While India. Flipping back and forthbetween the browser

While India. Flipping back and forthbetween the browser

While flipping through the old pages of a book on Speech and Communication, my eyes caughtthe following lines of Marshall McLuhan: Someday the whole world would be a global village.

Hewas simply referring to the idealized concept of a diverse community where people of different racesand cultures would commune together (New York of today, for example). Little did McLuhan knowthat his words will one day become literal. That day is today! After the short dial-up rattleof my ISP, I loaded Netscape Navigator intomy Windows platform. Within seconds, I pulled out my customized newspaper filled with every storythat fits my profile in sources raging from local, regional, national to countless countries around theglobe; it took me much more time to make the coffee! Desi437 has sent you an instant message;would you like to accept it? Oh! Thats my friend Nisha, from India. Flipping back and forthbetween the browser and the Instant Messenger, I managed to pull out the stats I needed on Ireland,for my History class; a native web site helped greatly. What Jules Verne struggled to do in 80 days, Imore or less, completed in about eight minutes.

Thanks to one of the greatest discoveries of theBefore an individual can understand the different problems that the World Wide Web faces, it isnecessary to understand what it is exactly and how it is structured. The World Wide Web (www) orsimply web, as it is passionately called among users, can simply be defined as: a large area databasewith a universe of information, providing access to users around the world. Visualize a large filecabinet; it is in fact so large that almost everyone in the world could easily access it. A user can put in(upload) information as well as retrieve (download) it. That is what the web is, today.

Simply put, theworld wide web is a critical component of the Internet, joining millions of users for informationThe web is structured in a concept of universal leadership; if there is information available, any authorized individual could be allowed to access it, from anywhere in the world. Theweb, more or less, runs on a client-server model. Client is the users terminal and the Server is theterminal (mainframe) that the user is connected to.

Not only does a connection exist between theclient and the server, the connections are cross-wired in such a way that clients are connected to eachother and servers are connected to each other. No particular unit is the key focus of the wholesystem. If there is a technical difficulty affecting any server in the system, it does not affect thesystem as a whole. Since there is no one main system, no one can pinpoint a geographical location, forthe web. No matter where the user is located, a POT line can connect him or her to the globalThe Web has changed dramatically since its humble beginnings. In 1989, CERN (ConseilEuropeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire), a group of scientists in complex Physics, Engineering andInformation Handling fields, realized the need for a network for fast access of information. Since theyhad the financial resources for setting up such a system, within months, a network was established;using simple browsers, scientists were allowed access into the mainframe and its vast contents.

Theywere also given the option of posting their own studies and adding to the material of the database. Inthe early years, hypertext was a crucial component. The browsers were completely text-based andhypertext (a text link) allowed the users to jump from one document to another. Tim Berners Lee ofCERN incorporated the ideas of Ted Nelson (inventor of hyperlink) and soon generated the idea ofThe World Wide Web. As soon as it was opened to the public at the dawn of this decade, the webreceived much acceptance and recognition and the response was tremendous.

Since then, the growthrate of the online community and its resources were rapid and today, it has become almost aninevitable part of our daily lifestyles. (World Wide Web People). Today, hundreds of ISPs (Internet Service Providers) are opening the gateway of the Internet formillions of users around the globe. Connections are generally transmitted over POTS (Plain OldTelephone Services) and connected to computers using modems. Internet does not simply consist ofthe world wide web.

There are many other components such as BBS (Bulletin Board Systems), FTP(File Transfer Protocol), E-Mail (Electronic Mail), Information Services, Newsgroups and many more. Today, with little or no cost, a user can setup his or her own web site. A domain address is assignedaccording to the content of the site and once the files are uploaded, users around the world can accessthe information from their terminals. Our age is appropriately named the Information Age! Within the past decade, the computersystems in our living rooms have been transformed from a simple commodity to an inevitable part ofAmerican lifestyle. Our minds are constantly bombarded with Internet advertisements of all sorts fromall different arrays of media, around us. Internet is no more a simple reference library for the studentand an intrigue for the hobbyist; it is more of a culture – a Cyberculture. People around the world havejoined together, crossing the barriers of age, sex and color and upheld a mass-medium of informationand experience.

