Just what is the Internet?
World of Ends is an interesting essay on what it is and what it is not that suffers from being too sure of itself (that geek RTFM tone that is so annoying and so often wrong.)
Still, clearly structured set of talking points including, “2. The Internet isn’t a thing. It’s an agreement.” Exactly, it is agreed upon formal protocols that are open so anyone can build things that work with other people’s things.
The twist to this article is why so many people mistake what the Internet is. The authors concentrate on how business (telcos) keep wanting to turn the Internet into something they understand and can make money off.
I think the real reason has to do with the fact that many people talk are talking about a cultural phenomenon when they talk about the Internet. They are talking about something that some people pretend they know about – a subject of knowledge that many feel excluded from by the geeks (who then charge us for their advice.)