Module 1: "I'll have a Coke, make it flat please." ---Thomas Friedman

Before I started this book I did not understand the term Globalization fully, I assumed it had something to do with international trade but soon realized in Friedman’s words, in a technological sense, that the world is becoming smaller or the analogy he uses is becoming more flat. Friedman mentions three major events since Columbus sailed the ocean blue, Globalization 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0.

 Globalization 1.0 is an event that Friedman explains had started when Columbus sailed the ocean blue, Columbus had discovered the new world, finding new land, new things to export and new people to rape, pillage, and steal land from and this eventually lead to expansion. Globalization 1.0 created nationalism, at this time every eastern country was pushing to be bigger than its opposition and started showing off the brawn that one another had and how effective each nation could use it in the means of expansion, brawn meaning muscle power or eventually wind and steam power.

On to Globalization 2.0 which spanned from the late 1800 to 2000, a key factor in shrinkage this time around would be the industrial revolution, and eventually the invention of the PC and on to the internet and thanks to the things that made it possible such as satellites and fiber optic cables that span all over and around our planet today. The major wars of this century or so (as well as the Great Depression) had interrupted this progression but around the 60’s or 70’s it was steadfast onto total shrinkage, ladies and gentlemen there was no blue pill to fix what was happening here. I actually did find it brain numbing to realize that when Clinton was elected president, only government officials had email but once Netscape became a big thing, it eventually was a household thing for everyone to have email and of course companies used this to further globalize and connect around the world which is the major difference between 2.0 and 1.0.

Onto globalization 3.0, this is a time in which we currently are experiencing and a major difference is now, thanks to the internet, I can connect with anyone around the world in a matter of seconds whereas just a hundred or so years ago telegram, which would take days, was the best method to pass on a message of course other than the Morse code which people were quick to replace with the telephone, I wonder why? The difference between 3.0 as to the previous events is character, now with YouTube and others like Facebook, twitter, or even a blog like this, I can broadcast myself to the world connecting with anyone and everyone. Companies also jumped on board utilizing email and creating their own forms of communication. I work for Lowe’s and in the last two years they have created something called connections powered by IBM that much like Facebook or even Canvas I can upload pictures, share, and connect with others in the company in an instant relating to problems and solving them together as an entire company, I myself can connect with any employee even the president and CEO of the company using this tool. That being said I am sure Lowes is not the only company to change, they in fact realize they have to change to stay relevant in an ever changing society, and to better serve customers in many ways including special orders and delivery. Their business model is changing from not only a brick and mortar big box store, but also to a major online retailer to compete with their second biggest threat, Amazon.

The forces of flattening, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the crumbling of the Soviet Union. To Friedman the fall of the Berlin wall was an enormous event that opened up the world and catapulted everyone forward. It seems even in studying history it’s not hard to notice after 1989 the huge leap in technology and communication, and in turn the global economy grew because of this, a sort of ripple effect weakened the communist government above and gave the control back to the people, everyone has a choice and now can learn and share with everyone on the planet (excluding North Korea, but we are working on that) actually that is a funny thought, when or if North Korea joins the pack, will this start Globalization 4.0? I imagine it would pair with another major advance in technology much like the fall of the wall, the discovery of the internet, and a Windows PC in every household.

The story of Netscape and the relation to the flattening process is especially important because it connected those who could afford and purchased a PC. There was a lot you could put down in digital form but with the internet and help from Netscape, it allowed us to share that digital content thus being largely important in launching the digital age, in which we live today.