Building an Information Infrastructure is like setting up a complex puzzle. Even when it’s designed for a small area like Kane County, Illinois, it’s still a big task. Imagine trying to create a network for about 4,000 people, which is roughly 1% of Kane County’s population. It might seem small compared to the entire U.S. population, but it’s still a significant number.
You might wonder, “Why do we need another network? Aren’t there already so many out there?” Well, there are several reasons.
Firstly, it’s about ownership. Right now, big corporations own most of the internet, including our content and rights. Having our own network hands our content and control over it back to us.
Secondly, it’s about predictability. Corporations can change or discontinue any product or service anytime they want. While big companies can handle such interruptions, most individuals can’t.
Thirdly, there have been instances where corporations have denied services to individuals. When corporations conspire and decide not to sell or lease their products or services to you or to your business, there’s not much you can do.
But there’s more to it.
No matter how large and rich these corporations are, they can’t satisfy everyone’s needs. In fact, most of us are over-served. We don’t need everything that’s offered to us. We don’t want to connect with billions of people - just a few like-minded individuals. We don’t want to be drowned in controversial arguments due to community rules. We want to keep some people out, not let more people in.
That’s why we need our own infrastructure, our own network. It might serve fewer people, but it will be ours to own and maintain for as long as we need it. This way, we can ensure that our needs are met, our voices are heard, and no one is able hide or deny our opportunities to better ourselves and our own communities.