I got this book out of the library and spent the last week reading it. I wasn't sure about it, considering it was written at the end of the 20th century. The premise of the book is that the children of the Baby Boom are the ones ready to take over the Internet. They are so used to it and so comfortable with it that they put their elders to shame. It is a very positive book which is in contrast with much of what the mainstream media still produces about the Internet. The MSM reports that, you can find the formula for Crystal Meth, or there are nothing but predators using the 'Net and all that stuff. The author, Don Tapscott based his book on observation and conversation with members of Generation-N. He has a webpage based upon his book, it's called Growing Up Digital. One point he makes is that this generation is growing up away from Television, in fact he has one part of the book that refers to the Net as being the antithesis of television. Television is states is passive, you sit there and watch absorbing what ever message that is comihng across.

Now we have the Net and what impressed me was his comment on the interactivity of the Internet, which is active. Certainly many thought the Net would be just television on computer, again one way with very little interaction. He says it's the opposite and all this was written before Blogs and before IM really took off.

He mentions the difference in politics between the two, my generation produced the 20 second sound bites and commercials that do not discuss or articulate opinions but rather simple demonize the other side. Certainly with an election coming in Canada, we will see this, Paul Martin will declare Stephen Harper and the Conservatives have a hidden agenda or they are Anti-Canadian, you know the usual stuff. Generation Net on the other hand believes in interaction, they want answers and not fluff.

If this is true, then this may be a very interesting election. I wrote last time an open letter to Bono telling him how things operate in Canada, visualize an election where Paul faces thousands of very angry U2 fans, who believe the same things Bono does, who believes we need to do more for Africa for example.

I wonder, speaking of the election, if this will be the election in Canada where blogs come to their own, like the 2004 election in the States?

My one 17 year old daughter is very disappointed about the election, she turns 18 two days after the election, she so wanted to vote. She is going to vote Green.

By the way, I'm listening to the the Mighty Q, Bill Waters states if the Liberals are returned to power, he will never vote again. I have to agree. Listen if you think that all politicians are crooks so why bother, then you are letting those who are corrupt win.

More about the election later.

Peace