History is a wonderful thing. It allows us to study the mistakes of the past and in theory learn from those mistakes as civilization moves forward. We know for example that the Roman Empire rose from a few small villages in Italy to ruling the world, and then fell as those gains were squandered by corruption and greed. William L. Shirer in the Rise and Fall of Third Reich chronicles the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany, to a force that conquered Europe and then declined as quickly again.
How will historians look back at our time now in 20 years, 50 years, even 2100 and beyond?
Very few would argue that the Internet has changed civilization as we know it. No other tool in the history of mankind has decentralized the distribution of information to such an extent, empowering individuals beyond ways that even people 30 years ago could ever have imagined.
And yet, for all the greatness the online world gives us all, have we now reached a peak? Is the Online Empire heading for a fall?
Originally posted on March 7, 2007 @ 12:34 am