Ask YC: How would you describe the Internet to someone who has ZERO computer knowledge?

What about the availability of instant, practically free communication?

The internet is a way for me to do these types of things on a computer with other people, observing and interacting with their abstractions and letting them do the same with mine. Often, this creates an opportunity to make $$ because maybe I or others have or can come up with information and other stuff that is valuable or desirable to someone. It also provides ways of finding out about what people in general are thinking, doing, making, and wanting.

Of course, many forms of media also function similarly, but often more slowly and with less integrated ways of communicating. Take YouTube, which combines ad-driven and searchable video with discussion and polling in relative "real-time". Without the internet, a broadcast TV network might air a program which allow viewers to call-in to discuss and rate various aspects of the show. However, many aspects are not only different, but asymmetrically so. Here are some of these aspects:

- YouTube viewers register their contributions themselves - little or no effort by the "network" and certainly not the producer/provider - even if the network had someone transcribe the discussion, it would not be available soon or cheaply - ads (which drive so much of the web and so the internet for many) are simultaneous, usually unobtrusive, targeted, and often interactive as well - the act of viewing/interacting on YouTube itself is a contribution (via logging/cookies) which in aggregate and dynamically drives further content/discussion - eventually the network company can focus on advertising and let viewers budget for content :-)

Much of the above applies in large part to organizational use of computer and internet as well, though philosophies of management, security, IP, etc can determine whether the technology is a boon or dongle. Then again, the same could be said for how I or anyone else tries to make use of the technology...

http://www.acme.com/jef/netgems/superhighway.html

"...A highway HUNDREDS of lanes wide. Most with potholes. Privately operated bridges and overpasses. No highway patrol. A couple of rent-a-cops on bicycles with broken whistles. 500 member VIGILANTE POSSES with nuclear weapons. 237 ON RAMPS at every intersection. NO SIGNS. Wanna get to Ensenada? Holler out the window at a passing truck to ask directions. AD HOC traffic laws. Some lanes would VOTE to make use by a single-occupant-vehicle a CAPITAL OFFENSE on Monday through Friday between 7:00 and 9:00. Other lanes would just SHOOT you without a trial for talking on a car phone..."