Vint Cert, on the Official Google Blog, wrote about The Next Internet. There are a number of interesting points in the article, and really, I have to say that the future looks like it’s going to be really interesting – with the Internet growing as fast as it is.
That said, there is one point I disagree with him about.
The flexibility we have seen in the Internet is a consequence of one simple observation: the Internet is essentially a software artifact. As we have learned in the past several decades, software is an endless frontier. There is no limit to what can be programmed. If we can imagine it, there’s a good chance it can be programmed.
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I don’t fully agree with that point.
I think the real power and flexibility of the Internet isn’t the programming – it’s the people. It’s the way that the Internet connects people together. And when you connect people together, amazing things can be done.
As an example, take what Melanie Baker wrote in a comment on one of my previous posts: “To date the best way [of finding unique and lesser known gems online] I’ve seen is still to have a great network of smart and curious people and remain tied into to their word of mouth.” Can software replicate that? I’m not fully convinced yet.
That’s my personal belief and opinion, anyway. The real power of the Internet is not the programming – it’s the people. Yes, the programming has come really far, tools that do amazing things have been developed. But at the end of the day, what’s most important is the people and the connections being built around it.
That’s the true power of the Internet, and what makes it truly and endless frontier. When you connect people together, anything is possible.
