It’s a fact, winner takes all. The top three megasites on the internet (Yahoo, Google, and MSN) each get seen by about 30% of all web vistors. Between the three of them, they control what the vast majority of internet users see, their browsing information, and their email accounts.And that is a recipe for trouble.

Each of these companies are building and run massive datacenters. They’re investing millions (billions…?) in the future of a centralized internet. Each wants to provide your email service, your scheduling service, your office experience, and basically every service possible over the internet. In order for this to be possible, they’re buying up and creating supercomputers capable of storing every document you’ll ever create, every email you ever write, and every video or picture you post to the net. Do you see a problem?

The biggest problem is the one most people refuse to look at. With government’s history of illegal wiretaps, illegal internet backbone snooping, and just all around disregard for the law, a datacenter containing millions of people’s every document ever written or photo ever taken is just too good for them to pass up. And they don’t even have to go through the process of signing a law to force everyone’s every word written into a mega database. All they need is a homeland security wiretap from a judge on Google’s datacenter, and wham!, they’re snooping legally on millions of users. Scary.

Or, just as dangerously, a government entity decides a certain segment of information (democracy, for instance) is dangerous to its citizens. It blocks the big sites from presenting any news unapproved by the government and creates a firewall to stop any other potentially threatening sites. This is already happening. (China)

In the coming years, there’s going to be a huge need for decentralization of information on the internet if freedom of thought is going to persist. The internet was built on Open Source and freedom of information via peer to peer software. If it’s to remain a beacon for freedom of speech and expression, we’ve got to start supporting smaller search engines, and build a more distributed internet. The concentration of information can only lead to abuse.

There are solutions out there, like the Freenet, but what do you think is the best way to combat the centralization of information on the internet?

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“He was convinced that, left to himself he would have long since achieved nirvana… dived into his belly button and disappeared from view, like those Hindu jokers. Why couldn’t they leave a man alone?”
- Stranger in a Strange Land
The next day there was a party, of course. I was with my close friends, and when you’re with friends there’s always a reason for celebration. They started drinking at 2:00 PM with a keg and a whole lot of hard liquor. I decided I would supervise, and make sure no one got into trouble. I also didn’t want to get on my bike hungover the next morning and die from heatstroke and Florida drivers.

So they partied and I watched and ate a lot of food. Quinn’s dad is from New Zealand and is always talking about New Zealand oysters. I have to admit, those little green guys are damn good, if a little intimidating. We threw horseshoes and I went swimming in the canal behind their house. I guess there was red tide, because there was more than one dead fish floating by with a swolen belly.
Nightime came and went, and it was time for me to leave in the morning. I got off to a quick start, but then realised I made a wrong turn. I went about 5 miles in the wrong direction. Turned around and ate at a pizza place for breakfast. Bad idea, it was an instant stomachache.

But I pedalled on, and by 5 o’clock I was in Sarasota, at the big mall. I had to pee so bad that it felt like I was going to puke. I ran into the mall, didn’t even lock up my bike, and searched frantically for the bathroom. It didn’t help that I didn’t have my contacts in, and couldn’t really see at all, and that I smelled and looked like pure hell. I walked by some department girl who had that Paris Hilton look, probably six feet tall, and she gave me the look. On any other occasion I woulda turned right around and started into the routine, but god, I had to piss more than I needed to think about any looks.

So I found the bathroom, found the truest meaning of relief, and then ran back out to my bike and called Zack. He gave me directions to the skatepark and to his house.

The Sarasota skatepark is rediculous. Team Pain is always building massive concrete skateparks, designed to save your soul every time you step on a skateboard. The park’s central features were a 10′ pool and a megahuge bowl with walrides everywhere and a 10′ elbow with pool coping and oververt. Pure death, in other words.

The locals are the park were cool though. It’s always a flip of the coin when you come to a new park, whether the locals or cool, or just a bunch of little kids (under 12) pushing around. These guys were just having fun, doing benihana flyouts and just rocking and skating, the way it should be. No shit talking, just shredding.

It got dark and I peddalled a quick 6 miles to Zack’s house. He was lounging in the jacuzzi when I pulled up. Hell yea. Perfect way to end the day. Jacuzzi soak and then a pizza and a movie. Next day back in the saddle. Thanks Zack.

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