As you know, we're now well and truly in theInformation Age. It began about 10 years ago. In fact,many economists say it began in 1989, with the Fall ofthe Berlin Wall (and the start of the World Wide Web).
To understand who will become wealthy in theInformation Age, first we need to understand how theInformation Age differs from the Industrial Age (bornabout 1860, died about 1989).
In fact, let's get a complete overview and go back tothe Agrarian Age.
In the Agrarian Age, society was basically dividedinto two classes: the landowners and the people whoworked on the land (the serfs). If you were a serf,there wasn't much you could do about it:land-ownership passed down through families and youwere stuck with the status you were born into.
When the Industrial Age arrived, everything changed:it was no longer agriculture that generated most ofthe wealth, but manufacturing. Suddenly, land was nolonger the key to wealth. A factory occupied far lessland than a sheep farm or a wheat farm.
With the Industrial Age came a new kind of wealthyperson: the self-made businessman. Wealth no longerdepended on land-ownership and the family you wereborn into. Business acumen and factories were creatinga new class of wealthy person. But it still requiredenormous capital to build a factory and start abusiness.
Then came the World Wide Web (in about 1989) andglobalization. Suddenly, everything changed again.
Factories (or real estate) were no longer necessary torun a business. Anyone with a website could start abusiness. The barriers to wealth that existed in theAgrarian Age and the Industrial Age were completelygone. People who could never have dreamed of owningtheir own business were making millions from theirkitchen table.
Of course, the Information Revolution didn't beginin 1989.
It began in 1444 when Gutenberg invented the printingpress in Mainz, Germany.
But the printing press (newspapers, magazines,paperbacks) belonged to the Industrial Age, not theInformation Age.
The printing press is a 'one-to-many' technology. TheInternet is a 'many-to-many' technology. And that waswhat changed in 1989.
The Industrial Age was about centralization andcontrol. The Information Age is aboutde-centralization and no control. No government and nomedia magnate controls the Internet. This is thecrucial thing to understand about the Information Age.
As we moved from the Agrarian Age through theIndustrial Age to the Information Age, there's been asteady collapse of the barriers that kept one section ofsociety wealthy and the other section poor.
In the Information Age, literally anyone can becomewealthy.
So now that we have a clearer picture of how theInformation Age differs from the Industrial Age, let'sask that question again: 'Who will become wealthy inthe Information Age?':
(1) People Who are Self-Taught
To explain this better, let's go back to the AgrarianAge and the Industrial Age, and the Transmission ofSkills.
In the Agrarian Age, skills were passed on from fatherto son. If you wanted to learn how to be a blacksmithyou had to be a blacksmith's son. If you wanted tolearn to be a stone-mason, you had to be the son of a stone-mason.
With the coming of the Industrial Age, all thischanged. You could go to University and learn whateverskills you wanted. Knowledge was freely available.
But in the Information Age, the Transmission of Skillsis changing once again.
The skills necessary to succeed in the Information Ageare not being learnt from our parents (as in theAgrarian Age), nor are they being learnt in schoolsand colleges (as in the Industrial Age). Children areteaching their parents computer skills. And many ofthe entrepreneurs who start hi-tech Internet companieshave never been to college.
The millionaires (and billionaires) of tomorrowprobably won't have a college education. They will behigh-school drop-outs, self-taught people.
(2) People with New Ideas.
Again, it's the people who are able to think outsideof the existing structures who will become wealthy inthe Information Age. Often, it's just a Simple Ideathat launches people to success in the InformationAge.
Take Sabhir Bhatia, for example - the man who inventedHotmail. Bhatia was a computer engineer working inSilicon Valley. He had no previous businessexperience, whatsoever.
But one day, while he was driving back from work, afriend called him on his cell phone and said that hehad an idea: What about starting a free, web-basedemail service? Bhatia knew this was the idea he'd beenwaiting for. He told his friend to hang up immediatelyand ring him at home on a secure line.
Three years later he sold Hotmail to Microsoft for$400 million.
(3) Writers
The third group who will become wealthy in theInformation Age are Writers.
In the Industrial Age, Writers depended on largepublishing Houses to get published (remember that theprinting press is an Industrial Age technology - it iscentralized and controlled). And the Publishing Housestook the lion's share of the profits.
