Ajit Pai

How Corporations Get to Own the Internet

Technology, , ,

Once upon a time, governments were major stakeholders in most large-scale technological and scientific ventures. Such projects were either built directly by the government, or by companies in which the people had a lot of say. But all that is far behind us. Now-a-days, government isn’t exactly “the people” anymore. And now, it’s corporations who build the telecommunication infrastructure for tomorrow.

I find it rather sad that as I’m typing this, I am pondering which is worse: having my digital life in the hands of corporations that will exploit it however they see fit, or (/and?) allowing governments to keep encroaching on our privacy and freedom? It’s becoming harder to distinguish between the two, especially as corporations have proven time and again that they can easily buy government.

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Reddit Place - A Birth Of Art

A Birth of Art

Inspirational,

More than a bit of time has passed since April Fools’ Day 2017, but this year there was at least one fantastic initiative that has to be remembered. Reddit launched an amazing 3 day experiment it called Place. You can see it and read all about it in this excellent article.

Stuff like this fills me with hope for the future of humanity. We’ve made it a long way and we sure can make it much further than this. What I see in Reddit’s Place is a snapshot of the Internet’s intellectual health, which I consider to be extremely important for our future. Things seem to be not as bad as I thought and this is wonderful.

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The Internet Diagram

The Internet Is 25 Years Old

Recommendations, Technology, , ,

Few discoveries have changed mankind so much in so little time. Even fewer have their future in as much doubt as the Internet. Even though the Internet is still technically open and anybody’s public thoughts can be accessed, it doesn’t mean that worthy information can actually reach the people that need it.

Search engines have become gate-keepers of sorts while social networks transform themselves into walled gardens. Mobile apps are also filtering out the open web into cute little boxes where companies keep their users enthralled.

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The Internet Diagram

The Uncertain Future of the Internet

Recommendations, Society, , , ,

As one of the most, if not the most powerful force for change, the Internet’s future is a cause for concern. In the past decade, governments and corporations have increasingly encroached upon our freedom and privacy. These entities will use every possible excuse to rein-in the transformative power of the Internet.

As more people get connected, the Internet is becoming a mirror of our society. The good, the bad, the beautiful, the horrible, we can all find it online. Our society isn’t perfect. Regulatory bodies are using this aspect to motivate various restrictions as being “for our own good”, this being one of the age-old excuses that our masters have used when trying to deprive us of something.

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