Martin Luther/Johannes Gutenberg

M. Twain said, "History doesn't repeat itself but it does rhyme". I can't help but think of this, when I compare the effects of our current information revolution to a much older no less profound one.
It began with the use, distribution, and spread of the printing press's spread throughout Europe. Whole new ways of thinking and new novel forms of human organization become possible. In it's own way the industrial revolution was just one of many civilization altering spin-offs of this freer flow, and more efficient storage and management of information. Our modern world wouldn't be possible without it.
Still, it led to a very turbulent time of transition as the existing Church/State structure of western Europe was torn apart, in many cases violently. Martin Luther, was a child of the "Printing Press Generation" he intuitively understood the power of simultaneous mass communication and used it to his ends. Even in the end becoming fearful of the power of what he had, in part, helped unleash. I believe we have again arrived at such a precipitous time in history. Hopefully, this time we can make our needed social and cultural adjustments with less violence than the last one.

((Sorry for dumping my random nerd fest/rant on ya'll, it's just been cooking up for while.))