âLong Live The Webâ Response:
In reaction to Tim Berners-Leeâs piece âLong Live the Webâ, I feel conflicted as to his position. Although Tim is the one accredited with the invention of the web, I feel he does not understand the geopolitical implications of his invention to its fullest extent. As he highlights in the piece, his goals for the web was to levy a new medium of communications, where common rights were to be respected under this medium. The principle he speaks of, universalism, is one that I believe to be inherently flawed and a form of the decentralization that he has been seeking for his invention. This is seen in his commentary on monopoly restriction and open-sourced programs. His dream seems to mimic (to me) a similar socialist dream of shared resources.
The main components of his plan encourage creativity, while also simultaneously limiting the control of big companies. Essentially, because the web is âlimitlessâ in a sense, he believes that we will be able to expand and make room for all the appropriate users. By utilizing this environment, there will be ample space and time for everyone to create a semi-utopia. This means limited government involvement, self-regulation, Free Speech, Information.. etc. I would, however, argue that there are fundamental political issues stopping these goals from being achieved. First, we must consider current styles of business management in place, as well as the subjective sense of what might be ârightâ in different areas. Although the web may be able to connect different areas of the world, it is not the web itself acting, but the user in the area that is connected. The web cannot fix many of the issues that we currently have. In an analogy, the web is not the one who brings over aid to a country. It is the people who communicate, who organize, and deliver aid supplies and volunteers to the country. Although the web presents itself as an almost instantaneous method, it works in tandem with many less efficient systems. Because of this, many of the methods of monopoly-style control can be utilized to pressure the dream that Tim Berner-Lee has. Therefore, although we can consider the benefits of such a system laid out, the rules that have been thus established in the trading and political economy will not allow for such a system to come about (at this moment). However, I will say that this world that he describes is an ideal that we can work towards.
âA Network of Fragmentsâ Response:
Ingrid Burringtonâs piece reminds me a lot about user interaction with the web. Although we interact with it, most of the actions we perform on the platform are very surface based â nonsubstantial. Many of those who use the web are unable to read or write code, unable to create â we are illiterate by todayâs standards. And yet we are still able to perform basic functions like navigate sites, read directions, look up news, and all the other ways that we were able to before the internet â now in the palm of our hand. Most of us are oblivious to the functions of the internet, and therefore stand as passive users. In this case, we find the internet to be a cause of concern in some cases. Some parents take away cell phones in order to limit the âdamageâ that it might cause children. They believe that being addicted to such an enormous databank of information is a detriment to their education. In some cases, they even believe that the information stored in a cell phone would replace the reality that we have in front of us.
To such an end, the internet seems to have qualities similar to that of a devil, or a succubus â a dangerous persona that would seek to take away our better qualities. However, it is interesting to take the time to understand it. When we think about it, it is simply many data â centers, microfiber cables, and people working to connect the world we live in. In that light, I can only see parents who shelter their kids from their phones as a makeshift boundary from entering the adult world unprepared.