How can the Internet - a global tool crossing entire continents - serve to enhance our own communities?

Question

This question was asked at the Dropping Knowledge event on 9th September by Max Stelmacker, 36, Surrey, Canada. To find out more about Dropping Knowledge check out our blogs:

Dropping Knowledge in the UK: http://uk.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-qT1KKPQoRKdVT4lowpJCljbFokkuIzI8?p=1048

Dropping Knowledge in the US: http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-d8pH0dcoRKeB12yOcnUQp.9VCFos?p=12745

To discuss this subject in more detail follow this link to the official Dropping Knowledge website: http://www.droppingknowledge.org/bin/posts/focus/2114.page

Answer 1

The possibilities to this question are endless

A couple of possible ways that the internet can enhance our own communities are:

- You can live in the middle of nowhere and sell your products to people all over the world without leaving home. This helps build wealth and economic sustainability in your local community.

- It allows people in even the poorest communities to access a wealth of information that otherwise would not be available. The more you know, the further you can go in life. This can help those communities improve their standard of living.

- The sharing of information accross large distances allows people from completely different backgrounds to discuss their own experiences with each other - something that may not have been possible otherwise. As the benefits and disadvantages of different experiences are brought together, we can not only learn from our own experiences, but from other peoples as well. I guess this could help us in our communities as rather than making the same mistakes as others, we can learn from what they have done and make life better for ourselves.

Answer 2

Active members of clubs and societies are now seldom far from computer and Internet services, even if they have to use the local library. When I was a club secretary, it used to be a time consuming task circulating newsletters and event notifications, from initial composition on the back of an envelope to final but never error-free communication via either ones workplace duplicator or a local printer. The news was practically out of date before it reached a percentage of the target community; no records were ever up-to-date when it came to addresses, and marriages and deaths were not always notified.

Nowadays clubs and organisations can update their websites on a regular basis, and when mail does have to be sent, it can be churned out more quickly and efficiently, targeting people with database-generated, hopefully up-to-date addresses and state of existence.

Emigres and ex-patriots are able to keep an eye on their roots where a website is maintained, and possibly even contribute to or provide funding for projects. Ideas and solutions can be exchanged across vast distances.

Yes, it is all out there; the communications, the ideas, the contributions, photos, mountains of words generated by each discussion forum, blogs and all. But not the time. The dedication of all those who serve on committees, giving their time freely, maintaining websites and databases, working through the ideas, the solutions, managing funds and circulating newsletters about the next jumble sale, will always be an essential part of any community. Without them, nothing in the whole wide world would work.

Answer 3

In a real world situation, it provides a conduit for ideas and information. That was the ideas behind it when the US military and universities developed Arpanet.

The problem comes from the real world.

First, countries, governments, and corporations conspire to censor that free exchange. Some governments set nationwide blocks on sites from outside and inside their borders. Some companies are complicit with that, both providing information to those governments and specifically excluding those sites.

Second, there is no accountability. Individuals and organization can "publish" any information they want without reliable sources. The information might be misleading or an outright lie. And, since the chances that the information will be looked at in a timely manner by people with an interest in prosecuting the authors of the site are low, there is little reason to change it.

Such is the case with the online resource wikipedia.org. A quick review of recent news (legitimate news, not internet blogs), will reveal the case of John Seigenthaler Sr., who was implicated in the Kennedy assassinations without proof or evidence. The allegation was on the site for four months before the error was corrected.

Answer 4

I believe that the online communities can enhance peace and friendly values around the world. The internet is a vital source for information, which allows the seeker to find out anything about anything, even some of the most prized and difficult questions.

However, the internet in many ways good, can, however, lead to many bad influences, such as terrorist communication, and gang related stories of violence. The internet community across the world needs to fight online violence promotion, so that the internet community can strive for a better world.

Answer 5

Internet when is well used serves to anybody to get knowledge from anywhere. The best example of that statement is this forum of Answers Yahoo!.

I have found over here very interesting and profound reflexions about life, science, religion,etc.

It breaks the frontiers between distant countries and cities. It lets to know the way of thinking of lots of people and it lets to enhance education to everybody when properly used (of course, pornography, violent imagery and other things are inevitable on the net, but the more educated the people, the less they want to fill the gap with just that stuff).

I have thought just for a moment that if this trend in exchanging information continues it should push the people to "uniformize" criterion. On the other hand, I know that ideological differences between individuals from diverse cultures are sometimes incompatible each other but I hope that some day those differences were vanished and all the people could name themselves "earth-inhabitants" instead of Americans, Mexicans, Arabians, Chinese, etc...

Answer 6

The Internet would work best to serve civic associations. Creating a Web site would create a steady revenue stream that could be used to help out communities in ways like increasing safety, cleaning up the community and more. The Internet would also help out communities by giving each community member a page with directions to their house, creating easier accessibility to the community.

Also, online communication could create communities, in as simple ways as people meeting each other on a Personals web site or allowing people to get money for construction and purchasing land. Poor communities would become wealthy with knowledge, and would then be able to make more money and greatly improve in life, solely because of free services like Yahoo! Answers and WIkipedia.

The possibilities are endless, and as more and more people have access to the internet, their communities will inevitably be enhanced.

Answer 7

It is replacing many of the outdated ways we do things such as paying bills on line. Computer automation using the Internet has reduced the cost of doing business, encouraging more businesses to start. With more disposable income, families have things today that did not exist not long ago such as, cable TV, Internet, cell phones, instant credit, super large stores with everything under one roof for a low price, more leisure time activities and venues, note book computers, second family cars,etc. Individuals are not the only ones using the Internet. Government and any big business serious about staying in the black use the Internet to manage themselves as well as all our accounts. Example, the US Postal Service provides services to its customers through http://www.usps.com/ but it also provides services for its employees. USPS also uses the Internet to manage its internal functions such as monitoring its functionality and reporting problem areas to management. 10 years ago there were over a million people working in the postal service. Today the US Postal Service provide more services than I can even count yet there are only 700 thousand workers today.

Answer 8

First of all let me say thanks for the question and here i hope is a good answer. I think like you that internet has come a longgggggg way but it's still much to accomplish like maybe someday being able to not only e-mail folks but to see whom you are e-mailing too . I think that would be really cool and say why not ? There's already phones out there if you have one and the other person does too you can see whom you are talking too. I know this cause i seen one on one day when i was house cleaning for this lady and it was just neato too SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT HUH ? !!! ALSO maybe we could e-mail out bills someway or how without a fax machine and just credit card or debit and wouldn't have to worry about being late or even worse being cut off anymore on phones or internet services for being late.JUST THINK ABOUT IT NO MORE LATE FEES ON ANYTHING NOW THAT' D BE SOMETHING HUH ? ! There is already technology out there with that chip inplant into peoples wrist for checking out groceries and such and it could end up being even more advanced before we are done after all i believe we are in the END TIMES DON'T YOU ?

Answer 9

I would like the Internet to become a Rosetta Stone(translate for people) would be the first step to opening international dialog with the common people among other countries. (Perhaps one already exists). I think this would be such a step forward for the Human race to speak to anyone in the world. in knowing the thoughts and feelings of people in other countries would tend to bridge the gap towards a more united world, it may enhance or enlighten our entire Country.

Answer 10

It's working already. In the near future this tool will be an excellent media that will bring people together. Will be tha main tool for just about everything worthwhile doing globally. There is no one single thing to enhance the Internet but give it time. Natural evolution will occur and ideas will follow. I just hope they don't come up with the "bright" idea of charging for its use.