Dreams and whispers of humanity are floating on the world wide web
Many of us do the occasional – or habitual – chatting on the Internet. Nowadays we have countless options to meet people, either people we already know (for instance: friends on msn) or people we do not yet know.
In both directions we anticipate something. We may even be very eager, especially when we have an actual and preferably immediate ‘date’ in mind. I am referring to the chat rooms on the Internet, which exist in many different categories or virtual clubs.
Although blogging and chatting are two widely different exercises, they do have a communication dimension in common. I also enjoy publishing my blogs because of the response they often generate and the meeting – or clash – of minds with people who share at least part of my interests (though not necessarily my opinions)
I have numerous interactions on the Internet, with friends, associates, students and many other people with whom I correspond, but whom I have not (yet) actually met ‘physically’. Don’t say virtual reality isn’t to some extent reality too: we share real thoughts, real pre-occupations real opinions and most of all: real feelings.
Chat rooms can be found in the most unlikely places
The habit of chatting is an utter satisfaction in my own life. I can not say it otherwise. But indeed, part of the fun of chatting is the anticipation. The idea of whom we actually wish to meet (a mate, a partner, a friend, a supporter… etc…one’s own children….) is just as much a part of the fun as actually achieving it.
I can say that approximately 80% of my life would haven been entirely different, in almost all dimensions of my life, had I not started chatting ten years ago. Personally, professionally, my social network…very much everything.
Most of all I feel utterly connected with the countless people whom I met in the course of these ten years, wherever on this Planet. For each and every aspect of my life I have a living connection with another human being, people of many different nationalities, most of all young people, but not exclusively.
And if this is true for me, at the age of fifty six, then this must be true - in whatever measure - for many hundreds of millions of other people.
We must be able to ultimately overcome the wish for any War, in any place in our world, if we continue to multiply our human connections across the Globe in generations to come.
Of course, other societal processes will have their influence too, for the better or for the worse. For it seems that Internet is powerful enough not only to spread goodness but also to disseminate discontent, discrimination, and outright malice.
Such processes may include great social and political revolutions, or they may include the smaller watersheds, for instance at the time of US Presidential elections. Most certainly communication and reaching the youth are to sides of the same coin that Senator Barack Obama has already picked up, I believe, and Senator McCain does not appear to have remotely grasped. But these are remarks at the side.
My main point is not a political one nor is it one for the short term. It is the long term potential (and its short term implications) of this process of ongoing connection.
For let us not think that it is just a process on the Internet. It serves as a trigger for all other processes, ultimately including important political processes. My professional development but also my entire professional identity are molded and energized by the Internet, not exclusively but to a substantial extent.
And I see young people and their very extensive exchanges among each other, in many different networks ( Facebook, Hyves and the like are supporting it). Images, thoughts and feelings that float around in the trillions every day on the world wide web.
If US Presidents want to the read the record of all conversations of all Americans of any given day, they would be astonished to know how much love and friendship is exchanged on the Internet as may be the incidental malice or terrorist intent.
I have nothing to hide, or should I say: everything “of me” that I have exposed on the Internet is truthful and nothing that I should be ashamed of in any way. I actually want readership. And even if this does not count in the same way for all of us, we can still consciously guard our privacy in the way we choose.
The other side of the coin remains: every politician of our time, whether US Presidential candidate, member of congress or parliament, every public official, but also artists and professionals of all trades should see this generation of communication as a glorious beginning of a new time.
