The Collective Intelligence

Take a deep breath. Clear your mind of everything you know about the internet, about computers, about technology. With a blank slate, consider the human nervous system, one of the most amazing things on this small planet.

Consider the brain - as yet unfathomed - and toss out theology if it means a lot to you. Let's say, for argument's sake, that the theory of evolution is a work in progress.

Let's consider the Central Nervous System. All the little things that make up a whole. Let's say that this developed over millenium, and that it all started with simple nerve cells - firing, controlling, responding to tropisms. Let's say that over time, these nerve cells became more complicated; let's say eventually various nodes within the nervous system became complicated masses responsible for several activities. One example is the brain.

Now, let's consider the term 'internet backbone', used a lot to describe the 'core' of the current internet. The internet has a spinal cord. Suddenly, the internet is a vertebrate, at least in a physical nature.

And yet, in the abstract nature of the internet, it's a Nerve Net. And yet, with more information available on the internet in unit time - interconnected by dendritic hyperlinks, forming density in certain regions regarding some information. Such density can be seen in Link Popularity measures, through such tools as search engines (like Google), and even through the blogosphere - which one can see at Technorati.

And yet - these bundles of hyperlinks aren't intelligent, but the people who create them - manually or automatically - are. So humanity becomes part of a complex organism. And our role is to guide the growth and complexity of this organism. We certainly have centers devoted to procreation - and we have centers devoted to food, shelter and clothing. Effectively, the Internet works to protect itself on a grand scale.

Free Software/Open Source are a big part of this as well, since this software on the internet serves as modifiable processes - even to create more complexity. Open Content allows more information for processes and humanity to process to increase the collective intelligence of the internet.

The internet, an extension of humanity in this regard. A common area. A resource for humanity.

And we, humanity, are the brain. The heart. The stomach. The soul.