It was interesting to read about the origins of the internet, especially how it started with the
WELL, which aimed at connecting a small community (Abbe 3). It was interesting to imagine that a
connection that started as a way to get “off the grid” or live a separate life from the rest of
society, ended up being the source of an even larger system that connected the world and now
people are trying to find new ways of living off the grid without necessarily going back to a
pre-technology era.

This novel way of living away from the mainstream internet is what other authors like Edward U
try to explain by showing that there is a way of learning that is much like the web itself,
where people can co-read books or apply the dame concept to other forms like movies(Edward 1).
This is well in line with what other authors like Jenny Odell believe about learning. In her
article, Odell aims to show how thinking, and most of the actions we accomplish are actually
cooperations between ourselves and the things around us(Odell 1). In that way, Edward’s idea of
a knowledge network makes even more sense because people are surrounded by different things and
they will interpret a book, for example, in different ways, giving rise to an even deeper
understanding or more fruitful discussion of the material. This forms an unconventional path to
learning which will design a specific and unique path to learning, that will be shared and
understood by the people who share this connection. This is what Leo Shaw talks about in his
article because each “learning trail” will tell the story of a certain group of people, and it
will truly feel like their own decentralized connection away from the chaos of the mainstream.


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