Dear Worldwide Web
Or if I maybe familiar www, I am writing to express my amazement and appreciation of the contribution you have made since you emerged in our world nearly 25 years ago.
My sons are oblivious of the world before it had a worldwide web but as a child of the 60s I am constantly amazed at how we managed without you. I am befuddled as to how you do what you do but I am grateful that I can search your resources for cultivation information on some obscure plant, I can order a last-minute present for my niece without traipsing around the town looking for inspiration, my mother can email her brothers on the other side of the world, my son can set out his wares in the job market in an innovative way and I can find a recipe for dinner tonight – all from the comfort of our sofas. Through you the world has become smaller, we can meet people from nearly anywhere in the world, and most importantly nearly everyone can access information.
Information is power, through knowledge and education we can shape our world and make informed choices. But sometimes the information is too much, it appears too quickly, we are overwhelmed by images of tragic and difficult events, we no longer have the buffer zone of distance and editorship. We can react to images without always considering the broader context, and our views can be influenced by clever manipulation of what we see. There are some that abuse your resources, to prey on the vulnerable and who use it to cause unhappiness and hate amongst us.
I think you are one of most significant inventions of the last two centuries. Your creation has revolutionised the world as much or more than the combustion energy and discovery of nuclear power. But, the human race needs to learn how to manage your power and capabilities. Like a child with a new toy we are obsessed and seek to find answers to everything in you. We need to remember that most of the things we use you for we could do just as well, albeit it maybe slower, before you arrived and I am sure you will forgive me if I would still rather pick up and read a printed book or have a chat on the telephone with a friend.
Thank you for opening my eyes to things and people I knew nothing about but this evening I will be ignoring you and reading my book.
Helen
This was written as an assignment on Writing 101 – the brief was to write an open letter to so