We, the Netizens
Netizens, People of the internet, United Digital Nations, World Revolutionizers, whatever how We define ourselves, our groups or the whole of our kind,
I LOVE US.
For years I lived among humans, fascinating creatures made of ideas, emotions and beliefs. For years I’ve been learning how a small group or even one individual could take over the power to control other humans, many humans. For years I learned how the « silent majority » chooses, follows and trusts a leader. For years I searched what changed in this behavior through history. And if you ask me to sum up humanity’s greatest achievements by historical order, it would be like this:
language, writing and art
farming and trading
internet
There is no error: walking on the Moon may be the first step of a broader trading, if not then it was just an egocentric act of military and political vision. The strong, intense excitation I feel is that We are in the very beginning of a gargantuan achievement, that you may think related to the two previous ones but that in fact has so much potential that only one word can describe it: revolution.
Revolutions are breaking points, events that change the face of the humanity’s world forever. Revolutions aren’t decided by leaders, revolutions are made for the people, by the people. The revolution of the internet didn’t start or continue because Google, Microsoft or Apple decided so, no, the revolution of the internet is an ongoing work, a humanity’s masterpiece where everybody, from every kind, from everywhere, from everything contributes. Companies, leaders and all those who detain power against the masses are here equal to any other individual, and must either contribute or bow down.
The internet doesn’t exist.
The internet aren’t a land, a country, a group or a « broadway of information ». The internet is a concept, a very subjective idea, of connecting together networks around the world. Companies, NGOs and individuals may seem plugging cables and opening links, but in fact every new connection, every new computer and line added to the internet holds a potential that is out of reach of the human imagination. As trivial as melting together optical fibers seems, it’s everytime a major event in the ongoing internet revolution, a major victory for mankind. The very act of attributing IP addresses is almost holy, sacred.
The internet achieved, achieves and will achieve something humanity can be proud of, should it one day tell to the rest of the universe it’s little adventure on a little rock near a small star in a lonely area of an asocial galaxy hidden in a boring supercluster.
As an individual among humans, I feel joy and excitement to use and contribute to the revolution of the internet. The internet didn’t change my life, the internet define my life. The internet increases my knowledge. The internet makes me meet awesome people from everywhere. The internet makes me share my opinions, feelings and works. The internet make me wonder how far and high humanity can go. And I won’t slow it down, that’s for sure. Hurt the internet, and you hurt me. Hurt the internet, and you hurt all of us. Try to take power over the internet, and We destroy you. Leaders, internet’ not yours to take. The internet belong to us, Netizens. The internet are our home. The internet are us.
Netizens: I thank you. Let’s all continue our work for the internet !