The Political Demographics of Cyberspace

Undoubtedly, the commercialization of the Internet will also have an influence on the Internet culture. First, traditional businesses will increasingly want a presence on the Internet, in the form of electronic storefronts. Second, there's a new breed of cyber-entrepreneurs exploiting new niches. We do not belong to the group of people who deplores this development. We believe business is a legitimate activity, and that it will not destroy the net. The barter economy and the new cyber-entrepreneurs will find a modus vivendi. The free services and knowledge sharing will survive, supplemented with feebased services and electronic commerce. There are powerful technological and social reasons why these forces will not dominate the net: the nature of the medium simply does not allow for centralized control and for intrusive broadcasting. Only Invited Persuaders' will be culturally acceptable. As has been proven many times by now, the users of the Internet have enough retaliatory power at their kill unsavory practices in the bud.