N is for Networks

I didn't really know what to write for this post. But I knew I had to write it to stick with my one post a day thing. Today, and recently, I have been experiencing a terrible writers block. I stare at the screen and I just don't know what to write. Maybe I fear that what comes out will be terrible, maybe I fear that I'll discover I can't actually write - I don't know. I've been doing my huge essay for English Coursework (A-Levels) and, as my previous post shows, I was having a major breakdown over it. That was, until I realised that I had been forcing myself to write and now I realise that doing that will only make it harder. I went to my Dad's house today to get some help on it and I realised that all I needed to do was to write while speaking to somebody about it, so that it truly came out in my words...and then it was fine, until I was alone again.
Anyway, this little story is here to say that this post may not be my best because of this little crisis I've had, but I might as well try, so here we go:
N is for Networking.
There are many different types of networking:
- Underworld (criminal maybe?)
- black markets
- Modern day Internet: the spreading of ideas through facebook (student riots, for example)
because I have noticed the tendency to use a sort of black market in many books (especially fantasy). The Hunger Games, my new favourite, has it's black market (called The Hub) and Trudi Canavan's The Magician's Guild has an underworld of sorts. (In fact, JK mentions Mundungus Fletcher using the black market a lot). Maybe I could have one myself?
The black market links to the underworld because of the people who work there -  they all seem to know each other and to, in a way, understand each other's motives, plus, a message can go through the black market really quickly.
I love the idea of the underworld - a place in which the only people who can enter are those who know where to go. A secret world which only applies to certain people. I also love the idea of secret societies - the mystery draws me in: worlds of secrets.
A modern day example of networking, as mentioned above, can be seen from the student riots in London this Summer. The events were purely organised through facebook...






Do you not find it odd how we all know what this means, yet all it is is a little 'f' symbol?






In the olden days, such stories and events would spread through word of mouth.
I've been thinking, in my book, I could use an underworld or secret society of sorts who spread rumours, harbor major secrets, know the knowledge of magic etc.
Now I know I've gone a bit of a rant about not much here, but I think it's a thing to think about: how did the modern day networking malarkey come about?
First of all, to get the back story, watch the film The Social Network. I haven't actually seen it myself, but I know it's all about the creation of facebook.
Here's a small piece of knowledge for your ever-learning brains:
In 1990, Tim Berners-Lee developed a system to simplify navigation on the Internet. In time, this system became known as the World Wide Web. It didn't take long for some people to mistakenly identify the internet and the Web as the same thing. The Internet is a global interconnection of computer networks; the World Wide Web is a way to navigate this massive network. In sailing terms, it's like comparing an ocean to a ship.
So there you go. I tried, and went on a bit of a rant about what ever I interpret networking as. This is more of a thought-shower of random ideas so I hope it makes sense!
M. x - still struggling with writer's block.