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My thoughts on the Internet

Seth I. Rich, seth@hygnet.com

I first connected to the Internet in June, 1987. I was, at the time,
rich@jvncf.csc.org, and the 'Net was much smaller than it is now. I
remember seeing people from nearby institutions -- Rutgers, Princeton --
and realizing that this network was linking me not merely to them, but to
people on the other side of the country, on the other side of the world. It
was a fascinating, magical period for me, as I walked through that door
into a whole new world.

There are no limits to the Internet. The people I met had opinions and
knowledge of things far beyond my personal experiences. I found that my
local news media didn't give me as much information on the issues as I
could get from people who cared. Other people, other perspectives. There's
so much to be learned.

Over the years, a lot has changed. And even though the advertising fools
and the marketers may hope to see the Internet become a one-stop-shop for
video-on-demand and catalog purchasing, I hope that its magic persists.
That magic is people.

It's people that made the Internet what it is. People with the drive and
the ability to see things happen, to make things work. Yes, some of the
people on the 'Net are slime, pornographers, pedophiles, Republicans, but
that's not everyone. Not even close. The vast majority of the people I've
met here are thoughtful, caring, and intelligent.

The Internet does not need to be made safe for children. Kids are smart,
they know creeps when they run into creeps. (Parents should be involved
anyway, but I'm not going to drag out the analogy of Internet==Metropolis
and "Would you let your child roam freely in a large city?") Nor does the
Internet need to be made safe for advertisers. (I'd be happy if the 'Net
were made safe -from- advertisers!) The Internet is a global community of
people empowered to speak for themselves, to think for themselves. I'm not
surprised that governments around the world find this terrifying.
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 [HYGNet]  Seth I. Rich - Feb 21 1996 - seth@hygnet.com