Replicator molecules (DNA) and replicator HTML have one thing in common - they are both packaged information. In appropriate context (the right biochemical "soup" in case of DNA, right software application in case of HTML code) - this information generates a "survival machine" (organism, or a web page).

The Semantic Web will only increase longevity, fecundity, and copying-fidelity or underlying code (in this case, OIL or XML instead of HTML). By facilitating many more interactions with many other web pages and databases - underlying "replicator" code will ensure "survival" of "its" web page (=its survival machine). In this analogy, web page's "DNA" (its OIL or XML code) contains "single genes" (semantic meta-tags). The whole process of life is unfolding of a kind of Semantic Web.

In a prophetic paragraph, Dawkins described Internet:

"The first thing to grasp about a modern replicator is that it is highly gregarious. A survival machine is a vehicle containing not just one gene but many thousands. The manufacture of a body is a cooperative venture of such intricacy that it is almost impossible to disentangle contribution of one gene from that of another. A given gene will have many different effects on quite different parts of body. A given part of body will be influenced by many genes and effect of any one gene depends on interaction with many others...In terms of analogy, any given page of plans makes reference to many different parts of building; and each page makes sense only in terms of cross-reference to numerous other pages."

What Dawkins neglected in his important work is concept of Network. People congregate in cities, mate, and reproduce, thus providing genes with new "survival machines". But Dawkins himself suggested that new Replicator is "meme" - an idea, belief, technique, technology, work of art, or bit of information. Memes use human brains as "survival machines" and they hop from brain to brain and across time and space ("communications") in process of cultural (as distinct from biological) evolution. The Internet is a latter day meme-hopping playground. But, more importantly, it is a Network. Genes move from one container to another through a linear, serial, tedious process which involves prolonged periods of one on one gene shuffling ("sex") and gestation. Memes use networks. Their propagation is, therefore, parallel, fast, and all-pervasive. The Internet is a manifestation of growing predominance of memes over genes. And Semantic Web may be to Internet what Artificial Intelligence is to classic computing. We may be on threshold of a self-aware Web.

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Sam Vaknin is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East. He is a columnist for Central Europe Review, PopMatters, and eBookWeb , a United Press International (UPI) Senior Business Correspondent, and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory Bellaonline, and Suite101 .

Visit Sam's Web site at http://samvak.tripod.com

Does that mean my website will never make it? I don’t think so. I will work on important things and pay attention to credible things. Mike’s efforts and words will stand test of time. I am sure of that. Gimmicks will come and go. I may not be making best of what seems like “the magic bullet’ but I will work to improve aspects that will stand test of time.

Does that mean it will take longer to rank well? Maybe, but once it gets there, it shouldn’t quickly go away simply because some gimmick that I utilized has been banished. It should stand test of time!

Will I take more pride in my accomplishment? Definitely yes. I realize that in this day and age of competition that “pride” may not be a factor. It is all about money and “do it fast”. I still believe there is a place for pride. And to repeat Mike’s words “put some content in your website”. I bet it will bring more return viewers to your site. If they have found something of value, they will return to it.

Let’s get it back to Pride and Quality. Let your investment Stand test of time!

Tom Henricks