Just some late-night thoughts on the internet. Not terribly profound. A technological development such as the internet is a tool. As such it can be used well, or badly; for good, or for ill. From my perspective it has given me a chance to establish a career in something I enjoy and have a degree of aptitude for. It gives people with something to say a voice.

For all its red buttons and supposed interactivity, television remains a one way medium. The internet is a conversation. Therein lies its power. We are told by television (and the printed media) that a certain wine property is the top dog - we can discuss this among ourselves, and come to our own conclusions. As some wine journalists (who style themselves as experts on global wine) have found to their cost, there are consumers out there who, because of their specialism, know far more than almost all journalists about certain wine regions. For so long, journalists have been pronouncing to a dumb public. Now this public have found their voice, and it turns out they are not so dumb after all.

Passion is powerful, and the internet gives passionate people a voice. This is percieved by commercial enterprises as being quite threatening. Traditional marketing is also scared of this effect. The marketing world has been turned upside down by the subversive power of the internet, and I wonder whether this will initiate a backlash. If wealthy people stand to lose through the new-found power of electronic communication, you can be sure that because of this influence, politicians will soon be interfering with the free exchange of information that the internet currently affords. I hope that this won't be the case, but I fear it might be.