As we read more and more about the beginnings of various New Media I find it interesting how much of that media was originally suppose to be egalitarian. The Internet was originally open to anyone who could access it and there was little to no regulation of what could or could not be posted. Wiki's were a way for everyone to contribute what they know in order to create systems of vast information. Yet as these things gained mass appeal, the inherent democracy of the media transformed more into a hierarchy. I understand that sometimes things like cost require certain changes to be made, someone has to pay for the telephone/cable lines and servers that run the Internet, but why does cost imply regulation? Why can't information be hosted freely. Most of these things were created freely without the motivation of money. Even in the case of Wiki's where it does not seem like money was an issue, a hierarchy arose. Why does some information have to be more important? It could be that since the small groups that were first on this New Media thought alike and thus had no need for a hierarchy until the masses came in and started changing and not agreeing with everything. It's always interesting to see how the masses can change a medium.
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