Four Fundamental Historical Firsts
The Internet brings individuals and communities four indisputably important major historical firsts:
1. Fingertip access to the worlds knowledge base; the ability to find specific information within seconds from worldwide sources. Searching and browsing skills allow self-empowerment through self-directed, just-in-time, inquiry-based learning.
2. Inexpensive global self-publishing (creating web pages) for both individuals and communities; sharing creative works and resources with an authentic peer audience through the ability to create web pages using multimedia on a shoestring budget on equal par with the worlds largest universities, corporations, and governments. This allows for every story to be told and dramatically facilitates the sharing of information.
3. The ability to communicate and work together as individuals without restraint due to distance or time, either privately one-to-one or publicly involving whole communities, bringing people together around purposeful causes to take organized action. The Internet increases the quantity and quality of human relationships.
4. Learning-to-earn for sustainable communities. The ability to leverage collaborative capacity to enhance both the social and economic value of a community. Never in human history has the potential for meeting everyone's needs and creating sustainable rural communities ever been greater, but the vision and commitment for purposeful sharing must be present in order to realize the potential.
"We're limited only by our imaginations."
Albert Einstein