The Power of the Internet
The internet has become a variable meeting stone. You never know just who you’ll meet, for better or worse. It’s entirely possible to meet a celebrity, regardless of where you are. Or you can find someone from long ago that you’ve blocked out of your mind.
Even if it’s only been in passing, I’ve become acquainted with individuals online that I would have never gotten to meet offline. Among these individuals are Lloyd Kaufman, Felicia Day, Veronica Belmont, our very own Victor, and my girlfriend, Tanya. A number of these meetings have subsequently led to pretty major projects. Others have been purely to get to know the person, as opposed to getting to know the celebrity.
A wise-ass person once said, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” While that is very true, I’m not that greedy, or rather, I’m patient. I like to know the person themselves before I try to use their social status to my benefit. I will do it, believe me, but I won’t do it right after meeting the person.
Everything good that has happened in my life during the last decade or so has been thanks to the internet. I’ve met so many colorful people, a number of whom I have become friends with. It’s been with these people that I’ve been able to hone my writing skills. Even through role-playing on message boards, it’s good experience interacting with different people. I’ve probably actively participated in close to 2,000 pages worth of role-play, so that’s a lot of time and experience writing.
It’s also thanks to the internet that I’ve been able to get into music that I probably would have never heard of otherwise. GACKT, Dream State, Eyeshine, MAJA, and the short-lived Azerothian 6 (A6) just to name a few. The internet also plays a major part in most, if not all, of the aforementioned musical artists’ popularity. Eyeshine and Dream State are 2 rock bands that, while not widely known, have made their home and found their fans mostly on the internet. Especially Eyeshine, whose lead vocalist is Power-Ranger-turned-voice-actor, Johnny Yong Bosch. MAJA is more of a niche hip-hop artist, as he raps about anime, video games, and the like. GACKT is a J-Pop (Japanese Pop) artist whom I’ll explain in a later post. A6 was a YouTube group of a machinima-maker and 5 WoW parody artists, who did just that — make WoW parodies of popular songs.
A6 is a perfect example of the internet’s power. Groups such as A6 would have never been made without the internet because the members are all over the country or world. In fact, another group has recently been formed via YouTube, this time a polyphonic choir consisting of 9 very talented young ladies. The members of Stella Voci (which means “Star for the Voice,” originally thought to be “Voices of the Stars”) are from all over the world — USA, Netherlands, Canada, Egypt, Germany, China, and France. If it wasn’t for the internet, people would be unable to overcome the barrier of land and sea. But the internet does exist, and because of that fact, people can come together, no matter where they are.
Let us not forget the potential that the internet has for physically challenged persons. As most, if not all, of you are aware, I’m unable to speak, and am confined to a wheelchair. Through the power of the internet, however, I’m able to interact with people just like any other person would. The internet, for me, is the Great Equalizer. It levels the playing field. Online I can communicate easily and no one is the wiser that I’m in a wheelchair, unless they know. They don’t have those preconceived first impressions that are so valuable in the real world. Online, I can truly communicate the way that I want or need to.
For all these reasons and more, the internet can be seen as the greatest multitasking tool. You can make friends, find new music, work, collaborate on projects, even make an identity for yourself online. That’s why it’s so powerful, and why it’s becoming such a major part of our day-to-day lives.
Oh, and let’s not forget what else the internet is for. XD
