I too left Monday’s class reflecting on the concluding remarks of the discussion. Specifically, I thought about the current form of the internet and how far it has come from what Bush described in his “memex” vision. Interestingly, the internet has become a place through more than one story is being heard. I think a lot of this may be because not one specific organization has ownership of the whole process. While it may take some digging in some instances, the internet, unlike a collection of information curated by an individual, is instead a place where so much more can be displayed.
However, there is more to the story than that. The internet has simultaneously become a place in which people are on the one hand being called out and held accountable more than ever and a mode through which people can display opinions of hate while hiding behind a username. Thus, while more people are becoming liable for their words and actions, others utilize the optional anonymity that the internet provides to avoid responsibility. Given that it is unlikely anybody is truly anonymous online, I am curious to see what occurs in the next few years regarding this subject.
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