adverse consequences for husband-wife and parent-child relationships. When folks are in public places, more often than not, you see them obsessed with their i-phones or smartphones and NOT communicating with others in their midst. Even when you manage to involve them in a conversation, they still keep their device out and keep checking it obsessively, which I think is just plain rude and disrespectful of the person that is trying to converse with them.
On the national and global level, of course there are also still some very serious issues like, for example, privacy, security, cyber-bullying, identity theft, and more. For an interesting reflection on the www, I encourage you to watch the video below by Tim Berners-Lee the purported founder of the www, and then tell me what you think by leaving a comment.
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