In the Information Age, Writers are doing their ownpublishing - and keeping most of the profitsthemselves. Indeed, Writers are flourishing on theWeb - mainly through eBooks and Ezine Articles.But even if you don't write eBooks or Ezine Articles,if you own a website, you are a Writer.
Why?
Because the Internet is basically a written medium. Itfavors writers, people who are able to communicateeffectively through the written word. Remember, it'snot the graphics on your website that sell, it's thewords you use.
In the Information Age, we're all Writers!
------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Southon has been writing for the Internet for over 3
years. He has shown hundreds of webmasters how to use this
simple technique to build a successful online business. Click
here to find out more: http://ezine-writer.com/
------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes -- Envision your life 10... Read More
I counsel a LOT of people about money. I see... Read More
Many people assume that the offshore world is accessible only... Read More
We all go to school for about twelve years, kindergarten... Read More
Endowments and endowment mortgages have received a lot of bad... Read More
I have a good friend who works in an area... Read More
Giving and ReceivingIt seems that people generally find it easy... Read More
From tender age, we were exposed to myths about money... Read More
Why not run a lucrative paper business? Paper businesses do... Read More
Hello,If you dont understand this yet, or have not heard... Read More
As you know, we're now well and truly in theInformation... Read More
There are many wealth creation strategies and investment techniques available... Read More
This 4,000 acre sale (now a marina and resort town... Read More
What is "The Commodity of Kings""Power is simply "the ability... Read More
I am often amused by the ads and offers I... Read More
1. Save up to 50% per month on convenience cleaner... Read More
SCENE 1: Pharaoh has just woken up from a very... Read More
The fact is that most people continue to work for... Read More
Recently, one late winter night, my four-year old son and... Read More
"Any fool can rich, the wise get wealthy." Chris WidenerGetting... Read More
Offshore strategies may or may not be right for you.... Read More
Yesterday we learned that 74% of all wealth is created... Read More
In today's unpredictable global economy, you obviously never know what... Read More
This new way is catching on around the world. People... Read More
Top Investment PerformanceThroughout history, many coin collections have produced substantial... Read More
Why is it that the older and richer people become,... Read More
Not Enough Money?I believe that most people haven't got enough... Read More
In most societies, we are raised to believe in the... Read More
No one has complete control over their thoughts. But with... Read More
Saving money for retirement can be easy or difficult depending... Read More
Financial planning often gets a bad rap. Part of the... Read More
For most of us, the idea of retiring simply on... Read More
There are many forms of investing online. While I can... Read More
Any successful person, or any anyone interested in self improvement... Read More
Financial freedom is the power to do what you will... Read More
So you want to become wealthy? While there is no... Read More
Feng shui coins can allow you, among other things, to... Read More
What if I told you that reading a book would... Read More
Wealth Secret 1 - Decide Your Outcome Right Now.Unless you... Read More
Early in my legal career I represented two young women... Read More
Is accumulating wealth as easy as following a 3-step plan?... Read More
There is perhaps no more important decision than to take... Read More
For most of us, the idea of retiring simply on... Read More
Have you stopped to realize that although you go... Read More
This article focuses on generating cash as a full time... Read More
This retirement account is so new and unique that you... Read More
Self-Made Millionaires are not smarter or better than you. They... Read More
It all begins with a simple calculation.You are home on... Read More
When Ben Franklin said "a penny saved is a penny... Read More
Would you like to profit from your own information empire?... Read More
If you're reading this article, it means you are a... Read More
Okay. So money doesn't really grow on trees. Unless you... Read More
I am often amused by the ads and offers I... Read More
You've been thinking that your financial life could probably be... Read More
U.S. Supreme Justice Louis D. Brandeis"I live in Alexandria Virginia.... Read More
Money can be your servant or it can be your... Read More
Bottom line. No exaggeration. No hype. If you want to... Read More
Every day you work is one day closer to your... Read More
There are few things in life that are more stressful... Read More
We will start the Financial Fitness System with the assumption... Read More
The word 'diversity' is a unique one. It can represent... Read More
Ever think about how eating all those fast food meals... Read More
How many people search Google, Yahoo and MSN each day... Read More
Like I said, If you are poor and on social... Read More
Have you seen a picture of the Parthenon in Athens,... Read More
Despite what you may have read or heard, anyone is... Read More
Wealth Building |