Now to wrap up the conference. Where do we go from here?
In the spirit of Nesson and Zittrain, we are posing the big questions, and less the answers, for the future of the Internet.
- What are the limits of the scope of research at the Berkman Center?
- How is Berkman going to take the academic work that can be uniquely done here, and apply it to the real world, for the people for whom the power is held? (coming from a Google person)
- How is money going to change the scope of this environment? How can we focus on the legal aspects when so much is dictated by money?
- Lest we forget, 3 billion people are still not on the Internet, an their society must not become invisible.
- The Berkman Center has inspired new centers in the developing world. We should study how the things developed here have changed in the derivatives.
- How egalitarian is the net? How egalitarian should it be?
- How do we balance the power of gatekeepers of the Internet?
- More attention should be dedicated to security and crime on the internet, from a social level.
- Is the Internet public? If so, then what? (public as opposed to commercial, like water or roads)
- How do we handle Internet communities?
- How are we going to deal with another billion users online?
- How can we bring Berkman thought to the mainstream?
- How do we move governance and journalism to a “we” from a “they”?
- Safe to say everyone here loves the Internet (a la ROFLCon). In ten years, how are we going to love the Internet?
- What have we learned from the birth of the Internet, and the ways we have chosen to connect?
- How do we age the Internet without getting old with it?
- How do we take ourselves not so God-damned serious?
Holy cow! John Perry Barlow is here! Legendary contributor to so much of my world.
- What is the role of public-service media in this democratic society?
And a final question from Nesson:
Can we figure out how to engage kids of all ages in an environment that has them learn critical skills that can be used going forward? Can we make a business model from it?
Terry Fischer’s final comments:Berkman has always aimed to serve the public interest, and walked the line between a research and activist angle. The aim should be equipping the whole world with access. It is not a simple on/off thing, as you see through surveillance and filtering. The Berkman Center is far from alone in this space. We need to remain in constant communication as groups and interested parties in this space. We can best do our work if we engage a large number of people whom are not organized. How can we relate to the other estates? How do we maintain a constructive, independent role in this environment.
