The internet earns a nomination for 2010 Nobel Prize
By Vlad Savov 
posted March 11th 2010 5:54AM
posted March 11th 2010 5:54AM
Isn't Italy a place of contrast? After the country's judiciary slammed Google for failing to keep a tight enough leash on user-uploaded content, we're now hearing that its local version of Wired magazine is putting forward the internet as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its contributions to "helping advance dialogue, debate and consensus." Right then. Just in case you think this is all a bit silly -- and you should -- we're also hearing Nicholas Negroponte and 2003 Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi are both in support of the idea, which has been described as "a Nobel for each and every one of us" by Internet for Peace, an organization set up specifically to promote the web's candidacy. That's a pretty succinct way of putting it, but it also shows what's wrong with the idea: nothing devalues a prize's worth and meaning quite like handing it out to everyone. Just imagine icanhascheezburger.com slapping a legitimate Nobel laureate badge up on its homepage and you'll know what we mean.
Now that they give away prizes to people for things they haven't actually done yet, I'm not really surprised.
@sbutcher
Or at all.......
@POST
am really not surprised ....*back to sleep*
I think we'll be seeing an inanimate carbon rod receive the prize next year.
@sbutcher
After the Nobel Peace Prize turned into a joke last year this honestly wouldn't surprise me.
@AltairDusk Last year? Lol it was a fair bit before that, it was just that this time it was so serious that someone even with a sound mind would realise something was seriously wrong.
@sbutcher
Not surprised, the internet is full of eco-nut, liberal freaks who like to rant on and on about their agenda much like the last winner, and in 2007.
If we win, can we all have a piece of the prize?
@sbutcher
now would al gore get the prize money in this situation? I distinctly remember him inventing the internet...
@Shash450
Are you sure this is what you want? What are you going to do with you $0.09? Don't spend it all in once place :)
@wack
Sure. Why not. His other Nobel prize was just as lame!
After all, he invented global warming, too.
@sbutcher
I think they mean the "World Wide Web"
The internet != World Wide Web
gah....comon guys why am i the first people to call this out
@wack
I think it should be put to use furthering the internet...
or to create internet 3.0...
first person to create a working alternative wins the money :P
@sbutcher I can't wait for 4chans reaction
This is like TIME magazine naming "YOU" as person of the year. Absurd.
@sbutcher YOu know who should get a Nobel Prize? Carrots. They are very tasty and full of vitamins. Something the internet is not.
@sbutcher As stupid as this is (yet hilarious in the essence of all that is lulz), it would be the best way for the internets to revenge last year's travesty.
@(Unverified) if that rod be a nanotube, I think it should.How about an inanimate carbon-based lifeform? Like Jerry Springer's viewers?
@sbutcher
I know, right? Thank god that never happened before Obama's. Nope. Never.
you know, a whole nation includes people who think in different ways. it's like saying "isn't germany a place of contrast ? it's the nation who gave power to hitler, now we're hearing einstein was born there."
sad that a 2010 tech blog is still filled with prejudices.
@echoes Come on, they are giving an nobel to the internet, which runs on keyboard-playing cats, technovikings and porn.
you know, a whole nation includes people who think in different ways. it's like saying "isn't germany a place of contrast ? it's the nation who gave power to hitler, now we're hearing einstein was born there."
sad that a 2010 tech blog is still filled with prejudices.
@echoes sorry for double post.
@echoes
u mean triple post?
and dude, get a sense of humor. downranked.
@bricktop i have sense of humour, but this time the entry didn't make me smile. and sorry fot triple post. does this count as a quadruple post ? if it does, i'll add a quintuple.
@echoes Actually, both were of Austrian birth
@echoes Is it just me or am i hearing echoes....
@Jordaan Ulm is in germany.
At least you made me copy/paste that abysmal example. Linking to it might have forced me to un-favorite you.
If the Internet wins, can I put this on my résumé like I do with TIME's 2006 Person of the Year?
@Vulcanus
Only if you are awarded an internet by a peer. In this case, I award you one internet for your clever resume building skills.
Skynet accepts the nomination with humility
@mschipperheyn Funny, I instantly thought the recipient would be Al Gore.
@beestee Al Gore is Skynet. Skynet is Al Gore
@mschipperheyn
Skynet will become self-aware the nanosecond it is given the prize. After all, it needs to make humanity "peaceful" does it not?
Good thing Wired isn't in charge of giving out Nobel prices then?
Btw, this would be even more stupid than when Time named everyone person of the year by putting a mirror on the cover.
There's no doubt in my mind that icanhascheezburger.com should get the Nobel Peace Prize. Just imagine - if you could sit down all the peoples of the world in front of it at the same time the cuteness will overcome any and all differences, grievances, disagreements and whatnot, and world peace will commence :D
Ok, who exactly gets the prize? It'll go to some organization or set of organizations. I seriously doubt they'll be sending everyone with an email address a check.
I could see them awarding the prize to some of the internet's main innovators (which will be a mess btw) .. but the internet itself?
There is no way to award the internet a prize .. what will end up happening is some supposed non profits will get the money.
The whole purpose of the award is to reward individuals making a major contribution to world peace. By defocusing the prize it undermines the original goal of the prize. So if the internet wins .. it means EVERY internet user must get a check .. not some chairty that claims to advance the internet.
Anyway since we've run out of people to nominate, I propose we award one to the cell phone next year, following that .. the automobile, and then we can give one to language. Yes, anyone who communicates with a language gets a check. Why not?
@JS Ok, who exactly gets the prize?
- Al Gore again, obviously.
@Pizzicato Bah, beat me to it :-P
@Pizzicato
Didn't he create the internet? Just like he created the global warming crisis by giving speeches next to the thermometer at every major weather station on earth. The largest coal plant never produced so much hot air!
@JS Tim Burners Lee
@JS This awards translates to "We are not giving out money this year"...
I'm pretty sure that BY DEFINITION, a Nobel Prize can ONLY go to a LIVING PERSON, so this will not be happening.
@darex
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - 2007
Grameen Bank - 2006
International Atomic Energy Agency - 2005
United Nations - 2001
Médecins Sans Frontières - 1999
International Campaign to Ban Landmines - 1997
Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs - 1995
You really ought to look up things before trying to pass of inaccuracies as fact.
@Sarig This is what I was taught in school. At least in terms of Science Prizes, I was taught that it has to go to a living person(s).
I worded my post such that it was my "belief". I never stated it as fact, and you are only listed "Peace Prizes", if I'm not mistaken, so Mr. Smug, now I'm going to down rank YOU, for being misleading.
Why don't you guys ever follow up on stories like that google Italy thing?
The Internet, nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize? Do the dudes at this wired magazine not know of 4chan's existence (that's like rewarding pedobear for his actions).
About those so called contributions:
1. Helping advance dialogue - I had no idea l33t sp34k, lol, and rofl were such great contributions to the world.
2. Debate - Yea, flame wars definitely deserve a peace prize.
3. Consensus - Yea!! The masses of the Internet definitively agree to disagree.
I Like the Internet, but it's pros just don't outweigh the cons (optimistically it's 50/50 between the two). Well, I guess if you stay away from any social interaction whatsoever, you might see the Internet differently, but the Internet minus social interaction is not the Internet. I mean, how else are you gonna tell a guy to kill himself for trying his best to entertain others on Youtube?
@Cyrs
Yeah, when I read this, all I could think about was Anon winning a Nobel Prize. Worst (or Best?). Idea. Evar. Can you imagine the memes?
@remotecontrolled by far the best idea evarzzz