Is the Internet a Democracy? Or Oligarchy?

Friday 16 February 2007 - Filed under web

A good idea, a dream and the drive to achieve. The success stories that litter the web are filled with tales of how hackers built up impenetrable empires of wealth. Previously unknowns emerge to claim internet fame from a chance discovery on MySpace or YouTube.

Everybody has a shot to their 15Gbps of fame. Or do they?

The internet itself isn’t a democracy. In fact I see it as a collection of many ecosystems that may or may not be more democratic than others. We all exist within the various environments created for us from Google to MySpace.

What distinguishes the leaders of this oligarchy from the commoners? Is it just the ideas that drive them or something else?

2007-02-16  »  baron