By William Markiewicz
It took me some time to crack this nut: 'how equivalent is the Net to the media?' In my view, the public uses the Net in a different way than it does the media, while the media itself uses the Net as an occasional appendix. But up to now the media remain media and the Net remains the Net.
What is the main difference? The Net is first of all a communication tool meaning that it attracts a very specialized, precisely oriented public, and, unique in history, it is a pathway for practically immediate collective exchange. The Net's general public is only slightly attracted to pages of general interest; links replace diversity. Aristotle said that the philosopher shouldn't be interested in too many topics and certainly the Net is more in tune with this view than with the renaissance spirit for instance.
Still, in its fourth year of existence Vagabond has passed the 14.000 visit mark and that's not so bad for a private page. But I can't help but envy the hard copy media which must accomplish other 'miracles' in order to survive four years. Time and patience helping, we may continue exploring the 'ingrat' Net.
Back to the index of the Vagabond
William Markiewicz