Breaking News: Internet connects people

Hi my name is Fabienne and I am an internet addict. I met internet in the 90s. Remember those days? The sound of the dial-up modem connecting? Wasn't that so exciting? And this great AOL voice: Welcome! You've got Mail! And the sound of IMing?



And all these page with text from left to right? No IA. Few images. No videos. No Flash. Just text. And mostly from people who had found there a new place to share what was important for them.

If you think about it, the web has been created as a communication network. OK, military at first but then quickly opening to academics and later on to civilians. Then, years later, business jumped on the band wagon and the web became sort of The Mall of Internet.
If you were there in the 90s you probably remember the homy and laid back feel internet had at the time.
There was probably a time where you could do a full tour of the internet in a few hours or a few days. And actually get in touch with people all over the world.

Then it grew. It exploded. It became both a bazaar where spam and scams are the kings and a place where nobodies could gain some fame just for being famous. Yes, I know it's a weird one, Darwin gave life to s new specie: famous nobodies who haven't done anything.
OK, there were also some great things happening like YouTube or Facebook or Twitter and blogs.
And somehow we're back full circle to communication. To connecting with people. It's all about social networks these days. Sharing information. Connecting. Sounds familiar?

if you look beyond the annoying noise (the inept ramblings of D-list lost souls and famous nobodies, and shameless pseudo marketing) and the armless self centered postings (I am the King of Foursquare! I got the latest iPhone app!), you'll realize that internet and social media are actually playing a fundamental role in giving a voice to those who don't have one.
I recently discovered a site that does just that: GlobalVoices.org.

In their own words: Global Voices is a community of more than 200 bloggers around the world who work together to bring you translations and reports from blogs and citizen media everywhere, with emphasis on voices that are not ordinarily heard in international mainstream media.

Global Voices seeks to aggregate, curate, and amplify the global conversation online - shining light on places and people other media often ignore. We work to develop tools, institutions and relationships that will help all voices, everywhere, to be heard.

Millions of people are blogging, podcasting, and uploading photos, videos, and information across the globe, but unless you know where to look, it can be difficult to find respected and credible voices. Our international team of volunteer authors and part-time editors are active participants in the blogospheres they write about on Global Voices.

So next time you get fed up or bored with what you see on internet, and before you start singing "Internet is for Porn", go to Global Voices read some posts and have a thought for how useful the internet can be. It's a fantastic tool to connect people and share information. But like any tool, it only does what it's used for.