Accidental vs. Intentional Connections

David Pogue, commenting on the Pangea Day global film festival:

What makes the whole thing so cool is that it’s so global and so wired. In fact, its the wiredness that makes it possible; it never could have happened 10 years ago. The movies were submitted digitally; the broadcast will incorporate hosts and musicians from multiple sites; even a cellphone stream is available for viewing.

Sure, people of all nations have been joined by Internet video before, thanks to a little thing called YouTube. But YouTube joins people without them realizing it; there’s not much sense of community (unless you count the juvenile, raunchy comments), and zero sense of mission or purpose. It’s very unlikely that, after watching some YouTube video of someone putting Mentos into a Coke bottle, you’ll stand up and announce, “I’m a changed person.”