The Future of the Internet and How to Stop It
Yes, even we were getting tired of that Indiana Jones marathon on TV. So, we ventured online to find something entirely too geeky for a Sunday afternoon. The Future of the Internet and How to Stop It is a presentation Harvard Law School professor Jonathan Zittrain gave at Princeton near the end of March.
He begins by covering early 20th century "sterile" technology like tabulation machines that were rented by the census bureau. The machines didn't encourage any sort of innovation. Next he talks about "generative" technology like the internet and modern OSes where anyone can build whatever they want. The final step is the more recent move to what he calls "tethered" technology. These are the systems with upgradeable firmware where devices can ship with unfinished features and remove features after the consumer has already purchased the device. He uses the iPhone as an example of this walled garden that could hurt innovation. Watch the video for his thoughts on this new world and how he thinks it could be fixed.
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Reader Comments
(Page 1)2. So it's not how to stop the internet? Just the future? Nuts. :p
Posted at 8:38PM on May 11th 2008 by Skyler Orlando
3. why's he keep walking across the room? lol
Posted at 9:33PM on May 11th 2008 by tjhow
4. Nervous habit and to maintain focus in the audience.
Posted at 10:20PM on May 11th 2008 by J
5. Really diversified and interesting talk.
Posted at 10:31PM on May 11th 2008 by jeff
7. how do you do it? Become a criminal and hack the devices you own. Open them, make it do something that ANGERS the company that made it and publicly publish full details on how to do it.
Places like Hack a Day will become illegal underground sites as these corporations buy more and more laws to oppress you.
but hey, I need that new Shiny item from Sony. My freedom is worth less than a new SHINEY!!!!
Posted at 10:00AM on May 12th 2008 by fartface
9. All you need is one power switch...
http://www.turnofftheinternet.com/
Posted at 7:00PM on May 12th 2008 by DarkFader
10. I got about 7 minutes in to it before i had to shut it down. He's an intolerably bad presenter.
Posted at 9:42PM on May 12th 2008 by Mike Wilson
11. The guy is not only cool, but smart, weird for a lawyer :)
I didnt really like his "compromise". It sounded like he liked the iPhone SDK and the general idea of DRM infested appliances .. as long as the "good guys" have the DRM keys (apple/google).
Posted at 2:17AM on May 14th 2008 by rasz
13. spreadsheets in google documents automatically saves revisions even as you go that you can go and look through
Posted at 1:50AM on May 16th 2008 by cartufer
14. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEsmw7jpODc
Posted at 7:56PM on Jun 28th 2008 by dracosilver
15. I didn't think he was that boring. I thought he was a great speaker. He put his thoughts into speech really well and I thought he had some very insightful ideas to share. Even when put on the spot he gave relevant and entertaining answers.
Posted at 6:02AM on Jun 29th 2008 by Jamesy
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1. that pretty awesome dude, neat look at the future
Posted at 6:59PM on May 11th 2008 by Jack