So Time Magazine announced that anyone who contributes to/uses the Internet in the current Web 2.0 sphere to be the Person of the Year for 2006. It’s an intriguing concept, but I’m not sold on this being the most news-worthy “person” this year.
Reading the introduction piece to the story, it is absoluteley optimistic about what the web is doing to bring power to the masses, and I’m a sucker for optimism. The Internet today is a publishing platform for anyone who wants to get on board (hence this blog…) but is that the most news-worty thing this year? Is that the most important thing that shaped the world, given that fact that more of the 6 billion people in the world do not have Internet access than do? This may be the most important thing for those who take broadband for granted, but what about those who do not have electricity and are more concerned for how they are going to feed their child his/her next meal?
Like I said, I’m not convinved on this one, but then again, the only people who care about Time’s pick are those who have a standard of living such that these things matter. One thing is for sure – those with Internet access can more easily identify with global thinking since the globe is the stage of the Internet. Has the Interent shed new light and power on the masses? I’m not so sure on that one, either. I think the Internet has shed light on how the masses really are (and Youtube has just become a vehicle to “show off”), rather than creating a new common human condition.
Anyway, as the category says, file this one under Russo’s Ramblings…
Image citation:
killrbeez, “Time Magazine Person of the Year” 26 December 2006, via Flickr.