My Application for the Mozilla Foundation

I began my application to the Mozilla Tech + Society Fellowship before realizing I didn't fit the criteria. I did spend some time thinking at a very high level about my vision for the internet, so I thought I'd share it here.

What is your vision for the internet as a global public resource?

My vision for the internet, or really the web, is a high-bandwidth network for consciousness itself. Right now, our online experiences are primarily mediated through low-bandwidth means—two-dimensional screens and two-channel audio. This diminishes our potential for connection. I see a future in which our societies are completely reshaped to be based not on geography, but shared values. This is already happening now, but the previously mentioned low-bandwidth nature of our current technology precludes the deep social connection that's possible with in-person communities. The internet is our best hope, perhaps our only hope, for a high-bandwidth globally distributed network of humans.

How would being a Mozilla Fellow help you to advance that vision?

Being a Mozilla Fellow would allow me to start experimenting with how one might use current technology to create rich, cohesive communities online that rival those that can be found in-person.

A bit overwrought, perhaps, but I think that's what these applications call for.