Sounds good? But is the web a ticking time bomb that will soon explode into utmostconfusion and alienation? The chances are very likely! How can a system such as the world wide web, that brings people together from around theglobe, leads to chaos and alienation? Let me explain . . .Humans have a restricted capacity forabsorbing information. Each and every moment, an individual is constantly bombarded with aceaseless flow of sensory stimuli.

It is impossible to respond to all the stimuli, so one is forced torestrict his or her attention to a few. Whatever we choose to see (comprehend) is classified as Signaland whatever we choose to emit is classified as Noise (Psychology 4). Apply this concept to the web. First and foremost, understand that memory and storage is not a significant factor in the computerworld, anymore.

Scientists have learned to compress loads of information into very little space. Speedis not a factor, either. With the advent of cable-modems and other technologies, downloading anduploading is simply, a breeze. With opportunities like that, web is constantly enlarging in size with tonsof information from around the globe. Since there is such a constant increase in content, there will alsobe a constant increase in noise. Pinpointing the information that the user really needs will be the hardtask; eventually it will become impossible. The signs that I have mentioned are very much alive,today.

Try searching for a specific topic on any of the leading search engines on the Internet. It isvery likely that the search engine will spit out over tens of thousands of hits, upon request; theinformation that is relevant to the search will be an elite few. According to this rate of the increase, itis possible that soon you will be given with millions of hits with no relevance to your liking. If notSince the quantity of the web is increasing at a fast pace, finding quality on the web can beequated to searching for a pin in a haystack – almost impossible! The clear database structure that theweb once upheld is not present in the scenario today. Users are lost in a soup of obscene, irrelevantjunk with a relatively small percent of valuable information, all adorned with a wide array of colorfuladvertisements on every corner. One might argue: everyone doesnt want the same content; what ifthe user is actually searching for the smut? Realize that I am not standing behind a podium of ethics,rather I am speaking from the perspective of the librarian.

It is true that the information that is postedis relevant for its users but the organization of the matter is where we have completely failed! Aseventh grade student, who was researching for his Social Studies class, typed the following keywordinto one of the nets leading search engines: Asians. Soon, the screen was flooded with sitescontaining the same keyword but most of them were linked to various porn sites. There are web sitesin the thousands, specializing in occult fetishes of every kind, that one can imagine and then, somemore.

Even if those sites are there legally, there should be a better form of organization that preventsusers from entering unintended web sites. As I have mentioned above, the question of ethics, or ones definition of what is right and wrongis a serious issue concerning the world wide web. Pornography is not the only controversial issue ofthe net.

There are millions of sites propagating various religious dogma, ethical issues such as abortion,politics, and other touchy material. For example, Ron Harris caused a major eruption in the scenerecently, when he introduced his Human Egg-Auction-Site under ronsangels.com. Fertility experts,religious leaders etc. have been enraged by Mr. Harris claims and have accused him of every verdictraging from running a soft-core E-Bay to the Hitlerian crime of Eugenics.

The site features the eggsof three models (there were eight initially but five dropped out due to negative publicity) who areauctioning off their eggs to Internet users. The site claims that beauty is a key component for survivaland claims that society will be made better by creating a utopia that has its focus on beauty. Ipersonally despise the site and if I were a parent, would not want my child to view such content. Suchmaterial, being open to the world, with no discretion, being just a click away is a scary thought. I have been raised in a confined setting, with strict moral, religious and family values. I hold themvery dearly and hope to share it with a family of my own, someday.

I would, with all the power that isbestowed upon me, do my best in keeping those values unadulterated. For every other media, thereare strict rules for the contents it relays. Every show on network television has been assigned a ratingand content that fail to meet the set standards are not televised. Even though, there are certainguidelines for Internet content, enforcing it has been a disaster. There are millions of sites on the netthat are clearly below the standards of the rules and regulations.

They are easily accessible to all kindsof users. This makes the Internet a dangerous media. Children and sensitive users are not protectedand they can easily run into harmful content by cruising carelessly. Lets analyze the issue from a business perspective. The net has provided a world wide marketfor businesses around the globe. From Metrocards to paper towels to computers and cars, net hasgiven the opportunity for the customers to shop till they drop from the safety and comfort of theirown homes. But, what does the future hold for these online businesses? Sites like E-Bay, sale.

cometc. sell products of all kind. Since they face the same customers, how will these businesses flourishwhen more stores start conducting their businesses online? As the number of stores increases, thenumber of consumers per store decreases. Eventually, one store will be a burden for the other,preventing either one from finding a profitable sale.

