Social Networking has become the new catch phrase of the "cool" people in Internet technology circles. Slap the phrase Web 2.0 on top of that and one may be lead to believe that the species is on the verge entering some new plain of existence. Think I am over stating the case already? Check out noosphere; in short "can be seen as the 'sphere of human thought". The idea here is that with all these social networking sites, services through gadgets, and mashups sites and services we will soon be looking at a day when everyone will know the thoughts and opinions of everyone else.
Twittering, another buzz word to add to your social networking vocabulary list, is the idea of hyper blogging. That is, logging every moment of your life online. Now if we could get al-Qaeda to buy into all this business; all though I'm sure Nancy Pelosi and gang would pass some bill against US intelligence and investigation departments from reading blogs.

The reality, as I see it however, is a step back as far as this 'sphere of human thought' goes. To illustrate the point let tell you about the good old cyberpunk days of the telecommunications. Time was that people used news groups and bulletin board systems to discuss ideas in a open forum.Forums in which users would present ideas, arguments, points and counter points any topics; trolling aside. Now don't get me wrong, I realize that forums through out the Internet are a dime a dozen; news groups are still there, you maybe able to even find public BBSs still in operation here and there. What I'm getting at here is the trend toward making these cyberpunk etiquette obsolete. Now you can just give your opinions for all to see without reproach in your own little blog kingdom. The appeal here is obvious, especial if you are tired of arguing over red versus blue issues that have been kick about since time and memorial.

I do worry about the younglings though my friends. Its not enough that these kids (as defined by anyone borne after the release of Windows 3.1) are subjected to this notion that all ideas are valid and should be respected, except of course any ideas from the Republican party which should just be dismissed outright. This respect thing is killing the sphere of human thought. We, humans owe the progression of our existence to the prevailing ideas of good, beneficial, productive thoughts. Its not just enough to check your thoughts against your own mind if you want a 'sphere of human thought'. Blogs and many other social networking tools are not and invitation to debate. In fact, after looking at some of the Facebook applications that proclaim to be debating tools you see that the biggest one "US Politics by Facebook and ABC News" you see how anti-thought these social groups actual are. In the US Politics app, for instance, questions are presented to users and they can vote and comment on them. Vote and comment, is that what this sphere is going to be, one big opinion poll? Polls, presented and formatted by media groups?

Probably a long stretch going from blogs that are suppose to be owned and controlled by the author being the king of his or her own realm evolving into one big Groupthink. However I submit to you this is the very definition of 'sphere of human thought'. If there are more people out there that like the color blue over the color red then you simply don't mention that you like the color red. Everyone assumes since that no one mentions the color red then everyone likes the color blue. If you happen to mention that you do like the color blue then there is obviously something freakish about you since no one else does. And what about those poor fools that just can't decide or explore the possibilities over blending two or more colors? Don't be a freak, the choice is obvious, blue.

But, you might think, we can add comments on blogs, track backs, our own blogs; this is open thought publishing is it not? No, it is not. First unless you are like me and run you own web site you do not have carte blanche (pardon my french) on what you publish, as it can be removed if it offends. Even if you do own and operate your own site your ISP can still pull the plug on your connection on the Internet and those connecting to it. Perhaps you are fortunate enough to be placing on you blog, or community page, or social group, exactly the content that you want to be putting up there. Happy are you? Think for just a bit on who exactly is it that is viewing your stuff.

I am seeing more and more of these articles warning these social networking fools that think they just can put any old thing they want to out there on the Internet (their blog, Myspace, Facebook, etc): Employers snoop on Facebook, Employers scrutinize Facebook profiles are a few examples of the articles shown in a quick search. It's called cyber trawling, well not officially but I think when it's called anything by anybody it will be called cyber trawling or simply trawling. The fact of the matter is that there are an estimated 44 million US point and clickers out there doing the Internet thing. Anyone likely to be viewing your stuff is either a friend (hopefully they are in the incriminating photos with you), your family, or you guessed it, someone that screening you for some reason; a job, blackmail, litigation, or to get some other edge or scoop on you. Little personnel good can can come from any of these scenarios.  So what happens here as far as the future of mankind in the sphere of thought? I think the outcome is all to clear to those of who are observers of human nature.

Those that fail to comply with the social norm will be shunned and shall not get the booty call; a form of Cyber Darwinism if you will and thereby the completion of global groupthink.  Perhaps people somehow develop a complete immunity and detachment from what information comes into them with no moral objective or evaluation; this of course will leave the remaining majority of the population to be controlled and eventual eaten by communist cannibals. And finally, the remaining people social networking, able to know everyone's whereabouts, thoughts, and goals and at given time; with in four years, that's right 2012, for we as a species have become completely board with each other; as most of the postings involve cannibal recipes and no one is willing to risk a booty call; we will see a global logoff. Unfortunately we will realize that in this time all the Cheetos, HotPockets, and Pizza Roles are gone, not just from the fridge by the computer but everywhere. With no food the remaining will sadly spend the rest of our days waiting for the communist cannibals to take them to the farm and wondering why our web hits were not greater then they were. Was it something we posted?