Author(s)
Source
Newsweek, November 29, 2008
Summary
This short article describes how Internet technologies allow less freedom than before.
Policy Relevance
Security problems with the Internet should be solved by citizen groups of users, so that we do not need to sacrifice freedom to corporate control.
Main Points
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The early generations of Internet technology, including the personal computer, allowed users tremendous freedom and fostered innovation. But this freedom gave rise to many security issues with viruses and other problems.
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As the Internet becomes more popular, these security problems seem overwhelming.
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Today many new technologies for the Internet like the Tivo, Amazon Kindle, and the iPod are closed to user innovation. They are secure, but are less likely to foster innovation.
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Wikipedia offers a model for solving security problems without corporate control. User groups should form to work on security problems without sacrificing freedom.