Technically it is true that the internet allows digital artefacts to be everywhere (Hand, 2008) , however, in practice, it is only ‘there’ once it becomes part of a ‘node’ in a network and is discoverable.  That is, the internet contains a vast amount of information, most of which, I could access. But it is only after it has been indexed by a search engine that it becomes discoverable to me, or after it has been shared with me through a personal network such as Twitter. Even then, there are other factors affecting discoverability, such as the algorithms used by search engines.

Mind also raises the issue of communities arising around shared concerns through the power of the internet, and influencing governmental or political authorities. An example of this is a recent, national, news story involving an Academy applying a rule to a pupil who had contravened it. The story got out on the internet and traditional paper based media, and a community formed against the school decrying the indiscriminate application of rules; the Academy has since reconsidered its stance (The Independent). Authoritative bodies, including educational institutions, are now having to consider how they apply their policies more carefully, as they are more likely to be held to account.

Mind considers the vertical structures of organisations to be in the past, with a progression towards networked structures. Information will flow through these networks in many directions.  Potentially anyone could become part of a network and be empowered by the information they access, and in turn, influence the network, creating a feedback system.

To my mind, there is a flaw in this type of reasoning. Information is disseminated freely to all; informed debate may occur but this could be overshadowed by the vast majority of uninformed commentary.  On the other hand, any discussion is better than no discussion at all.

Hand, M. (2008) Hardware to everyware: Narratives of promise and threat. In: Making digital cultures: access, interactivity, and authenticity. Aldershot: pp. 15–42.