# Howard's advice to Korea's cyberspace generation

- Author: Joichi Ito
- Date: 2003-03-13T03:59:50Z


Alexa shows us that of the top 5 websites in the world, 2 are Korean and they rank above Google which is 5th. Korea's new President is a self-proclaimed Internet president. Howard Rheingold sends the Korean cyberspace generation a message. The message has four main points, the first one sounds almost like it was written to me. ;-) Although his message is to the Korean cyberspace generation, his points are broadly applicable and are very relevant to the emergent democracy discussion.Howard RheingoldFirst, do not mistake the tool for the task. The democratization of publishing, communication, and organizing that is afforded by PCs, the Internet, and wireless mobile devices is indeed an important tool for grassroots activism. But it is the knowledge, intentions, and actions of people in the real world — where ballots are cast, political decisions are made, wars and demonstrations take place — that empowers democracy. Netizens must have more in common than their technical expertise in order for them to conduct discourse rather than flame each other, to act collectively in the physical world rather than sit in front of keyboards and type all the time. Long-term political organizing is hard work. 





---

#### Categories

Emergent Democracy