The Franklin Time Machine

     Benjamin Franklin built a time machine.

     This is probably not true, but it can be fun to think about.  He was a pretty bright guy, inventive and open-minded.  He could have done it if he really focused on the project.  Instead, he spent his time writing, making social commentary, tinkering with other stuff, and flirting with French women.  He started libraries, fire departments and hospitals.  He invented a stove and swim fins.  He fought government corruption, stood up for the rights of women, slaves and the poor, and helped found a new nation.  That guy was all over the place.  Imagine what he could have done with all that energy focused on just one task.  Perhaps in another reality, he did just that, and he made it work.  I'd like to think that he'd have a good time cavorting through the ages, watching the way societies and technology change while people remain basically the same.  Being about as wise as he was smart, he'd be able to observe without making too much of a mess of things in the 4th dimension, too; So don't assume he's not out there time-hopping right now (or whenever.)

     Now suppose Mr. Franklin turns up on your doorstep one morning, and you have the honour of showing him around your little piece of the 21st century.  What modern wonders or experiences would you include in your tour?  Don't worry about culture shock.  At this stage, he's been time-travelling a bit, so he's more curious than anything.  Do you suppose he would be flattered that the money with his portrait is worth 100 of Washington's?  He'd probably be happy that the United States had survived it's first couple of centuries and was even on good terms with England again.  Of course, there would be disappointments, but he's wise enough to know things are always evolving.  After his early experiments with electricity, maybe he would enjoy seeing the fruits of that tree.  You could take him to a night game at the ball field or maybe a movie.

     When the discussion comes around to the computer, how would you explain the internet in a way his 18th century mind could absorb?  You could start from the ground up, detailing the progression of technological advancements and describing how the computer works, how it "thinks" and transmits information.  You could relate the history of their use, how they came to be common household appliances, and how the early connections between universities and scientific institutions gradually developed into a "world wide web" of people in all walks of life.  But what does that really mean, he'll want to know.  The internet and by extension, other types of e-communication, are more than just data sharing or a vehicle for commerce.  There is a social component as well.

     So, in your description, would you focus on the positives like sharing ideas and art, or would you warn of the negatives like false information, the tendency for opinions to become battles, or the general decline in civility?  To really capture the phenomenon, I think you would have to impress him with both sides of it.  Maybe the simplest way to say it would be that the internet environment is like a big room accessible by anyone through the portal of a computer.  One can imagine it as an open house, a party where all sorts of people mingle.  A guest is as likely to end up in a meaningful philosophical conversation as they are to bump into a guy wearing a lampshade.  It all depends on the corner of the room you happen to wander into.  There  will be those who think clearly and speak with care, and there will be others who say what gets the most attention, what appeals to their desire for the dramatic or what rumors seem juiciest.  People talk off the top of their heads all the time at parties, and the truth in the conversation isn't always a priority.  Add that this party has the anonymity of a masquerade, and you end up with some guests picking fights or wrecking the place because they don't have to deal with consequences.  Even those without intent to disrupt may unintentionally offend.  A joke or one of the aforementioned hasty opinions might get misunderstood or taken too seriously without the benefit of social cues in body language, expression or intonation.  That's what happens when you show up with a gorilla mask and a smart alecky mood.

     Yes, Ben, it's a volatile environment, but where else are you going to be able to mingle with the whole world?  And we're learning.  It's all new to us, too.  These interactions can't be treated just like face-to-face ones.  They require more patience.  They task us to try a little harder to understand and to forgive an off-the-cuff comment that in "real life" would be said and gone, but here, carries more permanence and exposure.  In time, people will be less awkward at this party and make more of the connections that make a memorable event.

     And maybe, if you ask him nicely and promise not to tangle up the 4th dimension, he'll take you in his time machine to peek at where this party's going.

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