Stardate 20010613.0538 (On Screen): Many kinds of entertainment in other media will be changed forever by the coming of the web, because the web gives voice to the audience. If, thirty years ago, some pundit said something offensive on the air then the people offended by it could grumble in their homes but they really couldn't effectively
organize to express their displeasure. Now they can, and political organizations can be created with blinding speed. Someone can create a web site proposing some point of view (even
quite unusual ones), and collect an audience of like-minded individuals in literally days. If enough agree and care enough, then working together they can then reach and influence those who have the ability to make changes — like, say, boycotting advertisers to get some particularly obnoxious loud-mouth's show cancelled. (Heh-heh-heh...)
This political and economic effect of the web is only beginning to appear, and it's going to have profound affects on our culture in the future. (discuss)
