The Wall ©

At the edge of the NeXT town, where dead startups sleep,

Sits a man, worn and grey, with dark secrets to keep.

His name is the Tech-ler from the dot-com boom’s peak,

And he’ll tell you of things that the billionaires won’t speak.

There stands now a Wall, towering and tall,

That nobody climbs over, no, nobody at all.

Why the Web World, once so open, so free and so bright,

Is now locked behind gates, sealed very tight.

“Sit down,” said the Tech-ler, “I’ll tell you the tale,

“Of the Web World that once let all dreamers set sail.”

“It started,” he said, “with a genius named Tim Berners-Lee,

He discovered this world, and he gave access for free.”

‘Come explore this new world!’ Tim said with delight,

‘There is room for everyone, all day and all night!’

…

So Steve, a young pioneer, had an idea for this world (a really big dream),

He dialed up Hewlett-Packard (impossible now, it would seem!)

He asked for the founder, as bold as could be!

And you know what happened? Mr. Hewlett answered! For FREE!

No gatekeepers stopping, no assistants who screen,

No payments required, no walls in between!

‘Come in!’ said the founder, his arms open wide,

‘I’ll show you these wonders! Come step inside!’

…

‘I’ll give you supplies and I’ll draw you the maps,

I’ll teach you to navigate all of the traps.

For helping young explorers discover new ground

Is the greatest business that I’ve ever found!’

So Steve learned and tinkered, and he built something new,

With help from the pioneers who taught what they knew.

He called it an Apple (not fruit from a tree),

But a compass! A tool! For explorers like you, and like me!

The doors had been opened! The trails were made clear!

Each new adventurer was helped by a generous pioneer.

For this was the way in that time, before The Big Wall,

The old explorers had no problem answering each call.

But the Takers, they called them, the early explorers who came,

Saw all of that richness and claimed it as their own domain.

‘Look here!’ cried the first one, with eyes full of greed,

‘This gold shall be MINE! All mine! Yes, indeed!’

…

Jeff built something new—an outpost, a shop called a site,

He sold to the settlers from morning till night.

And soon he grew richer than anyone dreamed,

With billions of dollars that endlessly streamed.

…

“But wait!” called Bill, “There’s plenty for me!”

He trekked through the Web, so wild and so free.

With help from a guide who had charted the ways,

He too made his billions in just a few days.

…

Later came a ‘Mo, Larry, and Curly’ unlikely brigade,

Who didn’t need any genius to get themselves paid.

They just used spare rooms from anyone at all,

Claiming “Totally safe!” - then dropping every safety ball.

But then something happened, greed grew like a mold,

The Takers grew fearful, ’There’s too many!’ they told.”

“There’s too many winning!” the first Taker cried,

“They’re using OUR pathways! OUR knowledge! And even OUR guides!”

You see, the mentors, the teachers, the generous pioneers,

Who had opened the pathways and inspired their peers.

Had dreamt of a world where this knowledge was shared,

But once the Takers made their billions ... they no longer cared.

…

‘I’m the Oracle!’ one boasted with fierce self-conviction,

‘I’m the Amazon!’ said another, proclaiming his massive dominion.

‘I’ll rebrand the genius of Tesla!’ another said with a sneer,

‘The younger generation will never know of Nikola, never fear!’

…

“We must,” said a Taker, “protect what we’ve founded!”

Those standing behind them were shocked and astounded.

“Wait, the Web World opportunities were meant for us all!“

But the Takers acted like gods who would never fall.

…

They forgot nervous Steve calling on that fateful day,

They forgot how kind-hearted Mr. Hewlett helped pave his way.

They forgot all the mentors who personally answered their calls,

And so they decided instead to BUILD UP THE WALLS.

“BUILD WALLS!” they all agreed with terrible glee,

“So nobody else can have this wealth, except for you and for me,

We’ll max it at four, er- five, maybe six, OK ten,

But no more! That’s final! No more AFTER THEN!”

…

“No longer,” said the Takers, “will we answer the phones.

We must ignore young bright minds that approach close to our thrones.

No more will we share any of our ways!

No more will we teach like they did in old days!”

…

“Unless they have GOOD IDEAS we can take for our own,

Then we’ll schedule a meeting, and put on a kind tone.

We’ll smile as they share all their hopes and their plans,

Then build it without them, with our money and brands!”

So they built, yes they built! Oh, they built up their Wall!

Great barriers of entry that blocked out them all.

And if you were a girl? Well, the Wall grew more tall,

They’d make sure that women had no chance at all.

They denied outside contact and locked every door,

Then paraded their riches while others stayed poor.

…

Then they lobbied and lawyered with tricks and deceit,

Ensuring that no one else could ever compete,

Or access that wild Web World, where they’d started from scratch,

Where helping hands gave them their very first chance.

And the poor folk, they scraped, saved, and struggled,

But the Walls were too high, and their voices were muzzled.

With tolls and with fees and with licenses locked,

The Takers grew richer with wealth that they stocked.

…

They took advantage of workers who fulfilled their commands,

Who created and executed each of their new phony brands.

“Your data!” they cried, “Is worth billions, great metrics!”

But you? You get nothing. No payment. No credits.”

…

So the poor grew still poorer, and the rich richer yet,

And the Wall around Web World set like cement.

“We’re too IMPORTANT,” they said, “and busy, you see,”

“Too genius to give away the secrets that we got for free.”

“And that,” said the Tech-ler, his voice growing thin,

“Is how the big Wall keeps the Takers within.

Or rather keep OUT all the dreamers who might

Have built something wondrous and shining and bright.”

…

“But surely,” I said, “there’s a way to break through?

A crack in the Wall? Something someone could do?”

The Tech-ler sat silent for two minutes, or three,

Then pointed one finger directly at me.

…

“The Wall,” he said softly, “was built stone by stone,

By Takers who forgot they wouldn’t have succeeded alone.

By people who’d gotten a hand up before,

But slammed shut, locked up and bolted that door.”

…

“But Walls, they can crumble when people unite,

When they stand up together and fight the good fight.

When they lift up each other instead of compete,

When we all work together, THEN the Web is complete.”

…

Life isn’t a ladder you climb rung by rung,

It’s a web of connections you’ve built one by one.

He reached in his pocket and pulled out a seed.

‘This is for you,’ he said. ‘It’s all that you’ll need.

“Don’t feed them your clicks! Don’t give them your time!

Don’t buy what they’re selling or pay them a dime.

Invest in yourself. You too can do great things!

Don’t let them diminish your worth or clip your vast wings.”

“For The Web World was made for the many, not few,

And its magic returns when we share, this is true.”

So I took that small seed and I gave it a name,

Reminding me that all of us are the same.

…

And I knew in that moment what I had to do:

Plant CONNECTION with others and share this with you.

I named the seed Freedom. I water with care,

I invite you to join me, to explore if you dare.

…

Freedom from manipulation! Freedom from control,

Freedom from forced addiction that swallows you whole!

Freedom to think for yourself, to create and to thrive,

Freedom to live in peace together, truly alive!

…

The End