Op-Ed: Why the Internet Should Win the Nobel Peace Prize

[kpete]

Op-Ed: Why the Internet Should Win the Nobel Peace Prize

* By Jamil Zaki Email Author
* March 18, 2010 |

http://www.wired.com/

This year, a Chinese dissident and a Russian human rights advocate — recent nominees for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize — are joined by an unlikely, nonhuman contender: the internet.

A campaign to nominate the web, first put forth by the editors of Wired Italy, proclaims that the internet has “laid the foundations for a new kind of society,” in which massive interpersonal contact fosters consensus and understanding.

Predictably, the internet’s nomination was met with a wave of skepticism. After all, isn’t it ridiculous to give one of the world’s greatest honors to an inanimate technology? A friend of mine asked, “How about we give the Nobel to paper, since that’s what all peace agreements have been written on?”

Read More http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/03/from-the-fields-internet/#ixzz0iYfwftx6

[SharonRB]

1. Who would get the prize?

"A campaign to nominate the web, first put forth by the editors of Wired Italy, proclaims that the internet has 'laid the foundations for a new kind of society,' in which massive interpersonal contact fosters consensus and understanding.

I guess they haven't visited GD Pee lately.

[Jim__]

2. The internet is a technology and can be used for good and bad.

For instance:

Almost half of information technology professionals believe there will be a major Internet attack on U.S. businesses in the next year, an event for which they believe corporations are unprepared, according to a survey released Wednesday.
The Business Software Alliance's survey found that 47 percent of corporate network administrators believe that U.S. businesses will be attacked in the next year, compared with 19 percent who believe that such an attack would not occur. Moreover, only 19 percent believe their company was ready for such an attack, while 45 percent thought their company was unprepared.

more ...

[FiveGoodMen]

3. The Nobel Peace Prize is a worthless piece of shit.

Last time around it was awarded to a guy who used his acceptance speech to outline his escalation of a war that was illegal and never should have been started.

They didn't ask for the prize back.

So it's a worthless piece of shit. QED

[kimmerspixelated]

4. This is interesting, because just today I was reading about

new age concepts about human consciousness eventually-maybe sooner than later-evolving into a kind of communication using holographic signals,telepathic waves, etc. that will make the internet look like a dinosaur. It boggles the mind to think of it,something about using the Noosphere, I believe.