As I write this Twitter has been shut down and Facebook is experiencing problems as Twitter users log on there instead. Social media world has been brought to a temporary stand-still and it is interesting to see what effect this is having online. This got me thinking on the world we are now moving into.While people may criticise social media for 'dehumanising' our interaction I would argue it opens many doors for people across the world to communicate with each other in ways that we never could have dreamed of before. However, this assumes that people know and understand how to use these online tools properly and also understand the consequences of their actions.
Recently in the UK, we have heard about the new phenomenon of 'sexting' where people send each other naked photos of each other with no regard for the fact this may quite literally 'bite them on the ass' later on. Sour grapes and jealousy from ex-partners can be a potent force and can quite easily lead to compromising photos being shared online or posted on websites. The key thing is to remember that what happens in online world has repercussions in the offline world.
So powerful is this force that countries like Iran and China have are trying to impose strict limits on internet activity. Businesses are desperately trying to control and charge for access to certain parts of the web. However, the internet and the open source philosophy is not about 'walled-gardens' whether it is in business or between nations. It is about sharing information and ideas which crosses international boundaries, cultures, age, and social backgrounds and creating something new we can all benefit from.
For my part, I love the fact I can talk to people from all over the world and learn about them. The old order does not like change but then it never has looking back through history.
Much of the predjudice in the world stems from ignorance so having more information readily available is most likely a more positive than negative thing.
I guess what I am trying to say is simple: wE aRe hErE, wE aRe gLoBaL!
