Twenty-five years ago today, I filed the proposal for what was to become the World Wide Web.
My boss dubbed it ‘vague but exciting’. Luckily, he thought enough of the idea to allow me to quietly work on it on the side.
In the following quarter-century, the Web has changed the world in ways that I never could have imagined. There have been many exciting advances. It has generated billions of dollars in economic growth, turned data into the gold of the 21st century, unleashed innovation in education and healthcare, whittled away geographic and social boundaries, revolutionised the media, and forced a reinvention of politics in many countries by enabling constant two-way dialogue between the rulers and the ruled.
There are a few principles which allowed the web, as a platform, to support such growth. By design, the Web is universal, royalty-free, open and decentralised. Thousands of people worked together to build the early Web in an amazing, non-national spirit of collaboration; tens of thousands more invented the applications and services that make it so useful to us today, and there is still room for each one of us to create new things on and through the Web. This is for everyone.
Today, and throughout this year, we should celebrate the Web’s first 25 years. But though the mood is upbeat, we also know we are not done. We have much to do for the Web to reach its full potential. We must continue to defend its core principles and tackle some key challenges. To name just three:
- How do we connect the nearly two-thirds of the planet who can’t yet access the Web?
- Who has the right to collect and use our personal data, for what purpose and under what rules?
- How do we create a high-performance open architecture that will run on any device, rather than fall back into proprietary alternatives?
There are no easy answers to these, and many other questions. Remember though that the Web was built by all of us, and so we all can, and should, play a role in defining its future.
The Latest on: Internet Freedom
via Google News
The Latest on: Internet Freedom
- Internet shutdowns cause ‘incalculable’ damage: UNon June 23, 2022 at 11:15 am
The UN called on countries to stop imposing internet shutdowns or disruptions, warning Thursday that they can have dire and even deadly ...
- Thanks to freedom of online school, 18-year-old graduates as an EMTon June 23, 2022 at 10:52 am
A local 18-year-old was able to become an EMT before he graduated high school, all thanks to online school. Maeson Frymire, who is from Idaho Falls, graduated in May from Inspire Connections Academy, ...
- UN: Internet shutdowns do great damageon June 23, 2022 at 10:30 am
The UN called on countries to stop imposing internet shutdowns or disruptions, warning Thursday that they can have dire and ...
- Husband Leaving Heavily Pregnant Wife To Party at Festival Divides Interneton June 23, 2022 at 7:50 am
Tickets are sold out within hours. You will have a child he's 50 percent responsible for. This sounds like a lovely last weekend of freedom that I wouldn't begrudge him." Others disagreed, arguing ...
- As China shuts out the world, internet access from abroad gets harder tooon June 23, 2022 at 2:48 am
Comprehensive analysis on whom China’s Great Firewall keeps out is scarce; much of the focus on the country’s internet freedom remains on domestic censorship. But many researchers who have experienced ...
- As China shuts itself off from the world, internet access gets harder tooon June 23, 2022 at 2:00 am
Those trying to access China's internet from outside the country struggle with geoblocks, registration requirements and other hurdles to information ...
- Business Associate - Greater Internet Freedomon June 22, 2022 at 8:40 pm
Come join a team of dynamic colleagues and partners who are passionate about promoting digital rights and Internet Freedom! Internews' Multi-Regional Programs Management Unit (MR/PMU) is seeking a ...
- Making Bitcoin Legal Tender In Africa: How CAR Can Find Financial Freedomon June 22, 2022 at 10:58 am
Bitcoin advocates have visited the Central African Republic and offered advice on how the country can best adopt BTC as legal tender.
- The right to bear arms is paramount to maintaining freedom in this country: Letterson June 22, 2022 at 2:01 am
Letter writers defend right to bear arms and call for personal responsibility and criticize a map that removes a Rockingham county commissioner.
- Rogers, Shaw and Quebecor Announce Agreement for Sale of Freedom Mobileon June 17, 2022 at 7:25 pm
The proposed divestiture of Freedom Mobile to Quebecor will ensure the presence and viability of a strong fourth wireless carrier in Canada Quebecor brings an undeniable operational and competitive ...
via Bing News
