Active versus passive Internet participation

When should you actively join the Internet community?

When you are ready to accept the good, bad and uglies of the World Wide Web, you are then ready to think about how wide of a spotlight you want shining upon your virtual projection of your visions onto the Internet.

Do not think for a moment that anything is sacred when it comes to using the web, everything and everyone is an available target for viruses and auto-bots to attack and there is nothing to prevent the publishing of sometimes horrific and shocking photographs and movies.

Despite these moment to moment risks, most users of the Internet experience significantly higher rewards compared to the risks…even if only valuing the experience from an educational perspective. I learned how to design by reading mass quantities of web pages and then trying out the instructions, saving myself perhaps thousands of dollars in tuition costs (although college certainly has a future appeal).

Therefore, if you are unfamiliar with how elements of the Internet work, such as e-mail and browsers, this may not be the moment to launch a new web site or blog. You might want to spend a few days learning basic terminology and how elements such as e-mail works. This will help you promote your own site through social conversation since you’ll be able to invite people to communicate with you through the site and/or via e-mail.

You may decide you want a static web site that behaves like a basic interactive brochure because you don’t have a need to learn how to maintain a mailing list or frequently publish new content to your web site.

You may also be an old pro at basic kinds of stuff and instead need someone who knows how to program using HTML and CSS, design a few graphics and submit your site to the search engines and a few directories.

This is a huge topic I will try to explore in more depth throughout the year, but it is my belief that owning a piece of the Internet comes with certain responsibilities. If you are ready to learn how to fulfill some of these technical obligations (such as keeping virus detecting software updated, installing browser and operating system patches, etc.) as well as honoring minor social rules and ettiquette (typing a message in all capital letters is read as if you were yelling the words at the reader, many people do not like to be included in mass mailings of jokes, etc.), the Internet community can open doors you never imagined possible.

So whether you intend on starting your own blog or hiring a Web Developer to set up an interactive storefront, if you are ready to begin a profound journey of a lifetime then joining the Internet is the right starting line for you. And no matter what anyone says, the only person who will know when…and how…you should join the Internet community.