What do the former FCC Chairman, the inventor of the internet, and the BBC all have in common? A motley crew, these people and organizations share common values regarding the fundamental freedoms and function of the internet and the world wide web. For thirty years, they have agreed on the role that governments, big business, and the media should play. They believe that the public interest to have free access to information is a basic right to be protected.
Common Values
Tom Wheeler, a former FCC Chairman, and Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the internet, also remind us of the importance of a separation between the internet and the World Wide Web, and of its importance to remain that way. Analogizing the two to a household appliance and the electric circuit upon which it runs, Wheeler and Berners-Lee emphasize the importance of upholding the values upon which the internet was founded: universal access by all, the ability for the disabled and underserved to connect, and a decentralized power structure, placing the power of the internet into the hands of the people. Berners-Lee incorporated a global perspective when he stated that the internet brings together values instilled by the U.S. Constitution and Britain’s Magna Carta, explaining that users of the web should insist on “freedom from being snooped on, filtered, censored and disconnected” (Berners-Lee, 2010).
In his 2012 TEDTalk, Clay Shirky points out similar principles upon which Linux was designed and he echoes the thoughts of many who believe that the power of the internet should be available to all. Universal access, collaboration without coordination, and decentralized power structures are common ideas among computer programmers. These values emphasize innovation and collaboration of the users to develop the latest ideas. The amazing advances in all fields which can and have emerged from people using such an open system is just exactly what the inventor of the internet intended. Shirky (2012) refers to this as “harnessing the invisible college”. Despite the velocity of change that is occurring on the internet and the web, the values underlying the internet arguably should remain unchanged.
Transformational Change is the New Norm
Much is changing in our world as it relates to technology. It sounds trite and cliché, however, if one takes a moment to contemplate the exponential growth of the internet from its birth in December of 1990 to a predicted 44 zettabytes of data in 2020 (Marr, 2015), one can become overwhelmed rather quickly. Such growth attracts the interest of many – governments wishing to monitor people and organizations; businesses wishing to cash in on global markets; scientists seeking cures to disease; and activists wishing to alert the world to social injustice, to name a few.
News organizations are seeking to understand the new world order that has overcome their industry. With the convergence of media, news organizations are no longer defined by the platforms of yesteryear. They find themselves in need of a new breed of journalist who possesses diverse, yet specific skillsets for a digital world. They need programmers who can develop platforms, scientists who understand the basic tenets of research and can conduct research as part of large investigative stories, and multi-media data journalists who are versed not only in the writing styles of newspaper, radio, and TV but who also have digital skills to be able to project their stories via blogs and social media. These organizations must craft a new business model and strategies which employ new tools and requires new org charts in order to survive.
In their article on the Future of the News, Parkinson, et al. (2015) acknowledge a dire need for the news media to find new ways in which to globally collaborate to accomplish its mission and to reach even those in the farthest parts of civilization. Perhaps the Git technology used by Linux programmers could create programs that find individuals across the globe with the ability to step forward as independently contracted journalists and who could research and create local stories. Through collaborative efforts of programmers and Git, tools which in essence could aggregate all local news into one unified platform might be achievable sooner than we think. Other tools utilized by the AP might utilize artificial intelligence in collaboration with big data to craft local stories as well.
Key Dilemmas
Just as overwhelming as its size, there are emerging issues and dilemmas related to the power and capacity of the internet for those who seek to control it. Collaboration vs. control, and public vs. privacy invasion are central to the dialogue among computer programmers, politicians, and media pundits. Although the internet is almost thirty years old, régimes and regulators, programmers and politicians, media and business moguls alike are still learning about the ever-changing nuances of this incredible invention. All in an effort to harness its opportunities. This learning curve has caused several dilemmas across internet users and providers. A battle has started which seeks to protect the values upon which the internet was founded, and it is vital for people to become part of this global conversation so that these values are not eroded by oppressive governments or others seeking to use this tool for personal gain at the expense of the public interest.
Collaboration or Control?
The first dilemma is that of control and censorship at the expense of collaboration and creative innovation. There exists an expectation by citizens that they will not be censored. Oppressive governments are struggling to conceal their misdeeds on the world wide web, given the power it provides to the individual user to broadcast a global voice. Those in power need to be willing to reinvent their model in order to harness the collaborative creativity of those on the ether. In addition, now that the internet has shrunk the distance between people, the idea of community now extends way beyond where people live, reaching to the far corners of the earth to find individuals with common interests and common backgrounds. We have the ability to access ideas from almost anywhere on the globe.
Public or Private?
As data mining techniques become easier and more efficient to use, issues pertaining to violations of privacy arise which causes internet purists to cringe. For example, Nielsen has unveiled a new technology which utilizes strips embedded in its equipment, which recognize and monitor not only the advertisements that run on specific television sets, and those that run on second screens (Lafayette, 2015). Through this software, it tracks the unique identifier to each mobile device, and as such it obtains data regarding the advertisements that are seen on all devices. What makes this new technology somewhat unnerving is the partnership that Nielsen has forged with Facebook to hand over the individual identifiers of its users, such that when the Nielsen data is compared to Facebook users, these numbers can be matched and a more complete profile of the individual can be created. This exchange of data without a user’s permission is another example of the tug-o-war which exists between those who wish to utilize online services without their information being sold for profit. There are those who would state that this is an egregious violation of privacy since Nielsen then utilizes Facebook data to deliver detailed information to its customers (marketers who employ their services).
Closing Perspective: We are seeing a time in which the fibers of the internet fabric are still being woven, and yet some already worn thin. It is time that internet providers and users come to an agreement on the founding values of the internet and agree: the more that the internet of things changes, the more the values upon which it is founded must remain the same. # # #
About the Author: Mary Beth is graduating this spring with a Ph.D. at Troy University in Sport Management, where her research interests involve organizational capacity in sport. She is the Sport Management Department Chair at Pfeiffer University, a liberal arts institution near Charlotte, NC. She has 15 years experience as a Marketing Director for an LPGA tourney, Marketing Director for a US Olympic National Governing Body, sponsorship sales executive for an NBA sports and entertainment property, VP of Marketing and Ticket Sales for a hockey team, and she aided press operations during the 1996 Olympic Games as an Interview Room Manager. Mary Beth enjoys thinking about new ideas and solving business problems.
Follow her on Twitter @mb_chambers or LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/marybethchambersphd
References
Berners – Lee, T. (2010). Long live the web. Scientific American, 303(6), 80-85.
Lafayette, J. (November 30, 2015). 7 things you need to know about Nielsen’s new tool. Broadcasting Cable. Retrieved from: https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/7-things-you-need-know-about-nielsen-s-new-tool-146053
Marr, B. (September 30, 2015). Big Data: 20 mind boggling facts that everyone must read. Forbes.Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2015/09/30/big-data-20-mind-boggling-facts-everyone-must-read/#428cee5317b1
Parkinson, K, Herrmann, S., Kafala, T., Sutton, N., Thomas, H., Thordar, I., Hedley, M., & Scharer. E. (2015). The Future of News: How the BBC is thinking about its future. Retrieved from: http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/28_01_15futureofnews.pdf
Shirky, C. (2012). How the Internet will (one day) transform government. TEDTalks. Retrieved from: https://www.ted.com/talks/clay_shirky_how_the_internet_will_one_day_transform_government
Wheeler, T. (2013). Net Effects: The past, present & future impact of our networks. Retrieved from: http://transition.fcc.gov/net-effects-2013/NET_EFFECTS_The-Past-Present-and-Future-Impact-of-Our-Networks.pdf
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