I suppose all this (hate, venom, cyberbullying, etc. in cyberspace) is an
inevitable consequence of our emerging technologies that - in effect -
globalizes without restraints the communities in which we participate,
sometimes involuntarily. Security issues are part of it as well (viz.
hacking IRS, govt, retailers). One wonders if that, by twenty years from
now or so, this current period of openness to all will be replaced by
something substantially different. I can imagine security and privacy
issues becoming so virulent that the unrestrained, uncontrolled internet
will disappear. I can imagine the business potential (to internet
providers and by extension the government) of providing only an internet
that is very highly restricted. I know, this seems so unlikely when, for
example, the public apparently accepts the idea of NSA looking at
everything, as just one example of the current open-internet-accepting
cultural mindset. But, as one philosopher put it, the pain of any solution
has to be less than the pain of the problem. What we're talking about is
the perhaps exponentially increasing pains associated with unrestricted,
uncontrolled internet. How much would it take to swing public opinion in
terms of personal attacks, loss of resources thru hacking, public safety.
It is an interesting time. I get amazed when I see technical articles about
the "totally transparent world" when everything is known about everybody
enabled by the foibles of the internet. Is this really a future that, over
time, our society will want? Probably, but it'll be interesting.
BB
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