The Internet’s Hierarchy of Needs
Summary: In this post, I look at parallels between Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the Internet, which could be said to have its own hierarchy of needs. I’ve developed a draft hierarchy that can be used to explore this model.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
In the middle of the 20th century, Abraham Maslow developed the Hierarchy of Needs, a framework that suggested a linear progression of human needs, each of which must be filled before a person could move on to the next. As you filled each need, it became unimportant, and the subsequent need took its place.
If you look closely at this hierarchy, courtesy of businessballs.com, you will see that the progression is exceedingly logical. If someone has no food and no shelter, that will be the most pressing need. Someone is continually afraid for his or her safety will focus more on remaining secure than on self-esteem.
The Internet Hierarchy of Needs
The Internet follows a hierarchy similar to Maslow’s. There are basic needs that must be fed before higher needs can be addressed. If we don’t have computers connected to the Web, if we don’t have any documents online, if those documents can’t be searched and indexed in their entirety and link to each other, then it’s futile to begin a conversation about the Semantic Web.
I’ve drafted my own version of this Hierarchy: the Internet Hierarchy of Needs. I hope this will serve as a starting point for a discussion about how the Internet can fulfill its potential as a tool for serving humanity.
Please forward this to anyone you think might find this interesting. Please also feel free to offer any suggestions in the comments about the order and content of this hierarchy. I know that, collaboratively, we can develop this into a framework that is highly useful and reflective of the actual Internet.
Update: This post has been further elaborated in a series: Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, and Level 5
