Mike,
There’s always another side to the story isn’t there.
Or a long list of “other sides”…thanks for sharing yours.
Your viewpoint is informed, thought out, and appreciated.
As you correctly point out, a lot of this is a matter of commerce, and the vicissitudes thereof. And who knows who wins when the dinosaurs take to the field. It usually isn’t us, although occasionally things work out for the best by accident.
When it comes to a battle of the big guys and the little guys, the little guys better keep their wits about them or they will get squished, as you suggest.
Is this deja vu or the sixties all over again?
But assuming one can avoid ending up being the slow members of the herd that get picked off by the beasts of prey, and one remains a vibrant willing participant in what the new can bring…there’s still a slew of issues having to do with personal ethics. Determining what the right thing is…
I’ve had some experience in promoting the new world of online community, and one hears a lot of concern about privacy and security. I know the concerns are real, and any utopia attracts those who would destroy it…and afterall we are dealing with the human animal and just how much can we really “trust” each other…right? How safe is safe? And is there really any limit to fear?
But still, somewhere in here, I’m trying to promote openess over fear, as in general being the preferred state of human existence. Online community thrives on the feeling of security, but also the feeling that being open, being real, being frank, being oneself, can be tremendously rewarding. There’s a bit of a rush of discovering that one can connect with others in ways one previously couldn’t manage to do. Find like souls half way across the world.
And there’s a downside too, I know, but I want to stay with the good vibes…the sunny side of the street…at least long enough to discover what I might be missing.
Keeping hope alive in this brave new world…without naivete, without utopian dreams, without endangering the innocence of all…that’s way beyond me. However, I can decide to take some risks and assume that some of the negatives of personal exposure will be overcome by the positives of new human connections. Or as the case may be, profound or simply exciting learning opportunities.
Oh, and to the degree I can manage to control my brash tendencies, keep my head safe, though I tend to be a bit reckless in that life skill.
John
