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.

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.

Then came an age of powerful closed empires, AOL & Yahoo, monarchs or dictators that controlled information and wealth.

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.

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.

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?