The great power of the Internet is it allows people who don't know each other... to connect with people with shared interests. The shared interests might be that 'I have a kid with leukemia.' Or, 'I'm a Nazi.' It gives marginalized people more power.
Howard RheingoldCommunicating online goes back to the Defense Department's Arpanet which started in 1969. There was something called Usenet that started in 1980, and this gave people an opportunity to talk about things that people on these more official networks didn't talk about.
Howard RheingoldIf you depend on where the chestnuts are going to be, and where the deer are, you have to be attuned to the outside world.
Howard Rheingold