So I've been entertaining a thought due to the state of the internet and recent events that I decided I'd share with HN. Is the internet a microcosm for all of humanity? Consider the history of the internet and the history of humanity.<p>In the beginning, everything was open. There wasn't much governing the internet, no powerful forces. There wasn't much structure. This was like precivilization. Small groups in different pockets of the world.<p>Then came an age of powerful closed empires, AOL & Yahoo, monarchs or dictators that controlled information and wealth.<p>Then everything became open: Google, and the rise of open source. For humanity, this happened at different points for different civilizations: The people revolted and there was chaos. People got their freedom but didn't always know what to do, which led to civilization today.<p>Psuedo-Democracy. Most nations claiming democracy are still ruled by special interests to varying degrees. The successful ones satsify the average user/citizen by being free enough on the surface. It's the age of Apple & Facebook.<p>As far as a thought exercise, this may be a bit of a stretch for some, but if you could entertain this thought as well, what happens next?