The Internet as a nation

[Eia]

Random thought fodder.

"A nation is a grouping of people who share real or imagined common history, culture, language or ethnic origin, often possessing or seeking its own government." - Wikipedia

"A nation is a soul, a spiritual principle. Two things which are realy only one go to make up this soul or spiritial principle. One of these things lies in the past, the other in the present. The one is the possession in common of a rich heritage of memories; and the other is actual agreement, desire to live together, and the will to continue to make the most of the joint inheritance.... The existence of a nation is a daily plebiscite, just as that of individuals is a continual affirmation of life." - Ernest Renan

"A portion of mankind may be said to constitute a nationality if they are united amopngst themselves by common sympathies which do not exist between them and any others - which make them cooperate with each other more willingly than with other people, desire to be under the same government, and desire that it should be government by themselves or a portion of themselves, exclusively." - John Stuart Mills

[Aninamar]

With 4chan and porn as our prime entertainers.

[MrsSallyBakura]

So how do we catch the illegal immigrants?

[AllisonWalker]

Spamware.

[Eia]

I hate you all.

[MrsSallyBakura]

Awww, don't hate us.

In seriousness it's an interesting notion. We're wondering how it would work in relation with the kinds of nations we are familiar with. Sort of.

[GcarOatmealRaisinCookies]

To be honest, I'm glad the internet exists because all my friends are here.

I'll probably never in my lifetime ever be able to physically go to places like England, Australia, Ireland... etc, but because of the internet, I am able to chat with my friends in those places.

My friends like,
JesusRocks, Niknnik, Spoofs3, Grimfang, Geminigirl.

to me, turning the internet into a nation makes things a little more homier and pleasant.

[AllisonWalker]

D:
The internetz is evil.

[Alaska Slim]

With 4chan and porn as our prime entertainers.

And these

Our National Anthem (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mSKBgvHdoE)

National Bird (http://www.shirt-fight.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/flipping_the_big_bird_large.gif)

National Flower (http://pix.motivatedphotos.com/2009/6/19/633810307531384060-byakuyakuchiki.jpg)

National Passtime (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmtzQCSh6xk)

National Motto (http://blog.pharmalive.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/o_rly.jpg)

Currently accepting ideas for currency.

[Fat1Fared]

To be fair this is an interesting notion, as it can be seen to hold all the characteristic's of a nation or at least the startings of a foundling state:-

1=A hariarchy (all be it, a fragmented and self-proclaimed one, but meh we we are starting of state and were think the rest started)

2=A shared set of Norns and Values which are constant among travels of the land, but always evolving, even if we are mostly only 3rd and second generations of the land

3=Common characteristic's which we seem to share without being the same

4=Our own businesses, subcultures and even our own criminals o_0

5=Our own trading routes (and if constrain logic, currency)

6=I would say we even have our own language and ethical ideology/dogma

-But alas we lack 3 fundermental things to be a nation:-

1=conceptualization=Though we are a shared group, but because our culture is by the omission of being through computers, one of deconceptualization, meaning we can never make our values into true nationalistic creed

2=We lack a land to call our own, so we are in truth nomad, lost souls on the sea of eternal and everlasting traveled Ethereality

3=We lack the ability to start war, which is the most key and basic need/reason for a nation, sure we fight among ourselves, but we have no army to show self-vindication as a nation and without this we are not a nation, because there is no need for a nation without an army, as a nation is the justification for that army and the army is the creation of a nation

-So what does this mean, we discredit ourselves as anything? No I wouldn't say that, because though a nation we may not be, we are certainly able to transfer these things into what I believe we truly are and that is a commiuty, which is also better than nation in my opinion

[niknnik]

I've always liked how there are certain communities on the internet and how, all together, we continue to make it a better place for everyone. In that respect, yeah, we are like a nation and we certainly work well as one.

The bad point about everyone being grouped under the banner of an "internet nation" is that ISP's essentially "rule" us. As along as we use the internet, we succumb to what they want to do.

Of course, the W3C (http://www.w3.org/) is our government.

[animex75]

i only have one question, who do we conquer first?

3=We lack the ability to start war, which is the most key and basic need/reason for a nation, sure we fight among ourselves, but we have no army to show self-vindication as a nation and without this we are not a nation, because there is no need for a nation without an army, as a nation is the justification for that army and the army is the creation of a nation flame wars, spam wars with other forums, etc.

