The digital frontier

Forget space – the Internet is our generation's frontier. Like the wild west of old, the Internet is vast, only loosely governed, and filled with opportunity. Points of civilization dot the virtual landscape, ranging from the great metropolises, such as Google and Facebook, to the tiny communities formed by thousands of message boards. Spambots, hackers, and viruses are the bandits who roam the wilds, ready to take advantage of the unwary. But in the same wilds, enterprising individuals seeking freedom join together to create things the world has never seen before.

However, if history is any indicator, all frontiers are eventually tamed. Such a taming would result in a trade-off. A more controlled Internet would cut down on the dangers posed by digital bandits. But it would also stifle creativity, by forcing users to jump through bureaucratic hoops to achieve the same connectivity they would have on an untamed Internet. The ideal balance likely lies somewhere in the middle. The question is, where? And could we even control it if we tried?