The Greater Online Good

Sometimes, there are certain things that draws people together: common interests, hobbies, school affiliations, orgs, associations and anything the shares a common bond between individuals.

Thus, it kind of transcends the process of "common interests" to the World Wide Web which not only provides the infrastructure for people from all over the world, but also helps creates a senses of pacified social order and understanding. The proliferation of various online forums and social networking sites proves such.

However, as any other mediums, it is without its own set of problems: identity theft, cyberporn, bashes, conflicts, and flaming. It prevents people to trust each other in cyberspace in belief that above all else, they are still strangers. That belief unfortunately is what fuels this unnecessary bashing and fighting online because these hooligans do such knowing people won't be able to identify them in reality and because the Internet in general has limited regulations, it provides and avenue for them to do harm in cyberspace.

Nonetheless, it seems that it doesn't prevent good-hearted people to at least give a kind of trust to whoever they meet online in forums or any other social networks. Much the same as how the Internet is used to harm people, it also do a lot of good (if it is used for good that is).

There have been cases wherein married couples reasoned the Internet as the reason how they met, fell in love, and eventually tied the knot. It also became an open window wherein celebrities and ordinary folk could connect with each other (with the likes of Facebook, MySpace and Twitter). Not only that, people who are legends in their own right are somehow drawn to online discussions concerning different fields that affects them, one way or another. Not only that long lost friends, and family members were able to reconnect with the help of sites like Friendster and Facebook.

In my own experience, I'm more than honored to have met such extraordinary people with really interesting stories to tell as well as share the common things that "makes us brothers". I have met people who works, who used to work in an industry that I will, someday, join. I have met people who not only helped me understand things more in the clear, but became the kind of friends that I always wished to have (even if I already have friends in the physical world) without having to reveal much of who were are nor at the same time having to be lie).

And this is what fulfills the Internet's ultimate purpose: Create and foster an environment where people could freely gather and express their views liberally without fear and conflict as well as with understanding and prosperity.

In other words: "Make the world a smaller place"