the Net was a powerful multiplier for intellectual capital

The line 'the Net was a powerful multiplier for intellectual capital' really struck me as a well articulated synopsis of the internet. This line which from the first chapter of the Cluetrain Manifesto is very true. The internet is an intangible and powerful force that proliferates intellectual wisdom to a very high degree, increasing the general standard of understanding of issues of people in general, and in a broader sense making people more intelligent. The minus of the internet is that it also proliferates garbage, thus exuding a negative effect also.

The author is of a very positive view in the second and third chapters. An interesting observation made in the second chapter is that the internet makes us manage our lives better and more efficiently, due to the vast scale of information it comprises, which we can attain to understand and figure things out better, eventually living more in the same time frame.

The author also is of the view tha the interaction via the internet is a good scape goat from the mainstream media, and one can interact with less obstacles, i.e of publishing , etc. Even though I agree with the easier form of interaction, such interaction hinders a proper form of debate and argument, something needed for the ultimate change. In a blog site for example, people will discuss and debate issues with days on end with anonymous names and fake addresses, and even when a person's opinion on something has finally changed or the debate has reached a certain outcome, no action will be capable of being taken as the very premise on which the stage is set is false. My point being authenticity and legitimacy are two things the internet does not provide, and individuals take advantage of that rather than countering the void and filling the gap.

On the whole, the first three chapters were an insightful read into the evolution and works of the internet. The book definitely seems to add to the understanding of the internet, and this age in general.