For today’s blog entry, I want to reflect on why the web is important to me. Given that I hope to become a web developer playing a tiny role in shaping some small corner of the web, I think it’s useful to think about what the web can be at its best. I certainly think there are plenty of downsides to modern internet culture and the way people interact with the internet in their lives, but today’s post will be reserved for highlighting the positives.

First, I think the web can be a real source of access to many resources that would be hard to reach for many people otherwise. This includes access to information – resources like Wikipedia and even YouTube have radically changed the learning landscape, and as long as you have a computer and an internet connection, they are free! I have learned so many things from just these two resources alone. The internet has provided me help with tasks ranging from how to make fresh pasta to studying data structures and algorithms, a particularly salient challenge for me right now.

The internet also provides access to diverse perspectives. Sitting at my computer in Oregon, I can hear from people all over the world, about their experiences, their beliefs, and their struggles. I think this has encouraged me from a young age to be more empathetic and curious about other peoples’ perspectives. While this doesn’t do away with the hard work of trying to reconcile lots of diverse opinions and experiences, it does provide the necessary information to broaden one’s horizons.

Finally, the internet provides access to a platform (actually many platforms). A public square is vital to the functioning of democracy, and I think it’s fair to say that the internet makes up a significant portion of today’s societal discourse. People are empowered to get their message in front of many eyeballs online, and to have direct, real-time engagement with their ideas. While the internet can often be a challenging place to discuss issues, I think the good here outweighs the negative. People aren’t limited to the views of their peers or immediate community but can instead consider more diverse ideas from all over the world.

Ultimately, it strikes me that the internet is a place for community! So it’s important that those of us tasked while building out internet infrastructure and spaces take that task seriously, and do our best to create positive environments for people to connect. I think that’s as motivating and uplifting a reason for getting up in the morning and going to work as I can think of. Thanks for reading today’s blog, I’ll see you next time!