Freedom

Coolmac

Date:
09/06/2005

The ability to write, the education to allow us to write, the freedom to let others read what you have written. These are all things we take for granted, and rightly so. They are, after all, or at least should be, part of our basic right to freedom of speech.

The printing press was the catalyst that drove Europe out of the dark ages, allowing ideas to flourish, and giving rise to a new educated middle class. Obviously in the centuries that followed, those in power regularly attempted to remove freedom from the people, and most often the first strike was at the written word. Books were banned and burnt, their authors arrested or worse. But enough of history, you can read that up any time you want.

In the early 1990's the next great invention, at least from an information point of view, was finally taking off. The Internet. Initially only used by scientists, it grew in popularity until we got the huge melting pot of web sites that we have today. Almost anyone who wants to say something can; only the desperately poor have no access, and as prices plummet, even those numbers are falling dramatically.

But, some things never change, especially when it is to do with the people in power. Chinese web site owners have long been required to register with the government, now the Chinese government is going after blog writers as well. The Internet, the thing that has made this world as small as a village, is now being segregated off. The Chinese already block most outside websites, and if they have your information for a Chinese blog, what do you think your survival chances are if you say something wrong?

Unfortunately its not just the Chinese doing this, though they are the most blatant. We have, the best chance of bringing knowledge to everyone who wants it, and all around us governments, religious organisations and any other group with a bit of power is looking nervously around and wondering how they are going to stop this. So go out there and start your own web site or blog, and go and read others. And when you see people trying to put a stop to this freedom, fight it, in whatever country you reside.

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