[Fat1Fared]

Source A

flame wars, spam wars with other forums, etc

Source B

sure we fight among ourselves,

Equal Conclusion C

Comparing flames to real wars is like comparing gang wars to real wars, noninterchangeable

=Though that aside, being a nation means we have to subjugate from our motherlands states and will it be before someone tries to anxe us?

Sally

So how do we catch the illegal immigrants?

Interestingly as the internet is closest thing this world has to complete emancipation and freedom and there is less censorship here than anywhere else, there is no such thing as illegal immigrants here, as we are building on our immigration ideals, therefore the internet is the US 200 years ago, hmmmmm this does not bode well for our future, as we may have ideals of freedom, but will reality let us keep them

[animex75]

Comparing flames to real wars is like comparing gang wars to real wars, noninterchangeable
maybe not, but it's still technically a war, even if it's small and internal

=Though that aside, being a nation means we have to subjugate from our motherlands states and will it be before someone tries to anxe us?
not long, but they should be glad this ain't like movies where the doomsday devices and other WMDs ain't hooked up to the internet, otherwise the nations of the world would be screwed if a good enough hacker came along

[mystra]

2=We lack a land to call our own, so we are in truth nomad, lost souls on the sea of eternal and everlasting traveled Ethereality

The Roma (Gypsies) have no set homeland anymore (depending on the history they did once have one) and are still considered a nation.

[MrsSallyBakura]

Interestingly as the internet is closest thing this world has to complete emancipation and freedom and there is less censorship here than anywhere else, there is no such thing as illegal immigrants here, as we are building on our immigration ideals, therefore the internet is the US 200 years ago, hmmmmm this does not bode well for our future, as we may have ideals of freedom, but will reality let us keep them

Ha ha, interesting point. It's rather overwhelming to think about what the Internet would be like even in 5 years, let alone 200.

I mean, back in 2003, who would have imagined YouTube's existence and influence?

[Eia]

Nation's don't need land to be considered "nations."

Many of the world's continuing wars and political actions revolve around the handful of nations that are landless or in danger of being so, the most famous being the Palestinian/Israeli conflicts.

3=We lack the ability to start war, which is the most key and basic need/reason for a nation, sure we fight among ourselves, but we have no army to show self-vindication as a nation and without this we are not a nation, because there is no need for a nation without an army, as a nation is the justification for that army and the army is the creation of a nation

Organized Cyber attacks. That's at least a declaration of war or a terrorist attack. Also, 4chan. They singlehandedly broke down a site I visit back in 2007 for the lulz.

I started using the internet back in the days of 28k AOL dial-up. It has come a looooong way since then. Google was the starting point. Before then you had to know exactly what you were looking for or rely on a questionable search engine. People made lists of websites for specific subjects and published them in books, of all things. And this is when the v bulletin board system ruled supreme. You bookmarked or memorized specific forums you wanted to visit and posted messages back and forth.

Then came wikipedia. Oh lord. That site. It was so pisspoor and broken down when it first started. The thing crashed half the time. But then it grew, just like it said it would. Where do you go now for all of your information needs? Wikipedia. Before that, schools had set up webpages with basic information on subjects such as science, history, or geology. Many of them have succumbed to obscurity or been taken down completely since Wikipedia's rise. Whether or not this is a good thing, I have no earthly idea.

Then facebook. It wasn't public yet, but it was starting. I hate that site. I hate that now if I want an employer to look at me and not think I'm weird I have to re-activate my account and make my profile professional and public. I mean, really? Fucking really? I turned the damned thing off so that my family members couldn't stalk me. And by stalk, I mean it in the literal context. I don't have the best of relations with my family, and the idea of just posting my information for all to see does NOT excite me in the slightest. Yes, this rant is entirely separate from the topic at hand, but I don't care. T_T

Anyway, social websites started eating the internet up like the plague. And now they rule supreme, creating their own communities, communities within communities, everyone now having a home base from where to expand and create connections.

Five years from now, the internet will be wireless in all major cities. Ten years from now, I'm thinking almost across the entire country, accessible by any computer or cell phone.

Who knows what else will spring up in the meantime.

But what I'm saying is, this "nation" is being created out of a common set of shared beliefs, identities, and general willingness to be part of said community. It's crossing borders, political and religious differences, seas, continents, ideologies...

But it's not crossing financial differences. The poor in developed countries, and almost everyone in undeveloped countries, are missing out entirely.

This bugs me.

[Aninamar]

And these

Our National Anthem (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mSKBgvHdoE)

Definitely not. This is our national anthem (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0) without doubt.

National Bird (http://www.shirt-fight.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/flipping_the_big_bird_large.gif)

Wrong again. This (http://blog.pharmalive.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/o_rly.jpg) is our national bird.

