Knowledge is power. Information is central to the exercise of every kind of power on earth. The elites of our world dominate by controlling access to information. The United States dominates militarily not because of bigger guns but because of bigger eyes and ears. The American military can see before being seen and act on that information with devastating speed and accuracy. Wall Street brokers can move millions in an instant because of access to financial information the average investor does not have. Hollywood actors find the best roles by knowing who to talk to. Even in sports athletes can dominate by amassing relevant information on the best competitors, training methods, and tactics.
The average person’s most significant problem is a lack of relevant and timely information. True, the average Joe has more information than he knows what to do with. He swims in it, he’s saturated, but he is awash in a sea of irrelevant data. He doesn’t have the means to decide what is relevant, a way to guarantee timely delivery, or the ability to act on it once he receives it.
The internet has had much to do with a certain leveling of the playing field. The data available on the World Wide Web is limitless but unorganized. In fact, the internet is the prime culprit in the average man’s data saturation and desensitization. The problem with the internet is that much of the relevant data exchange is still passive. (This is a problem with most information networks.) General search engines uncover reams of data, but the information the public needs remains the property of the privileged few. It may be exchanged over the internet but that does no good unless the general public is privy to the forum of exchange. Indeed, much information exchange, even over the internet, still travels in small private circles. Outsiders are either barred or are ignorant that the information even exists.
We are at a critical junction. Information could be a democratizing force in our world but only if it is freed to be of service to the people. Those who create information must be compensated, but those who broker information transactions – the middle men - must be eliminated or transformed.
We have the means to deliver the information – the internet – but do we have the will? Can we change the internet from a passive exchange of irrelevant information to an active exchange of relevant data? Can we defeat (or convert them to our side) those who would hinder the flow of data? Can we make it so that anybody can truly be anything? I hope so.