What is it, precisely, that allows for the entire project of human culture? What is it, precisely, that distinguishes our great cities from ant colonies?
What is it, precisely, that makes homo sapiens unique among the living objects on this particular planet? It is not our organizational ability, as a shoal of fish will tell you. It is not our efficient use of resources to expand our population base nor our complex building techniques, as an ant colony will tell you. And it is certainly not our emotional capacity, as any pet owner will surely testify.
Perhaps one of the few developed traits that truly distinguishes us from the rest of the known natural world is the conveyance of information unlimited by geography or time. With the invention of writing, homo sapiens struck out on a course of development completely unprecedented on this planet. Along the way, we have encountered a few inflection points that have radically altered the courses of civilizations.
Perhaps the most relatable of these inflections to the modern gaze is the invention of the printing press. Particularly notable is the manner in which this invention impacted the religious apparatus of the time. Before movable type was widespread, interpretation of religious doctrine was quite literally exclusive. A peasant seeking to know more about their world had precisely one option: to go to the cathedral. While it is often glossed over in architectural histories, the fact is that the old gothic church designs that some romanticize are incredibly complex pieces of architectural propaganda designed specifically to induce awe and faithfulness among the illiterate masses. So the people go to the church and the priest (who is can read) reads the bible to them. Inevitably, the content of the bible is parsed through the church's own ideology and priorities (and if memory serves, this process is actually formalized within the church doctrine). With the invention of the printing press, the exhausting process of prying exclusive knowledge from the few who possessed it began. Bibles could be printed for relatively little cost, and entire new sectors of the populace had access to the texts. The lutheran movement and the resulting schism followed in roughly a generation; the catholic church had lost its millennial grasp on its unified masses.
The printing press (along with wider literacy programs) allowed for the mass distribution of previously-exclusive information. People were suddenly able to digest their own sources of information and come up with opinions of their own. The fortress of the unquestionable heard for the first time the sounds of strange new weapons in the distance. [make no mistake, the fortress is still around: presently it's filled with fluorescent lighting and would like you to worry about your lawn. the logos abound and sales are final.] And it is for that reason that the internet is already as important an invention as the printing press.
It is simple to see how the internet is enabling more people more access to more information than they have ever had in their lives. So much so that it has become fashionable to somehow lament this fact. It is simple to recall the iranian elections and see how the internet can impact world events. Wikileaks.org is arguably one of the most important websites of our time, and its story has only just begun. It simple to see that wider distribution of information can only benefit humankind, and it is simple to see that the internet is fostering a whole new era of thought and culture.
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