"Yet, some of the Internet-related architectural directions chosen by countries in the east are being eschewed by the west with a kind of impunity that could easily result in the west's being left on the outside looking in. I'm referring to the uptake of IPv6, language- and cultural- related capabilities, representational issues, and more that are not being adequately accommodated to assure that the balance doesn't shift too far in the other direction - or do not appear as though they are consciously being accommodated - by the west in an equitable fashion at the present time. And vice versa, I'm sure."
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Yes. A Great Divide is growing.
While we in the west are collectively engaged in navel-gazing, Asian nations are planning and actively working to become (in the Japanese phrase) "information superpowers".
The question of what we want or like will become less and less relevant. At some point within the next decade, we'll awaken to see connectivity drive others ahead in education, commerce, industry and competitive advantages.
To be sure, it's not a war: the Connectivity Gap isn't like the Missile Gap of the 60's. There'll still be bridges to Life In the Fast Lane. We'll simply find ourselves far, far behind.
The sense of my posts recently is to poke some fun at "Web 2.0" thinking. If this self-centric view ("Gee, isn't Google amazing?"; "Wow, look at all the fibre we're lighting up!") draws the interest of western readers, how will they like the discovery that they're doing "Web 3.X" across the Pacific?
Jim |
