[TSVIDeo]

The Net has been co-opted into being just another extension of the same information sources as the other mass communication vehicles. The intense concentration of search rankings has resulted in the "bigger voices" (moneyed interests) gaming the system so that the same views found on TV, radio and newspapers are reinforced online, concentrated into the top results. I'm tempted to blame Google, just for being so dominant.

While we do still have some measure of independence in terms of net neutrality, the fact is that small independent voices are less and less likely to be noticed, especially in areas like pop culture and politics. On TV, it's Fox vs. MSNBC. On the Web, it Huffington Post vs. a range of righty sites.

Those cool "lone blogger" voices in the Web wilderness of just a few years ago have been absorbed into the mainstream for the most part, just as MMOGs have moved from quirky sideshows to corporate money-makers. Sure, there's still room for outsiders, but only the truly net-savvy will rise into easily found search results, ensuring they will be left to find their audience in the ghetto of social networking (which will be the next cool tool to be dulled into blandness).

So yeah, Pekka, you're right. The corporate oligarchy has taken over, and will decide what news, views, and entertainment is fit for first-page Google rankings. And yes, we can all look forward to a less-informed, more homogenized future as a result.

Thanks for bringing this up. It reminds me how pissed off I am.