Produced by Michael Hart A Brief History of the Internet The Bright Side: The Dark Side by Michael Hart with Max Fuller (C)1995, Released on March 8th, 1995 Chapter 00 Preface The Internet Conquers Space, Time, and Mass Production... Michael Hart called it NeoMass Production [TM] in 1971... and published the U.S. Declaration of Independence on the and no one was listening...or were they? ???careful!!!! If the governments, universities or colleges of the world wanted people to be educated, they certainly could have a copy of things like the Declaration of Independence where everyone could get an electronic copy. After all, it has been over 25 years since the Internet began as government funded projects among our universities, and only 24 years since the Declaration was posted, followed by the Bill of Rights, Constitution, the Bible, Shakespeare, etc. Why do more people get their electronic books from others than these institutions when they spend a TRILLION DOLLAR BUDGET EVERY YEAR pretending their goal is some universal form of education. This is the story of the Bright Side and Dark Side of the Internet. . .Bright Side first. The Facts: The Internet is a primitive version of the "Star Trek Communicator," the "Star Trek Transporter," and, also a primitive version of the "Star Trek Replicator." Communicator The Internet "let's" you talk to anyone on the Earth, as long as they, too, are on the Internet. Transporter The Internet "let's" you transport anything you would be able to get into your computer to any Netter. Replicator The Internet "let's" you replicate anything anyone is able to get into their computer, from "The Mona Lisa" to "The Klein Bottle" if you use the right "printer," and the library never closes, the books are always on the shelves, never checked out, lost, in for binding, and there is never an overdue fine because you never, ever, have to take them back. The Bright Side and the Dark Side For the first time in the entire history of the Earth, we have the ability for EVERYONE to get copies of EVERYTHING as long as it can be digitized and communicated to all of the people on the Earth, via computers [and the devices a person might need to make a PHYSICAL, rather than VIRTUAL copy of whatever it might be. . . Think about what you have just read for a moment, please, EVERYTHING FOR EVERYONE. . . as long as the Information Superhighway is not taken over by the INFORMATION RICH and denied access to others other than for a fee they may not be able to pay, and shouldn't have to pay. . .since the INFORMATION RICH have had rides for free for the first 25 years of the Internet.] From 1969 to 1994, most of the traffic on the Information Superhighway was generated by individuals who did not pay tolls to get on the ramps to the Information Superhighway . . .in fact, ALL of the early users were paid to get on, except one. . .they were paid. . .BY YOU!