Code 2.0 Response 1

I never thought about government and the internet in the same connotation. Although, now that I think about it there are many governing entities outside of the traditional ideals one might refer to when thinking about "government". I think one particular entity that comes to mind is Google. Now, I love Google for being in Ann Arbor, but you have to go through them first if you ever want to be found on the internet. They determine which web sites are worthy enough to be featured above others and this is exhibited in their "page rank" that they distribute. There are certain rules that must be followed, criteria that must be met if one wants to be found on the internet. If you have the money and the right words, AdWords or proper SEO will do the trick.

Lessig also asks the question "Why is cyberspace incapable of regulation?" Of course it is though. Web sites are categorized, ranked, bought, advertised and lost on the internet. This last placement of web sites interests me, the "lost" aspect. When I Google something and click further and further down the listed results, I may stumble upon an abandoned web site. A haven of information that just sits there, possibly from years ago. It is easy to get lost on the internet, perhaps see something one day and never be able to find it the next. There are massive amounts of information on here, a file cabinet that stretches and grows. I love it.

Lessig speaks of the act of building and thats all the Internet does is build and build, but to no such destination. The internet is an example of the way we think, one thought to the next, and speed matters. Information must not only go through the appropriate channels on the internet to be found, but it has to be quickly accessible. If a site stutters and takes a second too long to open, forget it. The viewer is gone. This brings me to another of Lessig's points: privacy or access. I believe there is no privacy, and access is the core objective here on the internet. To even go one step further I would think access and contribution are the two main elements of the internet. I can access any bit of information that exists in the world and I can also contribute to that database.

My final thought here is that as different as online and offline are, they are very much the same. The two have merged with one another so much now since the internet has taken on such an impacting place in our society. The internet is not a secret within a small community, it is a fundamental way of our life. When something is so significant it will never extend beyond government's control but rather it becomes a matter of interest.