National Flower (http://pix.motivatedphotos.com/2009/6/19/633810307531384060-byakuyakuchiki.jpg)

Who's that faggot? The obvious choice is a clover (http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs40/f/2009/028/b/a/4Chan_logo_by_KingMatheusII.png).
National Passtime (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmtzQCSh6xk)


Wrong again. Our national pastime is this (http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Fap).
National Motto (http://blog.pharmalive.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/o_rly.jpg)

Wololo. This. (http://images.starcraftmazter.net/4chan/inside_jokes/problem_officer.jpg)

Currently accepting ideas for currency.

GETs.

[GcarOatmealRaisinCookies]

animar be careful about posting NSFW links, WITHOUT warnings.

[Aninamar]

Wololo

Hajojojo

[Fat1Fared]

Ok, I wasn't be totally seriously here, but as poeple seem to have taken my comments that way o_0, going to make few points:-

Organized Cyber attacks. That's at least a declaration of war or a terrorist attack. Also, 4chan. They singlehandedly broke down a site I visit back in 2007 for the lulz.

=Cyber terrorism is not war, it is terrorism and petty crime (never thought see those two in same sentence lol)

Nation's don't need land to be considered "nations."

-Ok, though I can see why Wiki's writing staff would have confused you here, especially by bringing in a single quote from Benedict Anderson which over simplifies his otherwise very complex theory. It is right to say that the idea that a nation is a county is wrong indeed, but I can see how from the way it is written it would seem to omit the idea of land altogether and though this is only implied it does one to say that they exist without territory and is equally inadequate and wrong a statement.
=The best way to define it, is to simply say a nation is the social and political embodiment of a county or land

though the Cambridge dictionary version is also nicely and consciously put:-

a large body of people, associated with a particular territory, that is sufficiently conscious of its unity to seek or to possess a government peculiarly its own:

=Basically it is to do with your social and cultural unity with a high regard to political status and legitimacy and that especially in modern world to do with the land that political status holds over.

=Now to bring in poeple like Gypsies of Romania is actually a good example of what I am saying, they are a culture and a ethic race, but they are not a Nation, not the technical sense, there actual nation at fundamental level is where they were born and their technical starting point nation is Romania (though maybe wrong about that) but their way of living is there own culture, which will be a subculture within their nation, not the nation itself.

-And in that same way we are a subculture or within the culture of a group of nations, but not a nation and that is why we are to community, however to be a community in my opinion is better because something more unified, close, personal and pure about a community, compared to a nation.

[Alaska Slim]

Definitely not. This is our national anthem (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0) without doubt.
It can't be the national anthem if our first declaration was to ban it across the board, it would just make it one giant *BLEEP*/404 error.

Wrong again. This (http://blog.pharmalive.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/o_rly.jpg) is our national bird.
Weak.

Who's that faggot? The obvious choice is a clover (http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs40/f/2009/028/b/a/4Chan_logo_by_KingMatheusII.png).
Even weaker and prone to fall out of style within the next two weeks.

Suggested replacement. (http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/evanosnos/2010/01/china-and-google-illegal-flower-tribute.html)

Wrong again. Our national pastime is this (http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Fap).
.... I don't understand, you mean to me tell that fat guy WASN'T jacking off?

Wololo. This. (http://images.starcraftmazter.net/4chan/inside_jokes/problem_officer.jpg)
... I don't know what that is. I'm sticking with the owl, that, or just the maxim that gain more relavance thanks to 4chan (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ignorance_is_bliss).

[MrsSallyBakura]

lol you guys, I don't think this thread is about fighting over what our symbols would be.

[Alaska Slim]

YOU WILL STARE AT THE OWL AND YOU WILL LOVE IT!

... AND WERE NOT FIGHTING!

[Ishikawa Oshro]

If the internet were to become a nation all that would simply need be done would a we-write of the laws.

Same as the U.S "partnerships". because of this "new" and now widely accepted idea legislature has been hard pressed to change laws to "accomadate" how we rule these new cases.

It may take a while but let the fight begin!

[ThePRPD]

It wouldn't work out.

[Companion Cube]

Currently accepting ideas for currency.

Duh, Internets would be the currency.

As far as government goes, I don't really think the Internet Nation could have a structured hierarchical government. The only kind of "government" I could think of that would work on the internet is Anonymous, and yes I know it's not well organized.

[Turtlicious]

http://www.cracked.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/batman.jpg

our symbol or flag i dont care but this WILL BE ON OUR ARMIES