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This blog is for Watauga High School students taking the Scientific and Technical Visualization class. We are reading and discussing Thomas Friendman's book "The World is Flat". Watauga High School is not responsible for the content of any student entry or any links that might be added by students.
Welcome
In this blog we will be discussing the book ,The World is Flat, By Thomas L. Friedman.
The World is Flat
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2008
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January
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- Discussion for Friday February 1, 2008 -"The World...
- Flattener #4 - lead by Josh and Joseph
- What is your reaction to flattener #4?
- Summarize Flattener #3
- Flattener #2
- Flattener #1
- "The great challenge of our time"
- Homesourcing
- reading 1/9/08
- 1/08/08
- "The World is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman- Jan 7,...
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January
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7 comments:
The Internet was originally intended to be a free inter-network between every computer in the world. Project Gutenburg is a prime example of the original intentions of the first users. Spread as much information as fast as possible, for free. Today connections to the Internet are highly controlled. The major corporations involved monopolize the ability to connect, and in some cases even restrict what can be done. Examples of this are the deals these companies make with governments in order to increase the number of users. Google made a deal with China that would filter out certain results from their search engine. That is restriction of data, completely apposed to the spread of knowledge. Until these corporations stop making underhanded deals with governments there cannot be any "flattening" of the world. Project Gutenburg was the first intention of the Internet, and it will be the only thing that never comes about because of the greed and miss-use of corporations.
Project Gutenburg was sending lots of information at fast speeds for no price. Now the internet costs money and corporations are making deals with other countries.
The internet was to be free in the beginning with information exchange systems like Project Guttenburg but in the end companies made large deals with governments, and the internet became a paid subscription.
The internet was originally intended for free use, for the widespread dispersion of knowledge, but now companies have monopolized on that restricting what can be accessed in some ways. Project Gutenburg is the best example of the way the internet was supposed to be.
Freidman said the one of the best flattener's would have been Gutenburgs project where the internet was uncontrolled, completely free, and where everything on the internet was accessible by anyone with a internet connection. However this is not the case you now have to pay/subscribe to use the internet at a fee. The government and large companies control what you can and cant see on the internet as well.
Flattener #2 was the widespread use of the internet and the intention of it to be free, like Project Gutenburg. This reminds of of how the technology and ability to use hydrogen power as opposed to fossil fuels is out there, but oil companies and the government won't allow it because of the huge profits they make off of the distribution of the fossil fuels.
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