"This technology might possibly destroy democracy," Rheingold told the audience. Democracy and its propagation is a fundamental "Rheingoldism." (The term is used by users on the World Wide Web to describe a strong Rheingold observation or position.) "How often can you strike a blow for democracy?" Rheingold asked a group of journalism students over lunch.

"The technology that makes virtual communities possible has the potential to bring enormous leverage to ordinary citizens at relatively little cost ... this latent technical power must be used intelligently and deliberately by an informed population. More people must learn about that leverage and learn to use it, while we still have the freedom to do so, if it is to live up to its potential."

--- Howard Rheingold, "The Virtual Community."