The Virtual Revolution Documentary (2010) Notes

This documentary focuses on how the internet has had an impact in different countries around the world. It explores the advantages and disadvantages of the internet and also includes expert opinions on the topic.

Important quotes from experts.

• Sir Tim Berners - Lee, "The web is about connecting humanity".
• Founder of Apple, "The internet is like the brain".
• Stephen Fry, "Celebrate the web".
• Bill Gates, "It is how mankind communicates".
• Al Gore,"A empowering tool".
• The female journalist of the documentary, "Paradigm shifts and par with the printing press.
• Al gore refers to the internet as a "exciting" and "revolutionary prospect".
• John Perrry Barlow, "The internet was the challenge to traditional authority" (Online freedom, campaignes in society, self expression should have no limits)

Statistics/ Facts

• 35 million people in the UK use the internet everyday
• 1 billion per week is spent online.
• 5 million people in the UK use dating websites in Manchester and London.
• 40% of men watch porn.
• 18 million of people in West London read online blogs which could suggest that they are educated and more interacted.

The first half of the documentary focused on the creation of the world wide web and the revolution of the internet. The example included in the documentary was Africa to get the latest broadband. This is also known as these digital divide as it shows the difference between western countries, also referred to the digital haves/have not's. As the documentary progresses, it highlights the positives of using the internet which is giving citizens the opportunity to challenge and question authority. However, the negative of the web is that some governments use it to spy on citizens therefore there is no censorship.

The Great Levelling - Does the internet give everyone freedom?

• The web allows people to publish anything virtually.
• "Wikipidea is the most importance source of the world"
• More than 65 million people use Wikipidea every month and the fact that they can edit information shows that people have power. (Shape knowledge)
• The Well (1979) was first introduced in San Francisco. Without this, social networking would of not existed.
• Blogs, online shares show freedom of speech.
• According to society it is the most powerful change,
• Compared the industrial revolution to the internet revolution (great leveller, challenge business model, power to people/equal access voice)

Second half of the document

• Ushanidi (means witness in Swahili Kenya) shows the power of the internet in making sure that the weak and vulnerable are protected. In Kenyan this web allows people to report offences.
• The web has the power to show people's different view.
• Email was created in 1969.
• The web is a "global information network"
• 1981 Tim Berners -Lee wrote the paper, invented the internet but took a while.
• 6th August 1991 the first world wide web went live.
• Being connected around the world is empowering people.
• The web is more than an empowering tool, also shows no authority. Resist authority as there is no hierarchy on the web which would lead to radical issues. This allowed people to be very free.
• The internet is a "open source" (free) no one making profit out of it.
• Bill Gates saw potential in making softwares which differs from Tim Berbers Lee. (Microsoft - monetize the internet)
• 90% of the market is virtually a monopoly.
• 1991-2001 Napster allowed people to share music for free which was illegal.
• Music privacy - 95% of music has been unpayed.
• Chad Herley - 2005 YouTube was published and increased UGC.
• More than 1 billion hits per day.
• Aleks Krotoski, "The web is more than a reflection of society, it is inventing society" 
• Aleks Krotoski, "The web mirrors the hierarchy of the real world"
• "38 million people use Google as their search engine ... Ebay  21 million... 16 million Amazon .. 1 in 3 have a Facebook account"
• 90% of blogs are dormant"
• The web has been conolised by Gatekeepers"