Web Power--which one?

Where does the power of the Web lie?
I am not sure what this questions means. What do we mean by power in this context? According to Dictionary.com, power means "ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something." So let's explore some possible powers in the webbed world.

Power needed for Web Power
Before we get too intellectual about power, perhaps we need to first look at the power (meaning electrical energy) needed to permit the more esoteric and varied powers the web potentially holds. Here is a great article by the Guardian:
Web providers must limit internet's carbon footprint, say experts: Soaring online demand stretching companies' ability to deliver content as net uses more power and raises costs

Question: What is being done by the biggest users in this arena? Is each of us aware of our own impact and how we might diminish that? There will be no power in the web if there is no power for the web. What if we put everything in the cloud but can no longer reliably reach it?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/naughton321/136464207/

Potential Powers

If the energy source can be sustained, there is enormous potential for powers such as:


Power of knowledge: As Sir Francis Bacon is know to have claimed in his Meditations, 1597, Knowledge is Power. The Power-knowledge is a concept coined by the French philosopher Michel Foucault: "Power is based on knowledge and makes use of knowledge; on the other hand, power reproduces knowledge by shaping it in accordance with its anonymous intentions. Power (re-) creates its own fields of exercise through knowledge." If this is so, just imagine the power potential with those connected to Google, Wikipedia, Wikibooks, MIT open courses . . . .

http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/1555/PreviewComp/SuperStock_1555R-1095.jpg

Power of Persuasion: Visuals have always been a powerful key to persuade the viewers. For example, look at these Posters of WWII, some of which still are recognizable today.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/idiotbox/2008/05/large_uncle-sam.jpg

For those wanting to tap into this visual power in their persuasive presentations, I encourage you to read Presentation Zen and add Presentation Zen webiste to your RSS feeder!


Power to organize oneself: For those of us who have never enjoyed organizing papers, files, personal documents, etc. the new organizational tools hold huge potential power to tap into one of our dearest resources--time. As a novice, here are a few of my favorites:

• Delicious
• iGoogle
  
• RSS Feeder

What other ones to you suggest?

Power to communicate: None of you are probably old enough to remember living as an expat prior to the internet, but I'll assure you that is was a drastically different life simply because it was much more challenging to stay closely connected to those living elsewhere. Even though many are seeing email a thing of the past, it is still used extensively to connect people. Yes, the social networking, Skype type communications have virtually made the distance seem to disappear.

http://www.bi.no/FellesFiles/_NY DESIGN FRA 2007/artikkelbilder/508 pixler/kommunikasjon508.jpg

Power to take action, make change: Of all of the potential powers, the power for individuals and groups to make a difference is for me the most important one. For an excellent reflection on this, I encourage you to read Social Movements 2.0: Harnessing the Power of the Web for Change.

So, where does the power of the web lie? Potential power is there for the taking--for those who have the energy source and tools to tap into it.

Is the power of the web, like most power throughout history, once again inextricably linked to one's socio-economic level?