Dave Winer in his post entitled The Internet as "idea processor".
You need a village to raise a child, and you need an Internet to fully develop an idea.
This is a great comparison and as soon I saw it, it reminded me of something else. Imagine a bunch of families all spread out along a valley, all working on their own to build their homes and raise crops to help them survive and sustain themselves. Yet with each season they realize that it is becoming more and more difficult to sustain themselves. Then one day a few families bump into each by the river and start talking. They realize that if they work together instead of each working alone, they’ll be able to sustain themselves as a group much more efficiently. So they gather together and create a village by the river. Over time, with each family now focused on helping the community as a whole instead of just themselves, the entire group of people prosper and sustainability is easily achieved.
Now can you see how this idea or approach can be carried over to the Web as well?