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by Steve Miller and Rusty Miller
Often people can be intimidated by computers and their complex
ways. Add this to the rush to use the relatively new interconnection
of these machines around the world, called the 'World Wide
Web' or the 'Internet' and you do feel like the fly caught
in something much bigger.
Planet Byron, Byron original webzine
started early July '95
Well, rest assured, it's so complex and massive that no soul
completely understands the Internet's implications, on individuals
or, on the world community. 'The Net' brings with it a whole
swag of social issues because of the way people use it, like
with any new technology.
But when you get 'on line' and communicate with someone
from Costa Rica, via e-mail in an instant, take a look at
the paintings on the Yothu Yindi site or go into our local
Webzine 'Planet Byron' for a look, you can see it as a handy
fun and informative technology.
It is improbable that anyone will
control the Net
It is improbable that anyone will control the Net because
of its size and accessibility. But then, Bill Gates is doing
a good job having a go. The World Wide Web is created by everyone
who is on it. What keeps it democratic is that it's a 'distributed
network' rather that an 'hierarchical' one. You are your own
master.
In Byron the vision that we can live without the city has
till now has meant that we would be in the boondocks of knowledge
and market places. Now the Web gives us a whole new virtual
market place (the world) to outflow goods and data to, as
well as being a place to farm information.
Computer generated
art by young Byron artist Jai Lamberton, depicting a pre-historic
Cape Byron in hi-tech. Sent to us via the internet as a JPEG
file.
when a community sells to distant places, money comes in.
When it buys from distant places money goes out. So keeping
a strong output of creative products like ideas as well as
physical products is the key to our sustainable economic strength.
The principle of 'selling the country back to the city'
is alive and well in the rolling green hills. We are buying
back the farm with our creativity, making ourselves more independent
and less likely to sell out our inheritance of special places
and spaces.
Byron has a high ratio of creators to consumers. We are
making up our own menu, plugging in, (to the World Wide Web),
and sending our unique flavour out to the world.
Steve Miller and Rusty Miller
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