"Silicon Valley: The Second Wave"

rticle Title: "Silicon Valley: The Second Wave"
Author: Craig Lock
Category/Subject: Internet Marketing, Internet, WWW
Web sites: http://www.craiglockbooks.com and http://www2.webng.com/write
z/

This is a slightly updated version of a letter of mine published in Time Magazine some time nback sharing some thoughts, which may be of interest to your list readers. (It was in response to their feature on "Netrepreneurs") and may be freely published. n *

"Silicon* Valley: The Second Wave"nn* or perhaps should be more appropriately re-termed "Silly Con Valley"

"The next information revolution is well under way...It isnnot a revolution in technology, machinery, techniques,nsoftware, or speed. It is a revolution in CONCEPTS."n- Drucker, 1998 n
"Money is what fueled the industrial society. But in theninformational society, the fuel, the power, is knowledge.
One has now come to see a new class structure divided bynthose who have information and those who must function outnof ignorance. This new class has its power not from money,nnot from land, but from knowledge."n- John Kenneth Galbraithn
"The future belongs to those who apply knowledge withninnovation and resourcefulness to find new paths - innbusiness and in life." n- Craig Lock and Bill Rosomann
As we all know, the Internet revolution is evolving at a dizzying npace. What we see today can be history next year or even next nweek. Five years from now the Internet will be quite different nfrom that which most of us can imagine.

The vision of a "nerdish" future with a dash of Gordon Gecko Wall
Street greed and a touch of youthful creative imagination and nenergy is one that excites us in "sleepy, far-off" New Zealand.
It's a vision my 'cyber-partners/pals' and I, as budding netrepeneurs cherish nand have fully embraced - one whereby the small guys in ngeographically isolated communities like us, can take on the nworld and the major players on a relatively level playing field, nexcept (in most cases) for miniscule advertising budgets.
However, start-up venture capital for "high-risk ventures" is nstill a big problem here in New Zealand, because, unlike in
Ireland, Czechoslovakia and other forward-thinking countries, nthe government here in "Godzone" has been relatively slow to nembrace the technological revolution (though they are now ngetting on board - perhaps an impending election had something nto do with it!).

The "technological revolution", electronic commerce and the ninformation age could be just the recipe the world needs for a nlevel playing field of socially responsible capitalism - one in nwhich smaller countries and "the little people" with imagination n+ vision can take on the corporations and the giant countries, nlike the US and Japan...if only the conservative money-lenders, nthe banks embraced the same vision and stopped lending umbrellas nto budding netrepeneurs when the sun's shining and asking for nthem back, as soon as it's starts to rain.

The successful cyber entrepreneur of today could well be the nequivalent of the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Kennedy's, Paul
Getty's and Henry Ford's of yesteryear, especially in the new
ENTREPRENEURIAL (nice big word) AGE, which I believe, is even nmore important (and a more appropriate term) than the ninformation age.

What you do today could repay you a hundred-fold tomorrow...and nthere is just one rule: As the Nike ad says, ... "Just do it nwith all you've got"

Finally...and most importantly,

Success and happiness lie in the jou
ey, the 'way of travelling'... and not merely arriving at the destination.
So...

Be happy and ENJOY the ride ("wild")

Craig Lock ("Infopreneur, Information and Inspiration Distributer")

"Life is about finding, then following the dream... andnone's dream/vision comes to reality through believing innyourself, making the commitment and then creating it."

"Do not follow the well-beaten track of others towards success -nlike the rainbow, it is often an illusion always just beyondnour reach. Make your own path and let your spirit blaze anbrilliant trail towards the pot of gold, the prize for thengift - one that is uniquely you and YOUR successful jou
eyndown the mysterious and magical river of life."n- Craig Lock

About the author
Craig is following his path of being an "'internet npioneer/infopreneur' in the vast unchartered world of ncyberspace". Craig's mission is to encourage people nto believe in themselves and help inspire people naround the world to achieve their goals and dreams in life,nwhatever they may be and have fun along the jou
ey.nhttp://www.craiglockbooks.com nhttp://www2.webng.com/write
z/

THIS PIECE MAY BE FREELY PUBLISHED