| Do you know that Internet is no longer a free | | | | web site, or your product into their listings. |
| Internet that everyone can share information with | | | | But there are still some free listings in the net. |
| everyone else or everyone can freely publish | | | | You may still argue. True, but look at their traffic |
| your ideas or have your voice heard? As of | | | | rank, any web site that has a Alexa ranking |
| today, the Internet is controlled by many Giants | | | | above 1000 wont bother to list your stuff for |
| that can manipulate what we see, what we hear | | | | free - or even it is free, you will be put to a long |
| and it is the Giants to tell the public what is to be | | | | waiting time or waiting list, from 2 weeks to 3 |
| heard. | | | | months, which, effectively, will force you to pay |
| What's the Problem with the current Internet? | | | | to get your stuff available to the public. |
| People may ask the question. True, if you are the | | | | This behavior is not rare but more common |
| one that relies on others to provide you | | | | practice and contributes quite a lot to those |
| everything, you may feel this way - it should be | | | | Internet companies' financial reports. And people |
| that. However, even you are one of the Google | | | | are getting more and more used to them, just |
| fans, Yahoo or MSN fans, do you some times | | | | like people have to reply on Microsoft Windows |
| feel frustrated that from within their search or | | | | for their desktops or Google for their search. |
| web site, you cannot find the real information you | | | | Search engine providers now have absolute |
| need, or have your been presented with too | | | | power to direct user flow. And since they are not |
| many garbage or un-related advertisements? I | | | | regulated, they are self-policing and if they like, |
| bet that no one can say No with absolute | | | | such as Google, Yahoo or MSN, they are |
| confidence. | | | | effectively control something over 90% of the |
| So this is the problem. After 10 years | | | | internet's traffic. That's an awesome amount of |
| development of Internet, the Internet has | | | | power that is not answerable to anyone. For |
| evolved from the original free network to current | | | | example, recently there is a news about Google |
| commercial centralized network that only a few | | | | banning German BMW |
| dominated players are in control. You may still | | | | ( |
| argue: there are still millions of web sites I can go | | | | If those guys don't like anybody -- for any reason |
| to and if I like, I could open a new web site any | | | | -- he may be cleaned from their index and |
| time ...... | | | | essentially booted from the internet. This is not |
| True! However, there is one question you need to | | | | about whether they have good reason or not - |
| answer: How could you let others know about | | | | sometimes the reason they feel good may seem |
| your site without going through the big ones? The | | | | absurd to other people, or even they have good |
| truth is, the giants like Google, Yahoo or MSN are | | | | intent and try to do good but at best, it is still a |
| actually taking control of the whole Internet by | | | | risk to relying on a single company to become the |
| their search engine, or by their directories, which, | | | | sole source of our daily information. |
| in the beginning of the Internet era, are quite | | | | In summary, the Internet or the information in |
| democratic, now become more and more | | | | the Internet should not be governed by very few |
| monopoly. | | | | companies; it is the Internet from the user, of the |
| I still remember that about 5 to 10 years ago, | | | | user and for the user. If we view the Internet as |
| submitting your site to any web search engine or | | | | one of the biggest community, everyone in the |
| directory is quite simple - it is automatic and quick. | | | | Internet is a community member and should have |
| The CGIs in those servers will add your link in a | | | | equal power of management power; those few |
| couple of minutes and your link will appear in the | | | | governors in the Internet - big companies such as |
| directories in a couple of minutes, or even hours. | | | | Google, Microsoft or Yahoo are also just a few |
| However, do you know that the now, most | | | | community members and the whole community |
| companies have to pay to submit your web site | | | | should be managed or controlled by them, instead, |
| into the main directory? Most, if not all, major | | | | every user in the Internet should have equal |
| web site charges for a fee in order to list your | | | | rights on the information in the Internet. |