The Search Wars Have Just Begun

[Written July 6, 2005]

“The SEARCH WARS have just begun” I thought to myself, echoing the ominous words of Master Yoda at the end of Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones (“The CLONE WARS have just begun.”)  The Internet or World Wide Web (including mobile technology) is the new battleground for global supremacy and social influence.  What role can we play amidst this land grab hysteria?  THE VOICE OF REASON – can it be heard amidst the noise and endless sea of information?  The devil’s disguises are ever-evolving, knowing just how to prey upon our weaknesses – Vanity, Insecurity, Greed, Lust, Impatience and general Ignorance.  For every internal problem and frustration, some clever enterprise has manufactured a “miracle cure” or “quick fix” that speaks to the Desire within us that will quench our ego’s thirst for stimulation and satisfaction.  It is a Web of information, opportunity, connectivity and interaction – and also, a Web of false promises, corruption and deceit.  Like all other domains of life, this new virtual world, only 16 years old, brings forth both sides of the spectrum – Good and Evil – and all grades in between.  The difference with the Web and prior paradigm shifts is that the level of mass participation and speed of change is far greater than ever before.  [Alvin Toffler’s Future Shock and David Houle’s The Shift Age speak well to the positive and negative impacts of these innovations.]

As it applies to Search Engines [the Web’s primary gateway] and freedom of choice, our best domain and opportunity for free will is now under threat as well.  The big dollars and corporate machine have already caught on, with regulation in the hands of a few super powers (Google, Yahoo, MSN).  Then results do not look promising, as advertising has found a new way to penetrate our homes, lives and minds, down to every last desire.