Building The Network used to be about bringing worlds together. It used to be about being part of the next great global communications infrastructure. We were building the device over which all the world would communicate for centuries to come. Every facet polished, every curve stamped with our makers marks, with pride and awe of the endeavor. What happened to that singular global purpose? Somewhere along the way, we lost our path. Countries wage wars across its borders. They limit it to police its content in acts of Information Warfare against their own citizenry, and as we're beginning to discover, are forming military units to wage forms of electronic warfare. Corporations wage wars upon its function. Each wish to have their own niche in the profitable prospect of the Network's global reach, and although many might find time to think about their local needs, none of them think globally before they act. The world, they think, needs to live in a sea of endless middleware, connected and aware of each other end-to-end. The networks have given up the fight against these forces, they don't exist for the people anymore...an economic endeavor in social harmony. They exist instead to harvest what the people can offer. Funds, marketing "eyeballs," content or social information, any gleaming treasure that dangles from their pockets is found and filtered. The people don't care - and they won't care unless it stops working altogether. No person today works the network for the glory of mankind, the building of it is not a great cause that justifies itself anymore. There are only spammers, purveyors of pornography, thieves and hoodlums, children trying to feel '31337', and higher forms of scum (there are certainly no lower). I work the network for money. There's nothing else left. My name is David W. Hankins, and I am a Network Mercenary. |