Reading chapter 9 in Richardson's book reinforced an idea I already held strongly: that it is of the utmost importance to keep the web public and free. Some people in powerful positions of business and government are currently making arguments in favor of privatization of the Internet's web pages. I don't believe there could be a more harmful idea. The world wide web needs to remain public and free to everyone with Internet access.
As a teacher, I cannot imagine something more harmful for my students. Were the government to allow or mandate that web pages be privatized, only those with the proper means could access information, while those without - such as underprivileged students and teachers working in financially stringent conditions - would be censored for the free information we now take for granted. An electronic caste system would be created, in which those who hold power would get more powerful in their access and control of knowledge, while those with less power would grow weaker in their ignorance. The web must remain public so that all people can access information, and decide for themselves what is true and what is not.
Some argue, however, that privatization of the Internet would cut down on the misinformation published on the web. When in history has putting the power of censorship in the hands of politicians and business leaders ever led to more accurate and unbiased information? Richardson says that students now need to learn how to be editors to determine what is true and what is inaccurate on the Internet. This is the perfect opportunity to give students the critical thinking skills they need to be knowledgeable, aware citizens. If web pages are privatized, that opportunity would be taken away from them, if not their easy access to information and knowledge.
Privatization of the Internet would ultimately make the country less democratic. The less fortunate and public school students would lack the same information that their wealthier counter-parts had access to, and the information allowed on the web would be controlled not by regular, common citizens, but by big business leaders and politicians. Keep the Internet public for the ideals of American equity, liberty, and democracy.
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I agree that the internet should be free to all those with internet access. My more immediate concern though is for the students who do not have internet access except for in their schools.
I wonder if these students really understand the scope and potential of the internet when their use of it is extremely censored. And I wonder if we are harming students by not letting them access a Blogger account, Google images, MySpace, etc. Aren’t we just taking away resources from them? And how does this prepare them to sort through internet information and censor it for themselves if we always do that for them?
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