“The future, of course, belongs to Internet, – wrote an Italian writer and philosopher Umberto Eco about 20 years ago – on the Internet, the information is shared with countless independent channels, this system does not have a head and is not subject to control, everybody argues with everyone.” It really is a wonderful feature of the Internet, which enables everyone, millions of people, to communicate in the discussion regarding concerning matters thereof.
It is no coincidence that, let’s say, in the Facebook or Aravot.am website, people introducing themselves under their own name or a pseudonym write their comments under the material by this-or-that personality, “Dear” or “non-dear” This and This, and then they present their sometimes positive, but mostly negative feedback. As if the This should mandatorily read the comment.
Since the known and unknown, illiterate and literate, neutral and interested can write an opinion, it certainly affects the quality of online discussions. But in this case, the number, the accessibility for all is more important than the depth of thoughts and impartiality.
But the same Umberto Eco had also predicted something else. “No one yet has proved that the networks would ever remain headless and would not be controlled from above. Already now (note that it is about 1995 –A. A.), overcrowding and jams are observed on the Internet, and tomorrow, a Big brother would lay his paw on the accessibility of the channels.” The Italian, probably, meant that there are and, I am afraid, they still will be for a long time, autocratic regimes in the world, which will try to put restrictions on the Internet.
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So, yesterday, the Russian Government has issues a decree, according to which, it would be possible to be connected to Wi-Fi in public places only by presenting the passport. In other words, if you want to have an access to internet in a cafe of Russia or at the airport, then you must show the operator your identification document, and if you want, for example, write any critical word about Putin’s policy, then know that your identity would not remain in secret, and if you are an RF citizen, you may have a problem.
Earlier, on July 31, the Prime Minister Medvedev had signed another government decree, according to which, the country’s intelligence services and the “organizers for dissemination of information should cooperate.” The government has imposed obligation over social networks and other popular websites to install special devices for communicating in Russia, through which it will get information about users’ activities by a special service mode.
Once, a Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky has said that the Internet is the weapon that will win the “KGB”. From a long historical perspective, he is right. Advanced technologies enable and in the future will further enable to circumvent the barriers described above. The times when the mentioned institution “was muting” the foreign radio stations, are gone.
And in the short term, it may not produce results. It is up to Russians. Only these barriers are not extended to the Eurasian Union.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
