Be an internet revolutionary

By Cage Innoye

Upon an infrastructure of modern communications we can build a superstructure of revolutionary media. The internet is without a doubt a revolutionary technology but there has not been much discussion of its use for revolutionary ends.

The internet as united fronts

Wikipedia is site that offers consensus based articles, a consensus encyclopedia. The problem with this idea is that differences are glossed over; the group-think of consensus creates articles that are dull, unclear, saturated in odd language and dissatisfying. Often you can get a general idea of a topic that you are ignorant of, but when you examine a topic that you do know something about then Wikipedia falls short.

The traditional method of other information sites offers views by experts; a singular opinion is provided but we do not see differences and debate. This too is dissatisfying. Difference is good. And consider that difference is true thought itself.

The internet has the possibility of going far beyond these two unappealing formats.

To avoid the extremes of consensus and only expert opinion, there is a third idea, which would be a tool of uniting large communities yet offering a venue to state and argue differences.

This we might call an “Axxi-pedia” for the purposes here. Axxipedia site mediators would conduct discussions with the two goals -- one of achieving some general agreements on issues; second in elucidating differences, minority positions, and identifying schools of thought. We would have debates by laypeople and opinions offered by experts. Associated with discussions would be research and publishing and other resources.

An Axxipedia does not gloss over differences, and at the same time asks can we unite though we have differences? It lays bare all things. Then as principled and thinking people we can come to honest conclusions. This is a new kind of “encyclopedia” that is living, mass, full of debate and opinion, evolving, compelling and bonding. This activist encyclopedia is not a thing but is essentially a process. It could cover a vast list of topics like a conventional encyclopedia.

The overall mission of an Axxipedia is to create broad united fronts of individuals of thinking and principled people. It creates behaviors of intelligent unity and respect for differences. Axxipedia would be an expression of diverse thinking. And its process is an exact parallel with the process of differentiation in the world; Axxipedia accepts difference, and generates more difference, and revels in it.

Of course, an Axxipedia must start from some common principles, the supporters cannot simply be anybody like those who hate diversity or love war or could care less about nature or think only of money and materialism. But in our select group there is the potential for millions upon millions of people, there will a full spectrum of diverse opinion and perception. There is no shortage of issues in our world. Eventually, an Axxipedia will begin to overlap with the concept of government where informed and active citizens discuss and debate issues. So an Axxipedia prepares us for a kind of direct democracy to come.

The internet as nations

An ISP is an internet service provider, this is a business concept. But this is actually a timid concept, what we really need are NSPs, Nation Service Providers, that is, what we need are networks of sites that can facilitate the formation of Nations. This gets more to the promise of the web. And by “Nation” it is meant distinct cultures and complete communities, not simply social-networking groups. A nation is a more complete phenomenon of values, activities, rituals and institutions for diverse social groups in one general community. It is a total concept not a business niche.

An NSP goes way beyond personals, job ads and financial advice -- while these are included, a nation requires a complete set of services and cultural forms, everything required to create a nation, and that includes a legion of factors. NSPs create nations within nations, and global nations that link millions within many nations across the planet.

The internet as dual power

The internet as nation-builder leads to the internet being a place of “dual power”.

The web is the ideal form to build countercultures and wage great culture wars. A culture can be established on the web. The internet is the start, then using this system of communication; we can build material nations and cultures.

Our media gives us a power to compete with an establishment power and its elites. Thus, the web creates dual power, two powers in society -- the declining power and the rising power.

The internet as new journalism

The old newspaper is dead, it housed under one roof many things -- a press, publisher, editors and reporters. Today this house has broken up. The press is now the internet itself, the reporters can go mobile, the editors and publishers are a separate entity. The old concept has been shattered.