In Over Your Head

If you believe in the web

If you are taking part in this experiment, you are one of us.

We are people who believe in individual liberty and the ability to determine our own fates. We are people who want to carve our names into history, even if only a small corner of it. We want the right to create meaningful work that helps us and our communities grow.

If you believe in the web, then you believe in freedom.

The web liberates us. It allows us to be who we want to be, independent of our social circles, our geography, our family history– hell, independent even of who we currently are. The real world is about who we are now. The web liberates us to think about who we want to be.

We may not all agree on everything, but we agree on this: The web frees us to talk the way we want to, to think our own thoughts, and to become the people we were born to become.

This place is an endless frontier where everyone can claim their own space. Because the Earth has limited space, not everyone can have everything. But on the web, space is infinite, so everyone can have something to call their own.

Hyperlinks flatten hierarchies, pushing people of authority back down to a human level where they are once again accountable. It brings people with no power together, so they can build something greater than themselves. Through this, bureaucracies are broken down and antiquated authorities are wiped out.

Do you believe in this?

If you believe in all of this for yourself, there is one more thing: You must believe in it for all other people, everywhere, and forever.

And if you would work on it for yourself, you must work on it for everyone.

Posted

in

by

Joe Gannon

Comments

13 responses to “If you believe in the web”

  1. Kevin Avatar
    Kevin

    Julien,

    Thank you and yes, I BELIEVE!

    Seriously this is a great post and helped me today. The Web is a great place to be and does provide the grounds to define yourself as you are. Isn’t it wonderful.

    Reply
  2. Larry Avatar
    Larry

    Everybody counts. And that’s important.

    And the Web makes that possible.

    Reply
  3. paisano Avatar
    paisano

    I’m a believer and agree. The only thing I don’t like or believe in regarding social media is the way cliques are formed based on numbers… if someone has tons more followers than the number they follow then they must be one of the cool kids. I don’t find that to be the case. Actually, my favorite engagements have been mostly with those that has rather small networks…those that are just being themselves and authentic.
    I wish we could disable displaying our follow/follower numbers across the board. We should base our decision on the quality of someone’s tweets, blog posts, speeches, books, whatever…instead of the quantity that already follow them for whatever reason.

    just my two cents.

    Pai

    Reply
  4. Jess @OpenlyBalanced Avatar
    Jess @OpenlyBalanced

    I believe! And this is just one of the many reasons that things like rural broadband initiatives and net neutrality are so important.

    Reply
  5. Serge Lachapelle Avatar
    Serge Lachapelle

    As long as all this is not too disruptive, THEY will let us have our virtual liberties…

    Don’t ever forget that this is a space that is very easy to pull the plug on…If you only have that, then you don’t have much…

    2 cents worth…

    Reply
  6. Taylor Davidson Avatar
    Taylor Davidson

    Yes, I believe.. except that I don’t buy that “Hyperlinks flatten hierarchies”. Hyperlinks (i.e. technology) creates the opportunity to flatten hierarchies, break down bureaucracies, and tear down old authorities, but it also holds the power to create new authorities, bureaucracies, hierarchies.

    The web doesn’t change how culture perceives, creates or uses status symbols, heuristics, standards, but instead creates new ones.

    But I’m open to contrary evidence and thoughts…

    Reply
  7. Ric Dragon Avatar
    Ric Dragon

    What a cryptic post!

    So – hyperlinks flatten hierarchies! All have the power to publish. Then, we are drowning in everyone’s noise. Power then goes to those with the best filters.

    Reply
  8. Mark Avatar
    Mark

    Yeah the web is great, it gives us what we want and expands our understanding of pretty much everything. Hey but you need to know how to use it to be able to utilize it. This post is great, it puts me in this idealistic imaginative trance about the perfect world, but, when I land back on the ground I’m disappointed. I am pretty web savvy, I think, but ever since leaving myspace and facebook- social networking is a mystery. But thats no big deal, the real issue is the real world. Its pretty much going to crap and I can’t imagine the web not being in great danger either. Unless we have a discreet way to surf the web, so that anyone watching us doesn’t know who we are or what we are, our liberties are in danger. Yes, I’m talking about the government trying to figure us out. In conclusion, the Web is like heaven hanging on a string over hell. We gotta do something but can we?

    Reply
  9. Jake LaCaze Avatar
    Jake LaCaze

    Julien, I believe this and I agree one hundred thousand million percent! When I read this, I felt like I was helping to “stick it to The Man”.

    Great post!

    Reply
  10. Stacey Alexander Avatar
    Stacey Alexander

    I think this goes along with Chris Brogan’s post today “Set a Course” http://www.chrisbrogan.com/set-a-course/

    Both have inspired me today. Thanks!

    Reply
  11. Carl Thress Avatar
    Carl Thress

    Julien, I believe, and I thank you for sharing this post with the rest of us. BTW, I absolutely love your website. I find myself coming here sometimes just to look at all the cool background images you’ve created.

    Reply
  12. sebastian Avatar
    sebastian

    In a way there is no need to believe.
    I mean.. is what’s happening either some want it or not.

    Yay the web!
    in a way, it’s the biggest country of the world already

    Reply
  13. Kerry Rego Avatar
    Kerry Rego

    Yes, Julien, I do. Thanks for bringing it deeper. We spend so much time on the surface. The more I read of your work, the more I like it. Thanks.

    Reply

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