Al Gore and the Purpose-Driven Web - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com

Al Gore and the Purpose-Driven Web - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com
Al Gore and the Purpose-Driven Web - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11...
“The purpose, I would urge all of you — as many of you as are willing to take it up — is to bring about a higher level of consciousness about our planet and the imminent danger and opportunity we face because of the radical transformation in the relationship between human beings and the Earth,” Mr. Gore said Friday evening at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco.


I am getting a bit tired by Al Gore's efforts to raise awareness on climate change issues. I believe that he is stuck in a vicious circle. His award-winning personality has raised more eyebrows than the causes he supports. Yet, he made a point at the Web 2.0 summit and I am glad we are starting to talk about the purpose-driven Web. My master's thesis was on this topic and this NYTimes article justifies my essay.

There is more than blogging about our lives or sharing photos in Facebook or chatting on MSN. Social activism has gained a great potential through the Web 2.0 trend and we are still far from truly harnessing it. Maybe, we could learn a thing or two from Obama's web campaign. Hence his presence on YouTube, official blogs, Facebook, MySpace, etc. was a crucial element that convinced young voters to vote for him. 

Tags:

Next Posts

Previous Posts

Comments

jaklumen
[this is good]
I do agree that Gore seems to be stuck, as it were. It doesn't help that politics is so polarized here and his award of the Nobel Peace Prize was viewed as very controversial. (Then again, he's got strange bedfellows like Michael Moore, who I just find irritating and self-aggrandizing.)

Web 2.0 and social networking alone are interesting concepts. I've seen opinions stating that the Internet is still a very flat medium, and I think they're right. That's changing a little bit with portable media devices and "smartphones" but yes, I agree that the full potential here hasn't been unlocked yet-- and part of that may be that not all the world is fully wired. Just in the U.S., there's been comparisons to Japan and even Estonia, with the observations that we are lagging behind.

I also agree that Gore would do well to start playing more to his strong suit of technology.
Michelley-Shell
This is a good reminder Iliask. Thank you. We all need to become more active and utilise our technological 'voices' for a greater cause outside of simply doing an internet show-and-tell.

Also, congratulations on your post graduate degree... what a wonderful accomplishment! Best wishes with your time with the army. My father was in the army and though he did not see fighting, to this day he fondly relays stories about that time in his life. Every life change and experience is a gift.

All the best, Mich.
iliask
I do agree that the Internet is still a flat medium. Most people still use their personal computer as their sole access point to the web. Smartphones and web-enabled portable devices have the potential to change this situation and add more dimensions.

From personal experience, I can confirm that through a smartphone I'm 24/7 online. The iPhone has changed my life and I am going to miss it in the army. There is no way I'm taking it with me.

We tend to forget that the Internet is still a "victim" of the digital divide between developed and developing countries. Maybe Gore should concentrate on the betterment of technological infrastructure and on actions that educate people on how to use the new technology since he has invested a lot on the web realm.
iliask
The Blog Action Day is a good starting point, but it can't do such a difference. We have to work individually and collectively almost every day if we want to shake things up.

Our leaders need to understand that we are not "sleeping" anymore. The Obama campaign gave us a good example on how to use the Internet in order to accomplish sociopolitical causes.

Thank you for your kind wishes! I will be offline for a couple of weeks, but after that I will try to keep you updated on my army days and nights!
jaklumen
[this is good]
Well, there's a digital divide (at least in the U.S.) between rich and poor, too. My wife and I do pay-as-you go cellphones because... we just CAN'T afford anything else!

Being an open source enthusiast and a Linux user, I know there is still a lot that can be done with old hardware, however, and I have seen this in action, such as the $100 computer (if you know what I mean-- can't remember the exact name at the moment).
Patricia Volonakis Davis
Thanks to you, Ilia,, I am learning mroe and more about this and have seen the very positive changes this knowlege can affect. One feels like a dinosaur if one doesn't keep up with the technology. It had, as you say, Ilia, a marked affect on Obama's campaign.

Post a comment

Already a Vox member? Sign in

You will be asked to join Vox to post this comment.