Module 1

In the book, The World Is Flat, the author, Thomas L. Friedman, describes three different stages of Globalization. The first is Globalization 1.0, which takes place between 1492 and 1800. During this time, entire countries were tiring to figure out how they fit into the global community. Globalization 2.0 occurred during the 1800’s through 2000. This was a time when companies were deciding how they could fit into the global community. Finally, Globalization 3.0 started in 2000 and continues through today. Now, it is individuals who are trying to find their placed in the global community. Friedman does and excellent job at pinpointing certain events that shrunk the vastness of the world, and the people in it. Up until the Industrial Revolution, countries were making money and defining themselves by how much land they owned. After the Industrial Revolution (1800’s), the money started shifting towards large companies and corporations.  This continued until computers and the Internet were common household items, like a television (2000). Now, any person can make money or have their 15-minutes of fame thanks to the Internet.  

Freidman continues to explain how the world “became flat”, meaning that people can communicate and collaborate thousands of miles part. We are no longer separated by distance or oceans. Thanks to inventions and concepts such as the Internet, teleconferencing, and outsourcing, we have become a “single global network”.  There are ten events that Freidman claims led to this “flattening of the world”. The first is the fall of the Berlin Wall.

 On November 9, 1989, Germany started tearing down the Berlin Wall. This event was not only important for the unification of Germany, but it symbolized the destruction of solidarity and a move towards global communications.  Once the wall was gone, people were able to think for themselves, and share these ideas freely. Services were not longer developed because a higher power said it should be done. They were now developed because the people had a demand for it. The Berlin was a mental block that prevented the free flow of ideas from one individual to another, and from one corporation to the next on a global scale. This “free thinking” lead to the discovery of the home PC and increased a sense of empowerment.

The second event that flattened world was the invention of Netscape.  By the mid-1990’s, many people had uploaded digital content to the Internet. Unfortunately, there was no real way to navigate through all this information.  Along came the invention the World Wide Web, and people now had a way to find individual pieces of information. But what really launched the Internet to what it is today, was the invention of Netscape.  Before Netscape, most Internet users were scientists or computer programmers. Netscape was the user-friendly way to surf the World Wide Web. And because it was so easy to use, it opened the door for more and more people to upload digital content.  It allowed for companies large and small to place product online and reach people everywhere. It provided a basic platform for sending emails between servers, providing better communication around the globe.  Netscape provided the groundwork for all aspects of Internet based programs and functions.

The World Is Flat is quite interesting! I am old enough to remember a time without the Internet, but still young enough that I do not know the origins or how it took off with such speed.  I have honestly never thought about how the Internet has affected our growth as a global community before, but Friedman has me look at everything thing that I do on a daily basis. I do feel that the beginning of the book was a teaser about outsourcing, which I am interested to learn more about.