Is the internet the modern version of the Library at Alexandria?

Question: Is the internet the modern version of the Library at Alexandria!?

Information is gathered from all over the world and brought to one place!. The main difference is that it won't be destroyed by Muslim fanatics like Alexandria was!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

No!. It is its opposite in almost every way!.

Where the Library at Alexandria was a centralized collection, the Internet was conceived and designed as a decentralized collection!.

Where the Library at Alexandria gathered information from all over the world and brought it to one place, the Internet takes a user in one place to information located all over the world!.

Where the Library at Alexandria required scholars to travel to Egypt, the Internet requires a user to travel to his/her desk!.

Where the Library at Alexandria developed its collection actively by purchases, loans and outright theft, the Internet develops its collection passively, as its users load resources onto their servers!.

Where the Library at Alexandria developed methods of organizing and describing its collections, the Internet resists all such efforts!.

Where the Library at Alexandria controlled access to its collections, the Internet offers its service to anyone!.

The main difference between the Internet and any physical library is the difference between centralized and decentralized service!. The other differences (organization vs!. chaos, restricted access vs!. open access) derive from the difference of centralization!.

(And don't be too hard on the Muslims!. Romans and Christians had destroyed large parts of the library's collection long before Mohammed ever wandered into a cave!.)Www@QuestionHome@Com