What we can do, however, is to try to create a system and community in which people can impact outcomes as closely as possible in proportion to the degree they are affected by them. For this question the analogy between the Internet and a highway is pretty apt. The width of the road corresponds to what is called the bandwidth of the internet lines. If there are too many cars for the roads' width at some point, things can slow to a crawl even though your car is all gassed up and ready to fly. Same thing with the Internet.
Web pages are generally passive.
Forums and News Groups are places where folks can engage one another in discussion. Sometimes it is light and chatty. Sometimes there are in-depth exchanges or debates that develop ideas and make real intellectual progress. Information is exchanged, and questions answered. Courses are in forums, also.