Rejoice! The Internet now has its own day of celebration, Sept- So, to celebrate OneWebDay, we ex- ember 22nd. pect a wide range of activities. We hope everybody who cares about the Internet
The Internet gets its own special day computer had fallen off and I was sud- will find a way to celebrate OneWebDay of celebration on Friday, September 22, denly able to see new worlds. I realized that is consistent with their views and 2006. That day is called One WebDay. It that distance and time no longer separate interests. I’m looking forward to involve-will fall on September 22 every year here- people on the Internet. Conflicting values ment from AOL to Zhone, and everybody after. It is a day for those of us who de- can coexist. A new kind of citizenship is in between. I’d like to see the Electronic pend upon the Internet to appreciate its possible, not just for techies and policy Frontier Foundation and Fox News in-very existence, whether we keep a blog people but for everybody.” volved. I’d like to see groups organize or a website, run an online business or an to put up free hotspots in their local enterprise that depends on the Internet, parks and business districts. I’m hoping or even if we simply use Internet appli- to see workshops where kids learn how cations in our daily lives. It is a day to to put their pictures on line. I’d like to unite the interests of Internet users and see groups organize to make a Wikipedia telecommunications carriers, Google and entry for their neighborhood. I’m hoping Microsoft, Verizon and Boingo, music there will be online art collaborations, sharers and the RIAA. It is a day, like web design workshops in libraries, and a many other special days, to put aside dai- collection of pictures that capture life on ly concerns and appreciate what we usu- line on our special day. ally takefor granted. There’s even a hand signal for One-One Web Day began in the mind of WebDay. You hold your little finger with Susan Crawford, a Professor of Internet your thumb to form an O, the remaining Law at Cardozo Law School in New York three fingers form a W, and, if it is your City. She describes One WebDay as a day right hand, from the side your whole to, “treasure a resource that has changed hand looks like a lower case D. Yes, it is our lives.” She says that OneWebDay is corny. The OneWebDay team takes the to “celebrate the health and diversity of idea seriously, but not too seriously. the Internet, and to remind people they How will we celebrate OneWebDay? I Susan Crawford reminds us that, like need to work to maintain the values am on the Board of One WebDay, so you’d Earth Day, One WebDay is inherently glob-that have made the Internet a gift.” The think I would know, but I don’t. I have al. She sees One WebDay.org as a global idea for One WebDay came to Professor never helped to create a new holiday be- clearinghouse for worldwide projects, as Crawford on the train home from Wash- fore. Susan Crawford likens OneWebDay a central place to aggregate blogs and tags ington, DC after a contentious negotia- to Earth Day; on Earth Day, there are and wikis to help OneWebDay celebrants tion on an FCC matter. She was juggling no universal ceremonies or rituals. around the world find each other. the conflict in her head, trying to figure People decide what to do to celebrate it. One WebDay is missing one big thing. out how to bring the opposing parties Schoolchildren make posters, others or- Your idea. Visit OneWebDay.org to share to common ground. Then, she says, “I ganize groups to clean up their neighbor- your ideas for how to make OneWebDay looked around at the other people on hood park, still others have tree-planting a success worthy of the Internet itself. the train and wondered if they appreciat- ceremonies, environmental teach-ins and We’ll see you on line on One WebDay, ed how spectacular the Internet is,” and bicycle rides. Toyota offers 15 Earth Day September 22, 2006! V the idea of an Internet holiday came to scholarships to Canadian high school her as an, “Aha!” students. Disney features Earth Day David S. Isenberg ( isen@isen.com) is author
“Spectacular,” is how Crawford de- on its website. Organizations from the of “The Rise of the Stupid Network” and scribes her early Internet experience. American Chemical Society to the Zion a fellow of the Berkman Center for Internet “I had a sensation that the back of the Lutheran Church are involved. & Society at Harvard University.
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