Discussion Questions for Castell's Readings

1.) In the prologue to his text, Castells states that "core economic, social, political, and cultural activities throughout the planet are being structure by and around the internet..." (2). I always assume that everyone has internet access, or at the very least has a computer but as I step outside of my white-bread, middle-class upbringing I realize that this is far from true. What are the consequences, as we become so dependent on this technology, of going without it? Is there a world where a person growing up "online" can be treated as the same as someone completely unfamiliar with the concept? Is the internet a way of bringing the world together, or simply another way to keep us painfully divided?


(side note-it is interesting to consider that the ARPANET was created by the department of defense. No one is really addressing this but I can't help but wonder if this was something that was done confidentially. It probably was, because I'm sure our government like to hide as much then as it does now. But as I think about this I can't help but wonder what kind of technologies they are coming up with now and not telling us about. Just a little observation I thought I would share)

2.)It is interesting to note that the internet was not created in one distinct amount of time by a small group of scientists and then released to the masses. It was a steady collaboration between many unconnected individuals that slowly built upon each other to become the internet we have today. Are there any other technological developments that progressed this way? Or has it always been that the great inventions of the past are attributed to one person in one finite amount of time? What effect does how the internet created have on how it is used today?

3.)As a college student it is fascinating to read that students close to my age played a very big role in the creation of the internet. It is like watching the Olympics and seeing "16 year-olds" (I put it in quotes because lest we not forget about the Chinese gymnastics team that was full of girls that couldn't possibly be older than 12...but that is clearly very far from my point I apologize) and feeling like I am past my prime and will never amount to nothing. To think that these students worked so closely with professors from Harvad, MIT, UCLA, and Berkeley to create such an invaluable tool is astonishing. I can't help but wonder, do we have people around us doing the same thing? If so, where do I find them to give them a hearty hand shake and a "keep up the good work"? But more importantly, how did the marriage of government, scientific organizations, and students work to make the internet what it is today? And how different would it be if AT&T had been a little more financially adventurous and purchased the internet when it had the chance?