"THE internet is so big, so powerful, and pointless that for some people it is a complex substitute for life.” – spoken by a freelance journalist from Poland
Two items in the media caught my eyes years back, got me to think about writing on the impact of the internet these last thirty years or so. From Agence France-Presse (internet edition, mind you) I read the interesting, but I guess not surprising, news that the world’s oldest newspaper, Sweden’s Post och Inrikes Tidninger (founded 1645) has embraced the digital age, ending its run as a print publication and opting to be published exclusively on the internet. Then in my beloved New York Times, I read of someone hijacking the rights to a domain name in the hopes of ransoming it back for a high price.
Then we have the comments of our freelance journalist above as well that most likely is referring to those who try to find fulfillment or happiness in their online lives instead of their more mundane real ones.
For sure... the internet has changed our lives to a huge degree.
Two personal experiences come to mind. I hope you’ll find that they speak of this change in two distinct ways.
In 1995, I left a managerial job in beautiful Sydney for a new and exciting assignment to run my company’s Shanghai office. From ‘83 to ‘85, I had studied Mandarin while running our Taipei office, so this chance 10 years later to dust off my rusty Mandarin seemed ideal. Plus, Shanghai was touted to be developed as “the new Hong Kong” so exciting stuff, eh. I headed off to the challenge with an open mind and great expectations. I ended up spending five years living in Shanghai and it didn’t disappoint. An amazing city of 69 million souls that went through more change in five years than most do in 50.
But back to the point – the internet was introduced to Shanghai at about the same time. China had tried to hold the “information highway” off for as long as it could, but finally, alas, it was upon them. I, as the manager of our Shanghai branch with two foreign and 48 Chinese staff under me, was asked to report to the PSB. PSB stands for Public Security Bureau and is one of the agencies that keep tabs on peace and order issues in the country.
A paper was placed before me that said I would personally be responsible for the internet usage of my staff and office. In Chinese 1995, terms that meant internet searches for “Taiwan,” “Dalai Lama,” or “Asian Porn” might land me behind bars.
What could I do? I signed the form and, thankfully, was never thrown in the confines of the PSB. The foreigners I knew who did (mostly journalist friends), did come out of the experience speaking excellent Mandarin in respectful tones.
And of course, the internet and internet cafes have changed the face of bustling cities like Shanghai and Beijing, as well as quiet backwaters like Lijiang. Interesting to see a French backpacker search for climbing partners online while sipping oolong tea in a hostel then... which happens every day in many far-flung corners of the Earth.
Flash forward to Baguio 2004... Shanti and I had opened Bliss Cafe and on 9/11 that year, we invited the American community in Baguio to attend a “sharing” about how the events of 9/11 touched us all.
A Black American gentleman (his race becomes relevant soon) who was residing in Baguio at the time stated that he believed that the CIA was behind the incident of the Twin Towers in NYC as a means to create a new world order. Needless to say, this created a little discussion questioning his sanity. His chief defense was, “It’s a fact... I saw it on the internet.”
Which prompted me to say, “You know, if you check out the website of the Ku Klux Klan on the internet... it actually presents itself as a pretty fine organization.”
I leave you with another quote:
“When I took office, only high energy physicists had ever heard of what is called the worldwide web... now even my cat has its own webpage.” – President Bill Clinton, in his 1996 announcement of the Next Generation Internet Initiatives.