The Internet Belongs to the Little guys

Some companies and organizations just don't seem to understand that at the moment the Internet belongs to the little guy. It is possible that will change after the Net Neutrality debacle pans out, but that is not certain yet. Everyone has a voice on the Internet. It is easier than ever to create a web site or blog these days. Some companies are still denying the truth and trying to control what makes it to the web.

Case in point: The Minerals Council of Australia, tried to force the shut down of an environmental website, "Rising Sea Levels. Brought to you by Mining", by the group Rising Tide. The website was a satire on the Mineral Councils own
"Life. Brought to you by mining website. Bringing a copyright infringement case against the group they hoped to shut down the site and crush their opponents. What they did not take into account is the very nature of the Internet, it belongs to the people. The Sydney Morning Herald reported on the story, which found its way to Slashdot, and now the mining association has increased the exposure of the very site they were trying to shut down ten fold. The site has probably seen more hits in a week because of this legal non-sense than it would have gotten in a year otherwise. Smart move...

The Internet made the world a much smaller place. People can communicate and share stories in ways not dreamed of thirty years ago. You will also find that the audience of the Internet is generally very unforgiving of the idea of shutting down the voice of the little guy. This is because it is the little guy that makes the Internet interesting. Blogging and social sites like Myspace have added even another facet. Everyone can have an opinion and it is easier than ever to broadcast it to the world. When you try to take on one of these little guys you are making an implicit threat to all the other little guys out there. They start to rant on you, sympathise with your enemy, and you will lose. When it comes to the Internet the "big fish" need to cut the brute force crap and try to be part of this COMMUNITY. That is what it is, a community, and no one can control it.

Little guys, rejoice, you have won...