Four Horsemen

I participated in a graduate seminar, as a student, around 1999. I forget the exact topic of the course--media and values, or some such title that may have pleased Neil Postman.

What I recall about the course was reading about how the Internet was marketed. I recall four distinct value propositions that, at the time, were being touted as what the Internet would bring for the common folk: education, community, employment, democracy.

I'll be brief.

Education: the idea that everyone with a computer would have access to information and learning.

Community: the ability to create distinct and unique communities, to connect with other like-minded groups.

Employment: not only job training (a branch of education), but also finding work--work itself--would be enhanced by way of Internet technologies.

Democracy: finally technology arrives to enable the masses to participate more fully in our democratic processes.

Has the Internet delivered on these four promises?