The Internet, A Microcosm of Society?

After about ten years of pounding out criticism to various lists, appearing on various websites as guest editor under an assumed name or writing for a Vortel, a vertical mailing list, and working as a moderator, or starting a new Internet publishing company that expanded into print, I think I've come away with lot's of insights about how the Internet works and how many respond to it... And I am going to lay out a few of the lessons I've learned....

First of all, it seems that while your list may be huge, you would be lucky if ten percent really respond to information that see on a list. A certain percentage of every list I am convinced are only looking for a vehicle to express themselves and never read a word of their colleague's stuff; most read a small percentage of emails and toss the rest. A large percentage of those on most lists, from what I can determine, are there only to critique what others say; they seldom contribute anything of note that you would want to save or bring to the bank. Many use the internet to reprint articles that they think we would want to know about which may certainly be interesting and useful. Others bombard you with rumors that they have not gone out of their way to check out but feel it is important to pass it on whether it has passed the credibility test or not. And others may read your stuff but would never think of saying, "hey, thanks...that makes sense. And I know you did a lot of work to put that together"

On behalf of those who get so engaged in a story that they don't always check all the facts first, let me say that I've been trapped to with stories that seemed to be convincing and that I've passed out without checking.

But the real heart of the Internet is that ten percent who listen to what you have to say. Of those, there is probably fewer than half of that list who really come back with some meaningful comment or information you really want to spend time perusing. The key is to know who are the members of that elusive five percent are. And never forget their handles. They may joke with you, tell stories and say things that may not have much to do with your special interests; but they are not to be taken lightly because they are typically the thinkers of this medium who can with one word inform your dialogue or open a window to new ideas, new challenges.

Having been around a pretty long time in this medium, I think I have a pretty good handle on who's worth listening to and who's not. And it is within my nature that if I believe in some one, I will follow them and protect them to the ends of the earth.

Very few of my Internet friends do I know personally but I feel that over time, we have become close through fighting the same wars, seeing things pretty much the same although we may not always be in agreement. Among my radicalized left friends, I number progressives, independents, conventional democrats, non-voters, Greens, grass-roots activists, politicians of the conventional mold, Libertarians, free thinkers, socialists, zionists, Moderate Republicans and others.. I abhor two kinds of people: zealots and those whose minds resist change. I list radical christian right members as zealots who are always ready what God thinks is wrong about you. These people cannot be changed without brain surgery.

I love debating the rightness or wrongness of an issue but find that it is increasingly difficult to find people so disposed. So, in the process I have alienated half my family, a good part of my community and probably half of my town thinks I am an unalloyed trouble maker from a big city. At least from the Big City part is true. In New York, discussion and debate is a right of passage.

And mixing it up with everyone is something you do every day without consideration of language, color, nationality!.... I've stayed committed to the Internet although I recognize that I don't know how to do much more than I'm doing; and I don't know how much of an impact the little that i do on my Blog and elsewhere has to do with the entire effort that I am committed to which, of course, is to change the scene of American politics.

But for those of you out there who read something and think its good, you should tell the author. I try to do that all the time. For the rest, who are simply passing time and not giving a hoot, well, the polite thing to do would be to request to be removed from a list. For the rest who receive my email at least, I want to thank you for your constancy over the last eight or ten years!
Together, I think we are making history and in the end, we'll pull off the change we['ve been working for all these years!...Since nobody ever explains where they're coming from, I thought perhaps this might be a first!
And I look forward to some crowning event to commemorate our commitment where we can all hug each other, shed a tear and perhaps tell a funny story or two as we laugh for perhaps the first time in eight years!...
Best wishes,

Les Aaron.