One of my Oxford Professors, Jonathan Zittrain, was on the Colbert Report last night to promote his new book ‘The Future of the Internet and How to Stop It’. He was just as lively and good humored as he was in the classroom, and his book brings up some interesting points.
Essentially, the book explores how the internet is transitioning from a loose and free playground to a patchwork of walled kingdoms and bespoke devices where applications and content can be centrally monitored, blocked, and manipulated.
For example: why is iTunes only compatible with the iPod? Doesn’t that lock out innovation in music and video devices? Similarly, the iPhone is a closed garden where only Apple approved applications can run. Even then, they can be scrapped at Apple’s command, just as iPhone unlocking software was blocked by code in one of Apple’s endless updates. Is your Tivo really your own if a company thousands of miles away can erase content without your permission? How about that Xbox? How much privacy and control do you really have when you’re tethered to Microsoft?
Seeing Jonathan on Colbert reminded me of just how extraordinary my time at Oxford was.
http://futureoftheinternet.org/
