Why Access Matters
December 31st, 2006Having access to the Internet is important. The war for the Internet is not over. It is not yet completely in the hands of corporations but there is no law of technology that says access and communication through this medium will always remain even as free and open as it is now.
Although television, the radio, and the press have the potential for democratic control, they are currently tools of a handful of corporations. It is true that technologies are morally neutral, but some technologies are certainly more useful than others in pursuing positive social change.
The Internet has a lot of potential in this regard. Every user has the capability for two-way communication, to both contribute and receive information. Those who get to participate are approximating a semi-democratic communications model. Again, a handful of corporations dominate a large portion of the system–but there is still space for users, so it is semi-democratic. A big improvement over the current state of television and radio. You simply cannot have a voice through the other information mediums unless you are a giant corporation (with a small number of exceptions, e.g. community controlled tv/radio).
The Internet brings in a more diverse set of voices. In America, we can increase the range of those voices by giving access to the rest of the population that has been left out. Those who don’t have access yet are typically the ones that have consistently been silenced in every other part of life.
In the struggle to establish some meaningful form of democracy, it is a requirement for disenfranchised individuals to have a voice and to communicate with each other.
Thus, at the top of my list are the following objectives:
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Strive for universal access to the Internet, giving priority to those who continue to be denied a voice in traditional media.
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Encourage participation in the forming of meaningful connections between individuals and groups, especially those who are currently isolated in their oppression.