The Internet we have come to know came in to existence almost by accident. A computer technology that was born out of World War II and the space program spawned the Internet – a system originally designed to survive the envisaged World War III.

The United States Army created the first network of computer terminals. While the first few machines were being connected, some smart technician hit on the idea of using the telephone system to provide connections to other installations. So the web grew like the primitive neural network of a new life form. It was designed as a ‘shield’ so that the exchange of information and orders would be assured in the event of a nuclear war.

Little did those technicians know how vast their brainchild would soon become. They were the midwives of a techno-biological entity that would revolutionize the human capability to communicate – a cybermind.

It was originally assumed that such WWW III would be fought between the ‘Free World’ and the Soviet Union, but to the delight of all, the wall came down as the Communist Bloc failed to win the arms race. The ‘Iron Curtain’ was torn aside by McDonalds and Levi’s as much as the threat of ‘Star Wars’ weaponry. It was communications, not nuclear, conventional or even science fiction weapons that achieved this seemingly impossible feat.

This network, that originally channeled only the secret whisperings of a few hundred military and scientific personnel, has now become the place of regular intercourse for millions of people throughout the world. Like the dividing and multiplying cells of a new life form, the Internet cybermind is growing in complexity and ability at a phenomenal rate. Its web has encompassed the globe and its relevance and bearing on all humanity is already beyond human comprehension. Its mental capacity is phenomenal and its ability to interact with every aspect of human existence is far beyond our wildest imaginings. Like Athena’s shield, it truly is a gift from the Gods.

Elsewhere, we see that our media is controlled. It shows us what the minds of others want us to see. It does not allow us choice or an unbiased view of our world or our society. We can all look at our TV’s, listen to our radios, read our newspapers and magazines, but we do not have any say in what material is selected for our consumption. The world’s media is owned and controlled by very few people. They are powerful. They know the value of the media and its potential and they use it as a tool to show us what they want us to see.

Men are beginning to communicate in a way they never could before. The Internet has provided the vehicle for this communication. Their attempts to organize and support each other have been stumblings in cyberspace, but they have made tremendous progress.

They are learning to walk together and soon they will learn to march together in invisible armies. Men are not naturally supportive of each other. They are competitive. They have been bred that way for countless generations. Men are still seeing each other as rivals and competitors, but in the darkness of cyberspace, where they are invisible, they can co-operate and reach out to one another.

They can express their pain in safety, free from the emasculation that afflicts them in the ‘real’ world. Here, where their physical presence is not required or necessary and only their words are seen they can organize and bring about change.

Free speech may prove more difficult to control on the World Wide Web than in individual nations. The cybermind still has free thought coursing through its synapses. If you look, you will find opinion of every shade on every conceivable issue. You may find some of what you discover uncomfortable or offensive, but what is important is that individuals are allowed to state their cases and present their ideas. Totalitarian regimes may control totally what people say, but they can never control what a free mind may say.