|
Synopsis of The
Spirit of the Internet
Written
by Lawrence Hagerty with the non-technical reader in mind,
The Spirit of the Internet explains in everyday language
how the Internet works, who is in charge, and some of its
future possibilities. It also describes different aspects
of "spirit," as manifest in the Internet community.
Throughout the book,speculations about the Internet, the noosphere,
virtual reality, shamanic plants, and other seemingly unrelated
domains are woven into a fascinating tapestry of thought about
the evolving Gaian consciousness that is beginning to envelop
the planet.
The Spirit of the Internet
is a wake-up call to the human species. Although we are making
significant advances in biotechnology, nanotechnology, and
other sciences, our species-consciousness has not yet expanded
much beyond the point of self-interest. We have polluted our
land and water and are about to reach the point where biological
life as we know it may no longer be sustainable on this planet.
The Internet, however, through the interconnection of millions
of minds, provides a way out of this technological cul-de-sac
if we will only listen to its spirit.
As the subtitle suggests,
many of the ideas in this book are speculative, some people
will say highly speculative. For example, the concept of an
ephemeral "sphere of mind" encapsulating the Earth,
as originally theorized by Teilhard de Chardin in 1938, is
not a mainstay in most established schools of thought. This
is the subject of the chapter titled "The Internet and
the Noosphere." Other ideas, such as the ones you will
encounter in the opening chapter concerning Virtual Reality
and Inhabited Virtual Worlds, may sound speculative but are
actually descriptions of activities that are now common in
cyberspace.
The Spirit of the Internet
provides a timely, positive message for those who are looking
for ways to engage in the ongoing global discussions about
the direction in which our technology seems to be leading
us. Every day, thousands of seemingly inconsequential technical
and regulatory decisions are being made by businesses and
governments. One-by-one, these little decisions are building
the foundation upon which the human rights of free speech
and privacy will stand for another millennium.
|
|