Hooray! Time Magazine Has Nominated Us People of the Year

Whether you agree with the fact that you are a person of the year or not, you've been elected. In fact, just for reading this article, you've proved yourself worthy.

Time Magazine's selection may at first seem a cop-out, but after a careful understanding of their reasoning and motivation, it begins to make a little more sense.

The basic influence of Time's decision comes from the ever growing use of the Internet. Whether it is for scientific, work, or leisure purposes, it certainly has altered the way that the world's citizens live. Rather than continuing to be individualized and separated, everyone, or at least the broad majority, have converted and contributed to the ever growing use and implementation of websites, web feeds, and other on line tools.

It seems that the trend has only continued to grow as most workplaces and even families have their own personal websites as a way of connecting with people in an efficient, fast, and inexpensive way.

Not only has this immediate connectivity allowed citizens to connect with each other on a more regular basis, it has broadened the span of privacy. The Internet revolution has in its own strange way, allowed patrons and surfers to build community and put themselves out there. Whether this has been through written reviews of movies and products, face book and My Space profiles, public blogs or random cam-corded recordings, the Internet has developed into a method of sharing and self-expression.

Freedom of speech and self-expression has reached an all out height, and the world is ready for it. The very notion of voicing your opinion and idea on nearly any topic, situation, headline, or moral debate has received response and increased public response. Rather than remain silent and let the bigwigs handle the world's issues, people are speaking up, they're fighting, and they are respectfully submitting their opinions in an educated and influential manner. Some of the time anyway.

It is true that there are millions of bloggers whose spelling errors and lack of reason in their opinions is enough to make us question what these people are thinking. Overall though, the new form of expression and open right is exactly what millions in previous generations have hoped, waited, prayed and campaigned for.

It may not be the ideal system, as so much information is lost in the shuffle. The video tapings listed and produced on this website for example, are sometimes less than extraordinary. However, the fact that so many global citizens are getting on board and expressing themselves through the newest waves of communication, is evidence that the cry of humanity for greater community and relationships has been heard. People are chatting, blogging, writing, reviewing and video taping in record numbers.

Not only are "we" content producers expressing ourselves, we're changing the way each other think. In the age where a public blogger of any race, creed, professionalism and age can influence and shape the way people think about a given topic, maybe "we" need to be a little more careful.

Record numbers of people have posted their opinions and views on the war and several other political issues. Their postings have influenced and even led to changing opinions of other citizens who may be of a different generation, race, profession and age. This kind of communication and influence has previously only existed in a hierarchal form.
However, the wave of communication seems to have switched gears to more of an equilibrium. In other words, 'you' are just as important as the research analyst. 'Your' opinion has just as much power to influence, persuade, and offend.

Congratulations on your efforts, contributions, offensive opinions and language, and overall openness to communicate with us. We appreciate your time and energy that you have devoted to making the world a more open place. While sometimes we wish the boundaries were not quite so unestablished, we can see that this step towards a more globally open style of communication may benefit us. It's those research analysts who may be in trouble!