Internet: A Paradigm Shift in Technological Determinism

The title of the paper may sound abstract, but is rooted in realities that characterize Internet. Internet is “elusive”; it is not so much a physical entity as description of an intangible, internet holds out a promise of technological bonanza and such lofty ideals as global village and dawn of a millennium. On the other hand, it conjures ugly vision of dirty movies, Heaven's Gate, hacker attacks, telecrime and info-terrorism. Herein, lies its paradox; cause and consequence of the paradigm shift in technological determinism. Normative hypothesis of technological determinism suggests that public-good motivates creation of technology and that technology should have a mission. If technology is not given a direction, it would go on rampage, posing a threat to the society. There are dangers to Internet degenerating into a social pestilence. Formed without a blueprint, “Internet is the network of networks”, a platitude that we have voiced ad nauseam, yet it betrays a hierarchical structure. It boasts of equity and democratic virtues, because none owns it, yet it smacks of information apartheid and a rich man's burden to impose a world information order, no less discriminatory than the world political order. It prides in “five core principles: private investment, competition, flexible regulation, open access, and universal service,” but continues to be afflicted by monopolies and denial, as any other system. It supports a wide range of applications, services and delivery technologies, but is chaotic, belying a commonality of approach to creation of standards. The function of a paradox is to jolt the society so that it wakes up to realities. The paper enjoins the engineering community to take a balanced view of the technological determinism which Internet promenades; and not merely sing paeans to it.