Web Impact

No, not that kind of web. The internet web (a little rant on that phrase later perhaps). Those of you that follow me on Twitter as well knew that a blog post was in the making. A few days ago I was thinking about the web as I say, and how what we influences what happens in the future.

I find myself these days, signed up to a ton of sites, which I do try and regularly visit and I have the same username everywhere since at least 2008, which is eight years. I guess it's a nice name to have and it allows for some synergy. I have had other users recognise from different websites which is always nice. I wondered whether searching for my own name via Google would bring up many results, so I started to type away in to Firefox's search engine bar as usual. p...k...m...n...t. Then something odd happened.
I am a search result suggestion! Admittedly the second one, but I feel I have contributed little to the web, definetly not enough for anyone to need to search my name out. It's not like searching for example, the user DarkAlex who does all that custom firmware for PSP's. There's about 23,000 hits by the way for me. I know this is due to me having joined and contributed in these many sites and my blog and such, but it's still geekily cool.

I thought more about if I had influenced the internet in some way, and I suppose we all do. Every time you make a blog post, make a comment, digg a story or read an article, or even listen to some music you alter the internet and create discussion amongst people, no matter how few.

Let's call this example person Jeremy James.

Jeremy is linked to your blog via a friend, via a social networking site on a messenger. Jeremy is now able to read your blog posts at his leisure and decide whether he wants to return.

Just as he's about to click off the site, he notices your Twitter badge, and visits your Twitter page, where you have just tweeted about Sum 41. Jeremy remembers them and thinks he and you may think the same things about music. From your Twitter page, Jeremy visits your last.fm page and indeed sees that you have "Super" taste.

In another tab, he is still reading your blog, and see what you think about Macs. He agrees with some of your points, but disagrees with most of them.

Later at work, he discusses Macs with his co-workers and gets their opinions on them. He also uses your points in his discussion (one such instance of your influence on Jeremy). Later when he's finished work, he walks on by an Apple store. Thinking about your blog post again he goes in and has a little play on a Mac.

A week or so and more thinking, blog and tweet reading, Jeremy buys a Mac with his next paycheque. This was an indirect result of what you have written about on the net.

So that example was a lot longer than I planned to have it, but hopefully you get my point. What you say on the internet can affect people in the real world. I would caution you and tell you to "Be careful what you say" but there's freedom on the internet.

So go fuck a potato and come back and read some more influential posts when you have time.