Tax is yet another issue. What taxes can orshould be placed on these online stores. A hypothetical situation . .

.A store running in the UnitedStates imports its products from England. The packaging is done in Australia and the warehouses arelocated throughout Asia. What kind of restrictions should such a business be subject to? Who gets toenforce taxes? What kind of tax can be enforced? In my research and reasoning, the main business that is flourishing from online businesses are network television stations. Online sites use offline media, especially network televisionadvertisement slots to propagate their various sites. Marvin Goldsmith of ABC reported that they collected about $200 Million in Net related ads, this year (Eisenberg).

Thousands of sites out there aredesperately trying to attract attention to their sites in hopes of increasing their profits. NetworkTelevision stations such as ABC, who are constantly losing audiences can still gather an audience ofaround 18 million people; no web site can dare compare to such a response. These outrageous dotcom commercials are diminishing in impact, day by day. As portrayed in the previous pages, the World Wide Web of today, faces several serious issues.

The amounts of content, type of content, business downfalls, are just a few prominent ones. The globalnature of the Web has brought forth serious problems in regulation. Since no particular area has thekey focus, there is no order or control in the flow of information. We ought to harness this productivetechnology before it falls apart into total chaos and ruin. In my opinion, the global nature has to be more restrained, in order to tackle the issue of control. First of all, there should be a written constitution and bylaws for the World Wide Web.

Every countrythat is a member of the coalition should enforce these written laws within their countries. For this ideato be practical, the user should only be allowed to publish a web site in a native server; for example, anAmerican user should only be entitled to publish a site in a server located within the US. A British useris allowed and only allowed publishing in British servers. Then, those servers should be regulatedindependently. By enforcing such check posts, the flow of information can easily be controlled.

The same should be done for conducting business operations. An online store should only beallowed to conduct business nationally. If one chooses to conduct a business internationally, theofficials of that country should be contacted, and appropriate taxes should be levied. Internet has to bedivided geographically and controlled accordingly. There ought to be clear distinctions betweennational boundaries. This will leave the business routines intact.

The rating scale that the American television media adorns is a good concept to carry over to theweb scenario. Every page should carry a designated rating according to its contents and an advisoryboard should be in charge to assign them. Before a HTML document is published, it should be sent tothe advisory board for review and then it can be passed on for publishing. I am not supporting the concept of Net Censorship but rather a Net Classification. I strongly believe that all citizens have the right in freely expressing themselves. Regardless, one ought to becareful in respecting all parties and be careful not to insult others.

If every site carries a rating, thenthe user can choose for himself/herself if to visit a particular site, or not. Another alternative for the organizing web content is by using a BBS format. BBS or BulletinBoards are Internet locations that tackle a specific topic. The author states a question or an issue andpeople who wish to make their contributions toward the database, respond accordingly. This systemallows the creation of homogeneous groups and a stronger and in-depth conversation can be upheld.

Putting thoughts into words necessarily does not aid in communication. The idea that the user is tryingto convey has to be well organized for a successful transmission to take place. Like-minded individualsfocused on a common interest allows the production of a heartier discussion to take place. This willclearly eliminate isolation and alienation on the web and make content more productive. Organization of data provides information.

The web is jam-packed with valuable facts andstatistics but very little information can be derived from them. A selective isolated setting allows for aconnection that the cold, vast world of the web cannot. Many Internet users uphold the idea ofviewing the Internet or more specifically the web, as a frontier.

The dictionary defines frontier as arealm of limitless possibilities and few social controls. One might argue that it liberates the user fromthe social constrains of his or her society because, no one person, owns the web. This is false! Everyuser owns the Internet! If the resource cannot be shared, it is not useful and a useless technologycannot liberate. Law, order and most important, organization are key components for the successfulBibliography:World Wide Web People. 26 October 1999.Eisenberg, Daniel. The Net Loves Old Media.

Time. November 1, 1999. Wertheimer, Bjrkman, Lundberg and David Magnusson. Psychology – A Brief Introduction. Glenview: Scott,Foresman and Company, 1968.